Autogeddon

Autogeddon

Once the 1980s were out of the way, Julian Cope apparently reassessed his career and decided to dedicate himself fulltime to the freaky sounds he heard deep in his soul. Few were the attempts at pop stardom and writing the perfect radio hit (“World Shut Your Mouth” remains his one major contribution, his next album’s “Try, Try, Try” would be his last official effort). In its place Cope throws in the psychedelic and Krautrock experimentation that inspired him as a teen. As the alleged summation of a “trilogy” that includes Peggy Suicide and Jehovahkill, Autogeddon is shockingly short at 46 minutes. But this compactness doesn’t mean any less meandering on Cope’s part, who claims the tunes are all first takes. He muses against the evil that is “auto” culture with spaceouts that sound great cruising the highway at express speeds (the eleven minute “S*T*A*R*C*A*R*”). “Don’t Call Me Mark Chapman” is a dark meditation on murder. “Autogeddon Blues” begins things with acoustic folk-blues and builds to a loose and loopy climax of distorted guitars and Cope’s futile cries against a progress he can’t stop.

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