This one is perhaps one of the best albums released by one of my favorite bands. I’ve heard Nicci tell me it sounds like something she would have liked in high school, but I think she’s not listening closely enough. Mark Prindle gave it a ten-star review. He noted that Cunning Stunts was a sparkling exhibit of what can happen when noise and ruckus meet creativity and strong production in the middle of a dusty alleyway.” He goes on to talk about how unique and memorable each track is; several “classics” grace this record. My personal favorite has always been “Contamination,” which has such an off-kilter melody I’m amazed at how it manages to be so damned catchy. Whereas Cows records like Daddy Has A Tail and the post-Cunning Stunts album Sexy Pee Story have pervasive feelings connecting every song to create a larger unit, this one is all about individual songs as gems. Amphetamine Reptile Records released consistently great noise rock albums during the ’80s and ’90s, from Evan-rock bands like Tar, Melvins, Hammerhead, and Killdozer. Perhaps Cunning Stunts is the best the label ever released.
Cows
Cunning Stunts
Amphetamine Reptile, 1992
MediaFire download link
Track Listing:
01) Heave Ho
02) Walks Alone
03) Contamination
04) Mr. Cancelled
05) Mine
06) Midnight Cowboy
07) Everybody
08) Two Little Pigs
09) The Woman Inside
10) Terrifique
11) Down Below
12) Ort
