Album of the Day

hat, by Mike Keneally (1992): "Thank you for buying hat," multiple Mikes sing in the opening of "Your Quimby Dollars at Work." Thus begins the solo career of one of the most amazing musical talents on the planet (and just a damned nice guy, too). After years with Zappa, Mike finally cranked out this twisted collection of tunes that established his talent, humor, and uniqueness. Compared to his later stuff, hat reminds me a little bit of Kevin Smith's first film, Clerks - both were made on the cheap by guys who were learning how to do it as they went along and are fairly rough compared to their later works. But, they're both great (in ways completely different from said later works) show what can be done when creative people do what they want to do when left to their own devices.