USSA-The Spoils (2007)

 

Artist: USSA

Title: The Spoils

Label: Fuzz

Format: CD

Cat #: 8989 31001 025

Year of Release: 2007

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 2007

Sold Price: $3.99

Listed Condition: VG+/VG+

Sell Date: 11/14/20

Discogs Last Sold: 4/22/20 VG+/VG+ $3.99

Low: $2.00

Median: $3.99

High: $10.50

Current low price: $4.10 VG+/VG+

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 4

Have/Want: 78/31

Where Sold: Warrenville, IL

Time it took to sell: 9 years

Where and When Bought: promo

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: C

Sad To See It Go?: No

"Guitar master Sims!" said the incorrect caption from a whiskey addled Reverse Collector (TM)  this past New Years Eve at the Jesus Lizard.  It was indeed and always shall be Duane Denison.  "It's Duane" someone in the peanut gallery retorted at 3AM.  How could I make such a comical error?  

12 years before I booked a show in NYC for USSA.  The Texas celebrity band featuring Duane Denison of Jesus Lizard and bass player Paul Barker of Ministry/Wax Trax fame.  Somehow I managed to overbid on this gig at Midway to beat out the Knitting Factory and they drew 20 or 30 people for my steadfast faith in all things Jesus Lizard related.  I didn't even remember that Paul Barker was the other celebrity "cog."  Even the drummer had a more famous entity: Collective Soul.   This was in 2007, the year before the rise of our lord, social media.   This promo copy was received prior to that gig with another copy and a poster, dutifully exhibited in the glass casing in front of the club.  I was stuck out of town when the show arrived which was unfortunate being excited about this gig.  In my absence, Management plied “guitar master Sims” with booze and broads and convinced him to reduce his expensive contracted cash register depleting wage causing an angry demand from the the booker post mortem to be made whole.  Careers were threatened and kneecaps were batted.  It was clear The Reverse Collectors aesthetics that got him hired were gonna get him fired.   Everyone was angry. 

The whole business-of-music thing had always been a weird marriage of conflicting interests since the dawn of the nightclub industry: P. T. Barnum, Mafia and The Law.  Throw in a independent music venue in the mix attempting to compete with rising industry corporatism on all levels and you’ve got problems.  One can only conclude the whole thing is bit sick. Still beats an office job.

This was the world USSA could headline in 2007.  Five years earlier they would’ve been more connected to the biz  and nailed that opening 3rd slot, 20 minutes set on a Tool arena tour and pack clubs like this in down time without wails of “you should’ve promoted better.” Does anyone gauge what they are going to do from the 3 or 4 glossy postcards taken politely and stuffed in their pockets with a 2 year old crumpled flyer? I’ve pulled many past March postcards out of December coat pockets.

You can't doubt anything Denison plays on.  This release was a one-off so far as I know.  Why didn't anybody care?   Perhaps it was Gary Call's vocals, which never reach anything representing memorable on this record.  Somewhere in the crosshairs of, I dunno, Chokebore and the Butthole Surfers with a little splash of Mascis crag?  Not wretched, by any means.  Also the music sounds ever so slightly closer on the “active-rock” meter to mersh.  Instant cutout without the distribution, released out of respect for the commercial lineage of the musicians involved.  Evidence here was that infrastructure of this world was on it’s last legs in every way.  This was stuck in the middle.

"Guitar master Sims" (my new favorite accidental nickname) is always distinct, but there is a bit of disembodiment here.  What the hell does that mean?  

Something seems off.  Is it I?

Perhaps several more listens could change my mind, but I tried this with the Verve album yesterday.  I keep wanting to reassess this release higher, but I gotta be honest.  

I'm sorry USSA the band wasn't a central part of my life like the song "U.S.S.A." was 20 years prior.