Genral Patton & His Privates - Big Bully
The Facts
Artist	Genral Patton & His Privates
Album	Big Bully
Musicians	Jim Patton - Vocals, Guitar Paul Kilkenny - Drums Gus Mezza - Bass, Vocals Tom Elger - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals Steve Jungblunt - Backing Vocals Bruce Breckenfeld - Keyboards
Produced By
Mixed By	Dennis Tousana at Chicago Recording Co. (except "Superman" and "40", mixed by Doug McBride at Gravity)
Mastered By	Colossal Mastering
Recorded At	Chicago Recording Co., Gravity
Track Listing	1). Bully 2). Wasted 3). Twilight 4). Superman 5). Gypsy 6). 40 7). Fixture 8). Water 9). Raise 10).Groove 11).Arturo's 12).Seven
Record Label	Self-Released
Available At	Jim Patton
Reviewed By	Tim Pacey
The Opinion
General Patton & His Privates are the kind of unit in the service that would stand the same odds of being promoted, or courtmarshalled, courtmarshalled for all the wrong reasons. What puts them in the brig isn't their performance, all excellent musicians, the album crisply displays their skills. It's that I didn't get it at first--they're about their neighborhood, bars, haunts, and what their hard pop says and does with it. A quick lyrical run through this disc leaves you with the impression these guys have 9-5 or graveyard jobs, who, after a burrito and some trash T.V., will help save the world like Superman by 1) kicking the neighborhood bully's ass because they care, and 2) jamming rock's liberation at their local bar. Musically, they are all over the place, refreshingly so, the songs' styles are diverse. "Twilight" falls heavy, "Groove" tinges blues, "Wasted" pulls a slow steady draught out of the tap. Half the songs are about drinking. Not crying in your beer, but laughing with it. To these soldiers, the pain of reality is for people who can't handle the joys of alcohol. Then they throw a line at you like "Water"s drifting: "I finally realized I'm just a water sign I was born a cancer in the middle of July" You notice other clever things: In incestuous "Gypsy", The Munster's theme riffs through what can only be a family of inbred monsters. "Aye, I am high" replaces "Aiee, ya, ya, yaiee" for "Arturo's". And if you don't watch out, you'll learn a little music theory in "Seven" which nicely closes the album. And it's a good album, one that will strike you immediately with performance, then later with content--again and again and again...
Nutshell Review
Sharp, hard pop with a strong sense of place and a chaser
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