King's X

Item: Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous
Author: Josh Marihugh

Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous

(2000)

Reviewed by Josh Marihugh

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Label Metal Blade RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2000

alternative rock hard rock power pop progressive rock

Since their early days as The Edge in Houston, Ty Tabor (guitar), Doug Pinnick (bass) and Jerry Gaskill (drums), also known as King's X, have crafted finely-tuned guitar rock and beautifully moving ballads. Their newest album Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous continues the 11-year tradition in fine style.

This, the band's ninth album, opens with a bang. Doug's solid, lower-than-ever bass thump accompanies one of the finest complaints ever about being under the public's microscope in "Fishbowl Man." An interesting interlude in the song is Jerry's beat-poem spoken piece.

Ty's shining moment comes in "She's Gone Away," which contains quite possibly the finest King's X guitar solo ever committed to tape. Ty's soaring tones, powered by his new signature-model Yamaha guitar, have never sounded better.

Doug continues his tradition of punchy, super-low bass that still has a melody. Pinnick was one of the first bassists to employ a low-B tuning, and now that that's become common, he's taken it down another step. This disc is a great workout for your system's subwoofer.

Jerry has long been the unsung hero of King's X. Here, with his poetic interludes, he finally gets his chance to take the forefront, prompting the question, "When will Jerry follow Ty and Doug's footsteps and make a solo album?".

Everybody gets their moments; all these moments together form one of King's X's best albums to date. Production (by the band, particularly Ty) shines. My only complaint? Perhaps spoiled by albums like Faith Hope Love and Dogman, I find this album, which barely clocks in at 45 minutes, slightly short. I guess I'll just have to go get the guys' solo albums to tide me over to the next one.

4.5 tocks