Product Description

Liverpool's Zutons blend pop, jazz, funk and general eclectism in their self proclaimed 'carnival music' on this their debut album. The album follows on from their top 20 single 'Pressure Point' evoking Devo, Captain Beefheart and Talking Heads amongst others. Whereas earlier comparisons were made with fellow Liverpudians The Coral, 'Who Killed The Zutons' shows the band defining their own unique style.

Track Listing

1. Zuton Fever
2. Pressure Point
3. You Will You Won't
4. Confusion
5. Havana Gang Brawl
6. Railroad
7. Long Time Coming
8. Nightmare Part II
9. Not A Lot To Do
10. Remember Me
11. Dirty Dancehall
12. Moons And Horror Shows

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35892 in Music
• Released on: 2004-10-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

Amazon.co.uk Review
If merry Liverpudlians the Zutons really do have aspirations to marry Talking Heads with Sly and the Family Stone they fail miserably on Who Killed the Zutons?. There's a riot going on this debut album, but there's no bloodshed, just a mobbish custard pie confrontation between differing factions of pop history. Putting gimmickry to the fore, the Zutons start the album with their Monkees-styled theme tune "Zuton Fever", which could well be a cartoon voodoo version of Echo and the Bunnymen. Then the fun begins: obvious touchstones are the British invasion R&B of the Spencer Davis Group and the Animals (stompers such "Long Time Coming" and "You Will You Won't" are convincing vintage soul fakes) coupled with that awkward evolutionary blip in the 60s when white soulboys went psychedelic (see Zoot Money and Dantalion's Chariot). Add on some ghoulish surf guitars and creepy stuff about zombies, food poisoning and tropical diseases to keep fans of the Cramps happy and then append with the cheapest toy sax in rock since Laura Logic's punk parpings with X-Ray Spex. It works. Even so, the melancholic moments are the best, among them the Kinks-tinted, rainy-day ennui of "Not a Lot to Do" and the cruel-to-be-kind kiss-off of "Confusion" ("from day one, I led you on"). --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews

Great Debut
It's quite a task trying to pigeon hole Zutons music. As a Britpop junkie, I can't say who they sound like, I'm guessing the influences are older than I am. I describe it as "spiky" or "edgy". If it's not too pretentious, the music seems to have a lot of sharp edges and funny angles, and having a single saxophone gives this album an individual quality.

Favourites for me are Zuton Fever and Don't Ever Think Too Much, but the whole album is something to savour.

Catchy, catchy, catchy
Great album, great band. Great recording, great live.
If you're wondering who the Zutons are (as many do) don't ask too many questions just buy the album. You'll be astounded at how many of the tracks you know and already love from the huge amount of airplay they've deservedly received. Never in my life think I'd say it but the sax makes the album!

I give up, who did kill them?
The Zutons exemplify the dilemma that music's got itself into. They seem to be looking for a route to something that will mark them out as different and end up compromising themselves by not being one thing or another. It's a sobering thought that this, rightly, is considered to be one of the better albums of recent years. Yet, for all their little devices and versatility, there is nothing on this album that knocks you out. The first three tracks are dogged by uninspiring material. "Confusion" is a fine song but was probably only intended as a gentle breather, while the latin flavour of "Havana Gang Brawl" is quite striking. At this point, I had high hopes for the rest of the album, but it never reaches top gear.

Anyone who thinks this is a good rock album would do well to listen to some Who, Stones, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, etc. from the 1970s as this stuff is feeble considered in that context. It is more like a pop album but lacks the necessary hook. The Zutons at least have more charisma in their ranks than most of their contemporaries and that gives them an edge, but while this album is likeable in places, it's somewhat tame.