Fila Brazillia – Mess

Soft Music Under Stars, Laying Down The Law on the Lard, Blood, that's 20+ minutes of Fila goodness. Maybe not as cohesive as some of their other albums but still a must listen.

Wow. I pre-ordered to get the flexi. No posters or postcard for me! :(

One of my all-time favourite Fila releases - let's hope there will be a Reissue of Maim That Tune next - I can only hope :)

Soft music under stars..be still my beating heart..currently having a Fila renaissance with the new 12" release, just ordered by the way. Glad you are back with us guys.

Fuck 'Power Clown'! This is the best Fila Brazillia release!

Don't get me wrong, '...Clown' is a superlative release. But, think of the Cobby/Pork timeline in terms of a life. Heights of Abraham can be seen as the Terrible Two's. 'Codes...' and 'Maim...' are the early teen years. Solid Doctor is the lost summer in Amsterdam. And, 'Mess..'. 'Black Market...' and '...Weirdo...' the late teen/tween years. 'Power Clown' is the young adult.

The reader might be under the perception that 'Mess' is the first Fila release I had heard. This distinction goes to 'Luck Be A Weirdo Tonight" No, the years of '97/'98 were crazy. I'l spare you the details. Suffice to say, for better or worse, I was alone again. I was also well-versed in all things Pork. So much so, I had nearly grown tired of it. A package from Hull to my empty flat changed that.

Like I said, I had almost become inured with the label. So, when I saw it was a Pork release, I put it at the bottom of the stack. I won't lie to you, a _lot_ of pot was smoked during this time, too. Radio will do that to you. Flash forward a few weeks and the Fila Brazillia release was finally next in the pile.

Instantly, I was blown away. I was used to Fila being precocious the first song on all their other releases. So serious was 'Last of the Red Hot Brethren' with its acoustic guitar, I almost turned it off. I wasn't ready to hear it. But, before I could the double-time beat kicked in. And, then the song is over. Curious...

I can't describe how every song leveled me after that, so I'll just name the ones I like the most. 'But Momma', 'Laying Down the Law on the Lard', 'On Yer Haunches', 'Howard Dan Ryan' and 'Blood' hit me hardest. The usual, playful stuff is there, too. 'Wavy Gravy', 'Space Hearse' and "...Granary...' gain a deeper level when mixed in with more moody songs. And, then there is 'Return of the Red Hot Brethren'. Again, with contemplative guitar. The lilting piano returned, too. But, no drum and bass. Soothing...

I once had a dream where the pinky of God softly, but violently, kissed me back to earth. This album is like that dream to me. I was full of hubris. I thought myself ready only to be lovingly bashed upside the head.

Deep stuff this album.

Fila Brazillia’s third full-length, <I>Mess</I>, starts to show the sense of humor that those boys have, with the cheeky samples on the ultra-funky “Big Saddle.” “But Momma” goes the beatless route, but “Wavy Gravy” brings it back. The highlight of the album, “Soft Music Under Stars,” drifts along on a soft sitar for an utterly blissful experience. “Howard Dan Ryan” stakes its claim with a deep bassline, while “Blood” increases in tempo until it breaks out the breaks. The closing track, “The Return of the Red Hot Brethren” wraps things up with a tough beat and soft melody. A marvelous album.