Unsavoury Products

1. What Do They Want?

2. Dogbite

3. Secret Biscuits

4. If I Were King

5. B4 the Sky Was Built

6. Dear Ron

7. Invisible Things

8. Let's Talk Music

9. Mental Health Hotline

10. Va Zee

11. Image Poem

12. New York Dorx

13. Someone at the Office

14. Science Tells Us

15. Wishing Well

16. White Feathers

17. Interview

18. Voodoo

19. Inconspicuous Audiometric

20. Pigeon Chest

Editorial Reviews

From URB Magazine
If you are completely unaware or unexposed to The Black Dog, meaning you didn't get caught up in their early '90s releases on Warp and GPR, then Unsavoury Products is a potential candidate for your yearly spoken-word purchase. Witness Ken Downie, who formerly trio-ed with Plaid's Ed Handley and Andy Turner as The (original) Black Dog, marry incidental music to the poesy of Black Sifichi in what the duo willingly labels a tribute to William S. Burroughs.

Black Sifichi's a published poet in his own right, but in this project the cultural déjà vu is at times overbearing. "If I Were King" echoes the anti-capitalist/corporate diatribes that Consolidated tired out long ago, "Invisible Things" and "Dogbite" appropriate the raspy experiential consciousness trip that the Beats have been on for over 40 years and the laborious periphrasis of "Let's Talk Music"'s technical jargon begs the more enchanting Terrence McKenna psycho-delica manifesto with The Shamen, "Re: Evolution."

The silly taped dog-taunting on "Va Zee" is redeeming for the smile it cracks on your face, as is the textured verbal flow Sifichi affects between these otherwise non-sequitur thought pieces. And it has jack-all to do with the music, which at best consists of a few clever Middle Eastern percussion loops and ambient fills and samples - it's a crime that Downie sullied The Black Dog name with this non-melodic fare. And it's that point that will drive former Black Dog fans, who - thanks to three seminal electronic music albums full of whimsical, idiosyncratic serpentine melodies - expect far more than Unsavoury Products delivers.

Heath K. Hignight

Tracks:

What Do They Want?
Dogbite
Secret Biscuits
If I Were King
B4 the Sky Was Built
Dear Ron
Invisible Things
Let's Talk Music
Mental Health Hotline
Va Zee
Image Poem
New York Dorx
Someone at the Office
Science Tells Us
Wishing Well
White Feathers
Interview
Voodoo
Inconspicuous Audiometric
Pigeon Chest

Customer Reviews:

This is a great album.......2004-05-22

This album flows from one song to the next, with recurring themes and great atmosphere. Black Sifichi's spoken word poetry mixes perfectly with Black Dog's mastery of rhythms. This album is worth your time and money. Listen to it late at night, eyes closed.

What is underground?.......2003-01-10

I had waited a while to pick up this gem, mainly due to the wack critics that were upset that it did not sound like the original Black Dog albums. So what, when you have a piece of work this interesting and original...you have to respect it for what it is. The album combines social commentary, dusted down-tempo beats, mind bending beat poetry and atmospherics. I have actually been looking for this exact album, just glad someone had the imagination to pull it off. Think 'Fight Club' concepts mixed with down-tempo/dub madness. Abstract Anarchy.

Album Review:

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Take You There [CD-single] [Import]

Wilhelm Kempff: Trio G minor; Quartet G major Op. 15

Viennese New Year: Favourite Waltzes, Polkas and Overtures

Music: The Raven

Will Grab You [Import]

We Have Come for Your Parents [Explicit Lyrics]

Worship [Enhanced] [Live]

When You Say Nothing at All, Pt. 1 [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Forever

Live