"In 2001, the legendary, influential and voraciously eclectic band Fishbone arrived to record their newest material at the Hen House, a free community recording studio - fully wired for digital sound and video. The only rule: leave your shoes at the door."
2001 was the year that was supposed to mark the return of Fishbone. Armed with a rejuvenated lineup and fresh and creative catalog of new material, Fishbone, which was comprised of Angelo Moore, Norwood Fisher, Dirty Walter Kibby, Spacey T, John McKnight, and John Steward, were poised to take on the world again with a message of hope, revolution and the One. Sadly, disgruntled members leaving, the death of a road crew member, and a verbal agreement with Hen House that turned sour made 2001 all but revolutionary, and the two years that followed saw the band go through a series of small successes and misfortunes until only three members were left to wave the Fishbone flag.
Critical Times: Fishbone's Hen House Sessions showcases an in-depth view of a band that is in the process of a rebirth within the ranks. As comes with a regeneration of sorts, growing pains are more than present throughout the entire documentary, revealing constant bickering between Angelo and Walt as well as the unorthodox style of song writing that Fishbone utilizes. Steward even goes so far as to say that he's regularly afraid of what will come out in the recording process because of the disorganized state of ideas beforehand. The roles of the band members are also clearly defined. Angelo may be the leader on stage, but he is certainly the low man on the totem pole during the sessions at the Hen House. Constantly receiving criticism for his Theremin parts, Angelo quietly reverts behind the other members while Norwood lays down the law. Plagued by constant confusion, it's a wonder that Fishbone is able to harness their raw power and meld it into musical ordered chaos.
The Documentary begins with Fishbone settling into the studio and beginning the recording of "Frey'd Fuckin' Nerve Endings", which is one of the most aggressive songs that Fishbone has given birth to, dealing with teetering on the edge of anger and insanity. The segment shows the many creative sides of the band such as Spacey and McKnight creating different guitar hooks for the song. The next recording, "Last Dayz, Critical Times," is a warning to all about the impending end of the world. The song begins with a blast from the horn section, while Angelo points out that the horns need to sound like an Earthquake is happening within the studio. Other songs recorded include "Premadawnutt"; an ode to all egomaniacs, "Demon in Here"; a tale about a maniacal preacher from the south who is actually Angelo's relative, "In the Heat of Angrrr"; a Motown styled anger piece, and "Skank N' Go Nuttz"; a song simply about skankin' with reckless abandon.
Interviews take place in between the songs, and they mainly focus on Angelo, Norwood, and Steward. Steward explains such topics as his high enthusiasm for the band and an extremely accurate interpretation of Norwood's bass playing, which he compares to Jimmy Paige's guitar style. Norwood talks about broad topics such as Fishbone's origins to his "Sacred Antenna", which is Norwood's uni-dread, and how it helps him keep himself on the One, a term referring to the hypnotic like trance while jamming. Angelo gives a tour of his house, where the walls, ceiling, and even the refrigerator have been painted by Angelo himself. He also explains why singing is his passion in life, and talks about Rev. Oomshakalak, the subject of the song "Demon in Here".
Fishbone is still alive and kicking today with a revamped lineup, but Critical Times is a bittersweet look into the past and a reminder of what could've been. A rift is now between Fishbone and Hen House Studios, because of a verbal agreement that was broken where Hen House made no mention of making the documentary. Fishbone has now ordered a boycott of the documentary, and it seems like there is no resolution in sight. Regardless, only the future know what lies ahead for Fishbone. Hold on tight...
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