Review Summary: Disraeli Gears for the nineties
When you consider the comparisons to Cream that Masters of Reality’s debut received, having Ginger Baker himself drumming on the follow-up record is one hell of a flex. He undoubtedly brings the sort of robust power and precision that one would expect, emboldening Chris Goss and bassist Googe to put more weight into their own performances. It’s also really funny to just imagine Baker constantly grumbling and picking fights about something in the studio to the point that “T.U.S.A.” is literally him complaining about Americans not knowing how to properly make tea. Oh, to be a fly on the wall…
Beyond that, Sunrise On The Sufferbus expands on its predecessor across multiple fronts. The band’s decision to self-produce this time around works greatly in their favor, giving credence to Goss’s skillful touch with a clean and organic mix that perfectly balances the fluid guitars, fuller bass, and sweet vocal lines alongside those pounding drums. The ingredients that make up their genre melting pot also feel more naturally integrated, honing in on laid back blues rock with enough psych touches to better realize the desert outlook.
And while fourteen tracks in forty-two minutes would raise concerns about the album’s cohesion, the band’s mix of catchy as hell riffs with quirky lyrics at its most effective. “She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)” is an iconic opener with some sly guitar/vocal back and forth over persistent drum rolls later repeated on “Tilt-A-Whirl” while “Ants In The Kitchen” and “V.H.V.” are driven by especially playful grooves. The atmosphere is also nicely developed between the dusky moods of “J.B. Witchdance” and “Rolling Green” as well as the airy soundscapes on “100 Years (Of Tears To The Wind).”
Overall, Sunrise On The Sufferbus somehow manages to improve the formula of what was already an incredibly strong debut. The whole ‘Disraeli Gears for the nineties’ veneer would feel authentic even without one of that album’s key players on board; the compositions feel well thought out even when they seem so spontaneous and carefree while the lighthearted moments are idiosyncratic enough to not come off too silly or ironic. Masters of Reality might’ve been a little less out of sorts as grunge sensibilities took hold in the music zeitgeist, but they really did seem to be in their own little world.
