Without getting into the Bunnybrains/Bunnybrains 88 soap opera (similar to the ELO/ELO II drama, but stupider), suffice it to say that this Connecticut collective was/is/will be responsible for some of the most retard-o-riffic noise-sprawl in recent memory. Willfully inscrutable, BB have refused to imply that their music was ever anything but ridiculous. Shifting lineups of thoroughly untrained musicians, vinyl-only releases, insane stage outfits and buckets of raucous sound have kept the band thoroughly obscure (as if they had a choice). This five-disc set puts five of the band’s albums (including the “pink bag” album originally released on Matador) and a raft of unreleased music on CD for the first time; plus they tack on a DVD that documents their visual shenanigans. It’s probably more insanity than any one person needs, but when it comes to the ‘Brains, too much is always enough.
This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2004.