Review: Majestico/Ranch Ghost - Live at Mt. Swag
By Paul Blawat
I know nothing about Majestico. I know equally zippo about Ranch Ghost. I do know that Jeffery Drag Records released a live* cassette of these two bands doing their thing. Their thing, as is turns out, is some sweet Budget Rock™-inspired songs. That thing is Majestico and Ranch Ghost live at Mt. Swag.
Side A (at least the side I listened to first), the Ranch Ghost side, sounds shittily fantastic! “Long Hand” plays like a Mummies doo wa diddy, daddy-o in all its glorious raunch. “Turfin/Feels so Good” lets the boys display their ample hot Phantom Surfers licks. The back half lyrics are minimal and mostly consist of the Ghosts yelling “Feels so good.” Let’s be frank. If you were at this recording, you were probably intoxicated (whether in the band or the crowd), so the less lyrics to remember the better.
Majestico begins their side of the album with a wild screamer. There’s that Budget Rock™ Farfisa! That’s the sound! That’s the sound!
The live set, of course, is littered with Japantary™.** The songs give off a mucho different style than the other side. Some Andre Williams-esque soul shakers and some Question Mark and the Mysterians 60s trash raunch. Really like the song around the six minute mark. Those with Creepers and or Beetle Boots will understand its muted dance floor shake twist appeal. Like a real boss hoss! Majestico even toss in some early BJM-inspired downbeat psych and some Stones/Groovies licks courtesy of the year 1973.
This record just continually got hotter and wilder as it rolled on. I’m going to give it 172.2 out of 172.2.*** Get the cassette for $5 or the download for $2 here. Either way, get it and get down. Take it away, ghost of Dick Clark.
*This cassette is about as live as the legendary Party at Steve’s House LP. In 1994, The Mummies decided to take their “talents” (or lack thereof - sorry LBJ) into a warehouse in Martinez, CA and show the world the true meaning of Budget Rock™. That LP, via dubbed cassette, made its way into the hands of yours truly and the rest they say is history. By that, I mean I listened to a ton of Mummies LPs.
**Japantary: some Japanese woman commentating about Majestico throughout their side of the cassette. I figured this gag would surface in some form or another when I saw the Live At Japan tag.
***Hey Paul, this doesn’t make sense. Alright, you caught me. It doesn’t. Or does it?
