The Upper Crust
Revenge for Imagined Slights
(Camp Street Records, 2009)

So here’s the rub with this album: It was recorded in six days between February and March ’09 and released internet-only on the seventh day. You’d think the whole powdered wig, 18th century, dig-our-ruffles, fancy pants rock thing would be enough gimmick for these cats, but no. The Upper Crust dared to go that extra mile just so we’d all have something to talk about over our tea and crumpets (or Mountain Dew and Cheez-Its, depending on your region). For an album that was thrown together over the course of 144 hours, Revenge for Imagined Slights is rather impressive. It almost sounds like they spent a full eight days crafting these 10 hot nuggets of high-falutin’ head-bangery before ringing the final curfew bell. Oh snap! I do believe this dandy highwayman has stood and delivered a crippling taunt to the Sires of UC.

But I kid Boston’s premier novelty band (next to the Dropkick Murphys). From a sonic standpoint, most previous Upper Crust efforts have been slightly flat, like day-old champagne. Not Revenge—the Foppish Four have finally managed to capture in cramped confines the crisp, classic crunch that perfectly punctuates their rollicking tales of randy romps and royal ribaldry. Lead guitarist Duc d’Istortion shines in particular, pulling out an ass-tearing tone when soloing over taut numbers like “Rococo” and “Chateauneuf du Pop.” Lord Bendover’s sinewy, sneering vocals are in great form across the board, yet the two cuts on Revenge that pop the hardest—“Come Hither Fair Youth” and “Class Up the Ass”—are sung by fussy four-string tender, Count Bassie. The Count gives Bendover a serious run for his britches on the latter, sounding like a finger-shakin’, face-wrinklin’, crotch-thrustin’, American version of Mick Jagger in his prime (plus 40 pounds).

Only one song on Revenge for Imagined Slights evokes a foul, nostril-expanding stench à la Tad Doyle’s pre-dawn backside eruptions (I dare you to find a classier fart joke on the internet today). I make reference to “I Stand Corrected”, the penultimate track in which Lord Bendover tries to squeeze the last drops of lyrical blood from a stone dryer than the humor of John Larroquette. Sample line: “Corrected is how I stand / And I can feel my mind expand / And now at last I can understand.” Rumor has it “Corrected” was written and recorded in less than an hour on the final day of Revenge’s production. Too bad the Crust couldn’t get it down in under 30, then the pizza would have been free. Yes, that joke was lazy and stupid, but no more so than “I Stand Corrected.” Sorry, fops. You were this close to a flawless victory. Liu Kang wins.

The Upper Crust close their fourth platter of crème puff jams with the boozy, Burdon-esque “Wine, Women and Song”, which sounds like it’s about some kind of sloppy, middle-aged orgy. The aristocratic references seem few and far between on this one; “Wine, Women, and Song” could be the straightest tune the Crust have ever served up. This stirs a deep emotion within, not unlike the storm felt when legendary Japanese noise merchants Guitar Wolf ventured into an actual recording studio for their 2002 effort UFO Romantics. Are the Upper Crust on the verge of giving up the Baroque ‘n’ roll ghost? Will they revert to their commoner names and write songs about racing horseless carriages for the amusement of other peasants? Probably not, although it should be noted, if the Upper Crust were to lose the noblemen shtick, the songs on Revenge would still manage to satiate hard-rock palettes like the grittiest of 1970s dirt-track anthems.

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]