Gary Young “Hospital for the Chemically Insane” reissue on locally operated IAC Records.
By Middagh Goodwin
By Middagh Goodwin
“Hospital,” initially released in 1994 on Big Cat Records, is generally described as a chaotic and disjointed collection of lo-fi folk-rock songs. AllMusic characterizes it as a “roller coaster of chaotic and disjointed songs”; another review describes it as “lo-fi insanity (maybe)”. The album has been remastered and reissued on locally owned and operated IAC Records with an additional 15 bonus, live, and alternate tracks.
Hospital was Gary Young’s first solo release after he parted ways with Pavement. Some songs, such as “Foothill Blvd” and “Where Are You At?”, demonstrate the Pavement influence. His cover of “Wipe Out” demonstrates his musicianship. “Plant Man”: Often singled out for its quirky nature and popularity, possibly due to exposure on “Beavis and Butthead,” led to the band playing dates on Lollapalooza. I saw the band perform on the Sacramento date in front of a crowd that included members of Sonic Youth, Jesus Lizard, Cypress Hill, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Blonde Redhead, The Porkers and Beck. Gary Young’s Hospital was the band to see(at least for the other bands).
The band features an all-star cast of Stockton musicians, Gary Young(Drums/Vox Pavement), Eric Westphal(Bass/Vox James Blonde/Dirk Hamilton Band), Kelly Foley(Guitar/Vox Broken Toys), Rob Warren(Guitar/Vox Strayheart/Dirk Hamilton Band/The Biggs), Zack Silver(Vox/Guitar/Violin Toadstool Theatre), Robin Vanderpool(Keyboards/Guitar), and Zack Berstein(Sax.)
Recommended for listeners with eclectic tastes and a sense of humor and fans of Wesley Willis, The Shags, The Kids of Whidney High, Ween, King Missile, Treephort, and Dan Vallerand.
Sidenote: If you haven’t watched the documentary “Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young and Pavement,” I highly recommend doing so. It is an essential film for Pavement fans and those who want to know more about the indie rockers’ formative years and the haphazard life of Gary Young. www.factorytwentyfive.
For more information or to purchase a copy of Hospital or one of the other great releases from IAC, visit www.iacrecords.com
