whisehouse - mummy and daddy
this one has a review on discos that s ays its basically a split between whitehouse and peter sotos... and thats why i bought it. I've listened to buyers market so many times and although its timeless and i love it for nervous drunken laughs with friends in the car, or downer vibes driving alone, it gets reparative and the shock dies off over multiple listens. MUMMY AND DADDY probably will too. I don't really listen to music on youtube, although i really should, so i had never heard this before and I'm so glad i took the plunge and ordered this NOT cheep cd from Belgium. i have always bought all the LP reissues but i have only recently started tracking down some of the pricey'er CD's like TWICE IS NOT ENOUGH, NEVER FORGET DEATH and will be on the hunt for others.
The record starts off hard with some heavy CRUISE sounding electronics. Loud crushy and digital sounding. But very very thick and full and never a dull moment. Whitehouse at the prime of their game... in 1998... Perverse, misogynistic, relentless vocals make a newer version to me of JUST LIKE A CUNT ever better than the other version I've heard. This mix is louder and angrier than the phillip best version on QUALITY TIME, which is the only other version I've heard despite there being lots of others. Live Aktion LPS will be my next obsession after i get all the studio albums and old CD's. Such is life.
This album talks about Home, Family and Unhealthy lustful relationship. Anger and Control that love can create if you let shit fuck up enough.
there are some whispers that are taint like on daddy... i couldn't help but notice because taint is a perfect project, and the only project i can think of, that i care about that whispered also. Thats enough for comparisons but just saying TAINT was definitely active then and maybe/definitely whitehouse heard it. Who influence who? DADDO is the first person story of a daddy that fuckied his kid... woah gross~... .... wowee. .. . . .
The last track, titled PRIVATE is a perfect 20 minute Sotos sound collage, edited together by Steve Albini*. I was told last summer by a friend Mike Connely that Albin of DER BLUTHSARCH does all the edits for sotos sound collage material???????? We were drunk at Tiki Ti's and i could just be wanting to remember this. We were screaming YOURE A HUMAN TOILET and drinking house punches until the punch was 86. Great times with some good homies.
The thing is there are no credits of Albin named.. and Steve Albini IS credited, and i know he has recorded whitehouse a lot throughout their career so i guess i'll just believe its him. Although i'd love to believe its Albus. Someone please correct me with info? So Sotos sends him a ton of video footage or sound and he edits them... I'm jealous i fucking wish i could do that.
OK so I have to note that Sotos is still a credited on almost all the other more "traditional whitehouse" power electronic tracks on the album. He's credited on all but ONE song out of the five track, FOURTY FIVE minute or so album (a cunt like you is written by bennet alone). That being said i would NOT consider this a split at all. Instead consider this a cohesive piece of work curated by whitehouse with a heavy sotos influence... One of the heaviest sotos influence of any whitehouse album? Peters 's credit is playing Roland, Phillip Best is yamaha and William is sony. Simple. Would love to know what gear they're using. I'd have guess a mixer and some digital cutting edge 1998 synth... maybe someone could tell me what they're known to use? And don't say a wasp. I'd say sotos clearly has a big say and artistic "control" or freedoms on the lyrics and theme. It is obvious. It is so much like his writing... Very Perverse, very sexual... And so unembarrassed.
The first track is "the philosophy of the wife beater". A man's upset point of view... he's had some argument with his wife. She clearly hurt him enough to justify him mentally abusing her... this track is putting you in a unhealthy relationship, plain and simple and if you've been there in that situation, which many have, it hurts. He calls his wife ugly and worthless. He breaks her down emotionally. She doesn't like to get treated like this. He's mentally abusing the fuck out of her. Look at me and say you're sorry. Cunts say sorry. He doesn't respect his wife and shit isn't good between them. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT YOU CUNT YOU FUCKING CUNT. I can't help but wonder what relationship drama's this could be about IRL. Wish i knew... He doesn't actually beat her which i find interesting but he does just as bad. He emotionally breaks her down. Calls her worthless and useless. REMEMBER YOU'RE FAT. remember you're STUPID. Remember you're UGLY. Any one that has heard this from a partner will understand the importance of this track, and will remember the control others can have on you.
Just like a cunt makes perfect sense for this album and I'm glad they did it. Same era as QUALITY TIME. Theres the theme breaking someone down. It's like they really wanted to go crazier on this take. One of my favorite WHITEHORSE songs ever now. So intense and fast and busy. LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF BEING ALIVE. YOU ACHE JUST LIKE A CUNT YOU BREAK JUST LIKE A CUNT.
DADDO is a sick and twisted ~ track about a dad fucking his kid... i think. it could be his wife in some weird sexual role-play. YOU'LL NEVER LOOK THIS GOOD AGAIN... You'll never be younger than this... Say it wasn't her fault... Say it monster... He's conflicted about his actions. I do think theres more role-play than reality here though. I know none of whitehorse's members actually fucked their kid, so the only way i can see these words having any real meaning to BENNET, SOTOS and BEST is if they're having a played out/ but still fun daddy baby girl (or boy) relationship. It explores the beauty in youth and the DAddo feeling bad about his estranged relationship with his daughter. Maybe he's abusing his partner like in wifebeater and their sex life is out of control and unhealthy. William Bennet is Lost and questioning wrongs and wrights of society and basic human relationships and the boundaries we all live with but never dare to push. Maybe just A dream.... but thats too weird. Was Frued right? very intimate track though, He loves his daughter and although he clearly sucks and stepped over a terrible boundary, in some way, he is affectionate and worrisome. Let me wipe your face. you're little lip and cheek. This track is kind goofy... like ok daddy fucks baby girl... the most overdone "taboo" in porn now... Can't help but think/be sure this is talking about a real relationship with someone their own age(ish haha get it?). We all are on our BEST behavior. But if they cared enough about the relationship they're referencing to put it in the album then it works for me.This song is also strangely poetic and nice. Theres a weird serious affection he has for his daughter. "I'm going to teach you to sing and I'm going to teach you how to worry about others."
This album does such a good job of playing on your own personal experiences (minus daddy unless you were fucked by your dad). When listening my girlfriend loved the heavy noise tracks but she only got 7 or so minutes out of 20 of the sotos track and i turned it off for her. she was bothered and asked me if i knew someone who was molested and i honestly kindof don't... Maybe thats why i like it so much... Also i like to feel bad so. The next day she listened to the entire track. Its like i said sotos desensitizes you after a couple listens or reads.
This 20 minute track is 100% the highlight for me. It makes you want to cry and laugh and makes you feel disgusted. So many emotions. My favorite part is a 911 phone call of a a little girl calling police saying her step dad is killing her mommy and knocked out her 4 year old sister. It's really genuine and scary and gave me some serious feelings. Another is from a television tv show of two kids saying they were molested. This is where i turned it off the first time for my girlfriend... despite willing to go forward i already definitely bummed her out and needed to make up for it. After this point the is on the talk show said that the man is getting out out of jail this christmas.. which makes them feel "Mad". .. yeah i'd be too xmas was RUINED that year.
There is a sample that resonates to me of a man publically talking about his son who was murdered. I'm sure taken from the news as this is 1998. He is saying "how can anyone feel safe" in his nice little community. Of which states he feels safe. And that if it happens in his community it can literally happen everywhere. No child is safe then... i don't know different times i guess my mom used to kick me out to play outdoors. Sotos or albini are telling no one is safe. i Love that message.
Over all totally worth the 35 bucks with shipping... the cheapest one i could find. i guess i'm a chump but i needed this album right now. Something scary and not boring... like mostly everything nowadays... I guess if i hadn't heard quality time or other records until this point in my life i'd be blown away.. so this was an opportunity to hear some HIGH CLASS whitehouse on my not so fresh ears. . Nice cd and booklet including lyrics... i got the 2002 repress which still seems to also be pretty limited on eBay and discogs. Perfect Trevor Bown artwork for the cover. Even though daddy is a bit lyrically cheesy and angsty. But lets face it theres usually atleast ONE crazy no fucks track on a Whitehouse album. Thats why we love them. IM CUMMING UP YOUR ASS. YOUR A HUMAN TOILET!!! Theres no recent VINYL repress of this album which i think might make it fall through the cracks... I mean At least it did for me. MUMMY AND DADDY completely delivers and fully deserves the vine repress treatment... maybe a 2 lp with some more bonus sotos on side D... I can dream right?It was a bit painful to purchase i won't lie but totally worth it. I think theres like 4 for sale tops and none under 35 usd. I am very happy to own on cd as it was originally introduced and this is one of the greats.
