CD Review: Ass Ponys — The Okra Years

“The Velvets are alive,” said my friend Kara back in 1991, who just heard the Ass Pony’s play a show in Charlotte. I was skeptical because every group Kara heard that featured a fuzz guitar and even a miniscule amount of feedback reminded her of the Velvet Underground.

My suspicions were confirmed after listening to their debut release on Okra Records, Mr. Superlove. Many of the tracks from this album appear on the new two-disk compilation The Okra Years. While they were pretty far from the Velvets, Ass Pony’s creative force Chuck Cleaver and his band at that time produced some extraordinarily wild tunes that reminded me more of warbled Michael Stipe fronting for a highly experimental form of The Stooges. Since then, Cleaver and his band of many incarnations have done much to change the face of alternative music through the years.

Later fans of the band and those who’ve fallen for the resplendent lushness of Ass Ponys side project Wussy should drop everything they’re doing right now, and buy The Okra Years, because you cannot fully appreciate the Ass Ponys' sound without experiencing the sonic joy of this groups’ early studio and live adventures. On original tracks such as “Good With Guns," “Azalea” and “It’s Not Happening,” Cleaver, Dave Morrison, John Erhardt, Randy Cheek, and Dan Kleingers get to play with Cleaver’s highly sardonic and slightly morbid lyrics, creating sounds that are mystifying and all-consuming.

The first side concludes with three covers, “We All Love Peanut Butter” by the long defunct Cleveland band One Way Streets, a slightly clunky version of “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” and a perfectly wonderful live cover from the bands’ 1989 debut gig, “Go-Go Kitty,” which features a wailing sax solo by Erhardt and is reminiscent of some of the outstanding avant-garde jazz work of John Lurie and The Lounge Lizards.

The Okra Years is among the finest Alternative Rock releases of 2006. Not only is the music brilliant, but Cleaver's assemblage of songs is tremendously satisfying, creating a roller-coaster ride of chilling, brooding pieces that allow the listener to tumble into the psychotic aspects of relationships, and then speed things up to ascend peaks of wry, eccentric humor. And the cover art is mostly Cleaver originals nicked from show flyers when the band was making their way through the tumultuous club scene of the South and Northeast.

While my friend Kara was all wet about The Ass Pony’s being the reincarnation of The Velvets, she was spot on about the genius this band displayed from their early days. The Ass Ponys may never be the seminal influence the Velvets were, but in their own way, Chuck Cleaver and his mates allowed alternative rock to take giant strides in an industry that tends to eschew anything that doesn’t have commercial appeal. For that, and the originality they so consistently offered, the have my undying gratitude.

Article Author: Larry Sakin

Larry Sakin is a former music executive and non-profit medical organization administrator. He advocates for literacy issues and provides advocacy training for grassroots and non-profit groups around the country.

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