Review : CLUTCH – “A Weathermaker’s Dozen”

May 122011

Clutch – A Weathermaker’s Dozen
Release: 2011Apr11 (US)
Label: Weathermaker Music
Rating: 4/5

A dozen days into May, it feels like time to tackle the thirteen tunes on A Weathermaker’s Dozen—the exclusive promo sampler from the mighty Clutch. They’re reissuing all of their albums released on the failed label DRT Entertainment, having received the masters back, courtesy of the NY State Court. And in the band’s fan-loving fashion, they will all be double-disc releases with new tracks and live favorites.

So this is a cross-section of the three albums released on DRT: 2007′s From Beale Street to Oblivion (my favorite), Robot Hive/Exodus (the album that re-introduced me) from two years prior, and Blast Tyrant in 2004. The latter’s bonus CD, Basket of Eggs, is where we get the lead track, “Box Car Shorty’s Confession”—a fun and bluesy murder-revenge number. Few can convincingly genre-jump quite like Clutch, and be sure to keep an ear out for the acoustic version of “Tight Like That” (the heavy version appears on their self-titled sophomore full-length).

I was okay with the edits of “La Curandera” and “Electric Worry”, but am unclear why “10001110101″ needed so much trimming. Sure the lead-in is a touch long, but I miss the first bridge: “Are you rolling tape now?/Bits and pieces large and small/Sector, vector, eat them all/It’s already in their eyes/Among the metal ones a messenger will soon arrive.” What, were the Katamari Damacy folks suggest copyright infringement for that first “rolling tape” line? When I think of connections that absurd, something is awry.

But it’s gotten to the point where you barely question Clutch‘s decisions, you know? Twenty years in the industry has made them both shrewd and sharp businessmen, as well as musicians—even though they’re probably half-winging it, just like the rest of us. Here’s to all the regular dudes making it happen!

FCC OK
Try ALL

01. Box Car Shorty’s Confession
02. La Curendera
03. Child of the City
04. Tight Like That (Acoustic)
05. Politician (BBC)
06. Electric Worry
07. Gravel Road
08. The Mob Goes Wild
09. 10001110101
10. White’s Ferry
11. The Regulator
12. Wreck My Life (Live)
13. Burning Beard / Impetus (Live)

~MetalMattLongo

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