The Human Pippi Box-Review

Pre-script: Check our other "Moppets" related reviews.

Body: So I've started working a 9 to 5er and I've found myself at a loss for time and energy to write. And no internet connection in my new place. Not for awhile anyway. I go to a local university campus and bum their internet connection, and I hate that place. So, forced to cut way back, I figured now's the time if ever to focus on a project more important and personal to me: The Human Pippi Box-Review. Yes, I've made up a new kind of review for dear old Luna Kafé (well, sort of. See Tim's nice review of The Sea and Cake). The Box-Review is intended in this case to review an artist's entire catalogue (or all of that which can be obtained). It's a zany idea perhaps, but one that will selfishly help keep me sane this summer, and provide some well deserved attention and exposure for the good Pippi.

Haha, you see, good old Pippi is a contruction worker. That hard-work shit. My new job is kinda at the other end of contruction: installation. Yes, I install entire central Heating and Cooling Systems now for this man named Edmisten. I must speak half-fluent Spanish (which I learned mostly in school) each day because, according to Vicente Fox (president of Mexico) "Mexicans will take jobs in America that not even Black People will take". Indeed, my coworkers consist of about 80% Mexicans and 20% Hillbillies. It is great, as I'm sure you can imagine. Well, it's music like Mr. Armstrong's that gets my feet on the ground when I come home stressed and confused.

Record 1: 2001 Mix (Track 1):

I totally look at mixes as being worthy of a little skillfully artistic flare. If you know what I mean. And of course old Pipps doesn't really fuck around with Mixes. His mixes are Good. Plenty of his own personality to make it something way more special.

The 2001 mix is 6 tracks, all of which are untitled (as is the norm with a record like this), the 1st one 21 mintues long. It begins as many albums do with a spoken invocation. "Play like we gonna pay 500 dollars a day, I'm gonna spend that on sneakers, you know what i'm sayin. that ain't no money: I'm a playa". And then that real party shit: those trombones and horns son. A damn fun sound greets you. Then Pippi drops a fast beat over those fiesta horns. Funny and witty. The mix moves to a new tune, an old Williams Sr.-like slide guitar and barber-shop harmony. Another super-hyped beat drops over the old, strange recording. Pippi allows some of his deft cutting to take the listener to another voice-sample, this one drenched in a reverb and tone that bring the listener out of the drunken happiness caused by the first 6 or so minutes of the mix. Down now into a more bizarre, perhaps darker place.

He cuts the voice recordings over a fine almost Oingo Boingo-type piano rhythm. It's a great affect. Then, you think you're hearing a Wizard of Oz sample, but: "Better to see you, my child. Better to beat you up, mychild". Again, wry. More words: "You know, that's all that has been done. And everything has been done". He drops a dirty beat here, drumming on the turntables. This part of the mix bringing the listener down a bit further. Then "Chim Chiminy Chim Chiminy Chim Chim Cha Roo". The sample from Bedknobs and Broomsticks. How funny. To bring you down into such a murk and then play that sample. And it's a perfect transition:

He plays his damned Pinwhistle in the next tune. Ha. And of course, at just the right times, he effects the hell out of it through his sampler. And then pinwhistly cuts. Track 1 ends the halfway mark in this too-funny place.

The 2nd half begins. It's the sound of a little kid on a marimba! It's the chronology of Pippi's mixes that really can be so great. The little kid then grows into some recording of some "modern gospel" type singers singing "Oh, Jesus was a little bitty baby, Born in Betheleham". Haha. And of course he cuts over it. And then to follow that with Radio sounds. What a fine mix this is. Now, the radio tunes into more little kids sounds and then finally, a beat.

But it's sort of fucked up. He uses the speed-bar to change the tempo subtly every now and then, not allowing the listener to shake that rummy feeling derived from the first two-thirds of the mix. Then the infamous "Pork Chops and Applesauce" song. You should really hear the "Pork Chops and Applesauce" song.

And now a big synth beat, and back to that completely fun sound. He drops a hell of a guitar solo. Your ass should shake sufficiently here. More voice: "Have a new album. Sort of features the horn-section. We're doing a thing in 5/8 that's supposed to resemble industry and uh, money making [another sample enters quickly here, of a child: 'I WANT MY MONEY!!'] then immidiately a huge tom solo, a strange background yelling, and a doodling trumpet take the listener to a hell of a beat-drop: a dark and dirty strait gangster beat comes in to finally take hold of the listener and shake her. Huge.

The denouement: backwards. Then, the first track slowly dieing, you'll hear a hodgepodge of the sounds. In all it's a bizarre and funny track, and one that deserves a listen. But it doesn't prepare you for what's in store.

Tune in next moon for Installment 2 of The Human Pippi Box-Review.

Copyright © 2005 $100 Bill Banks