For those of you who might not know, Attila was a 'hard-rock' band formed in 1969 featuring Jon Small on drums and some guy named Bobby Joe who though it would sound bad-ass to play a Hammond keyboard through some kind of Marshall stack. Jon and Bobby were in a band called The Hassles in the mid sixties together. When The Hassles broke up, the two of them decided to try out their psychedelic hard-rock chops. Thus Attila was born!It could have been worse. The bassist from The Hassles joined Ram-Jam....
This record has been called "the worst record in the history of recorded music" by people other than myself; I'm actually just surprised that anyone else had made it through the whole album. Bobby Joe was so embarrassed of this record that he tried to ice himself by drinking furniture polish shortly after it's release. Thankfully, Jon was able to keep the rock alive by rushing him to the hospital. Bobby later commented "I drank furniture polish. It looked tastier than bleach." I'm pretty sure he just thought it was really cheap vodka, though.
I'm very unsure if this record is a joke or a serious artistic statement. Sometimes it feels like two kids who had achieved some success within one genre trying to have a little fun with music that they know very little about writing, but have enjoyed listening to. It could also be an attempt by confused musicians to grasp onto a budding craze in hopes of reviving some resemblance of a career. I really am lost. All around lost. I can't tell I like this because it's kind of catchy and rocks a little, or if i like it because I like to see musicians try and fall flat on their faces; actually, i really enjoy seeing anyone fall flat on their face, especially old people or babies.
At their best, whenever that is ('Tear This Castle Down' maybe?), Attila sounds like a lonely 12 year old playing Black Sabbath tunes in his room on a 'First Act' brand electric guitar while his mother yells from downstairs to "turn it down" and at their worst ('Wonder Woman') sounds exactly like Led Zepplin. 'Brain Invasion' might be the first, and hopefully the last, heavy-metal-calliope-jazz song I've ever heard and also a contender for one of the worst, or best, song titles i have ever seen. One can only imagine what trash, or possibly thrash, Attila might have turned out on future albums if Billy, I mean Bobby, hadn't married Jon's wife; pretty much breaking up the band.
Believe it or not, there are actually some slightly impressive things going on with the keyboards (the end of 'Rolling Home' and 'Amplifier Fire'). It's interesting to listen to how Bobby adapts the sound of a real band to just a Hammond organ and he does a rather nice job filling in the bass parts, Ray Manzarek style, too. I genuinely think that some of these songs could rock pretty hard if they were played by a full band and utilized a new singer; they could be better than some Kiss songs, like 'Hard Luck Woman' and 'Beth' (well maybe not 'Beth'). I'm considering putting together an Atilla tribute band with full costumes and meat on the stage. Any takers....?
Read the song titles, look at the artwork and tell me this record isn't worth 40 bucks! 'Cause it's not worth 40 bucks. Even if it's signed....
I've already spent too much time listening to and commenting on this album. Get it out of my head.
Download and try to enjoy.
Track listing:
Side A:
1. Wonder Woman
2. California Flash
3. Revenge Is Sweet
4. Amplifier Fire (Part I - Godzilla; Part II - March of the Huns)
Side B:
1. Rolling Home
2. Tear This Castle Down
3. Holy Moses
4. Brain Invasion
Download Attila from DivShare (48.2 MB)
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