- Record Label: Beat The World
- Release Date: Jul 14, 2009
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Sound may have a slight edge over the originally released version of this material, if only because it's truer to the band's initial intentions, and Dandy diehards will certainly find it worth checking out, but more casual fans who already own Monkey House can probably skip it unless they're looking for an intriguing lesson in the nuances of mixing.
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"Monkey House" was the band's experiment in '80s synth-rock, and with Elavedo's touch, the razor-sharp, reflective edges of the album's space-age cogs are smoothed and rounded, with the bright-hot electro-pop brought closer to loungey funk.
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Unfortunately, despite its improvements, the album still suffers from lackadaisical and unfocused songwriting. Sure, this record is quite a bit better than the one originally released, and kudos to the band for taking the time to prove their point.
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To non-Dandys diehards, these will seem like small differences. Both albums have great, sometimes danceable pop hooks. But for Warholics, the nuances will be celebrated as re-connecting with their original artistic impulses.
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UncutAn LP that once raved shamelessly now shuffles, twitchily. [Oct 2009, p.95]
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The first Monkey House is full of consistently aggressive hook-mongering; this version is all deliberately becalmed jamming and repetition. As a compare/contrast sample, it’s fascinating; as entertainment, it’s wearisome for anyone not already committed to the Warhols.