The Band That Would Be King

The Band That Would Be King
Studio album by
Half Japanese
Released1989
GenreIndie rock, punk rock, lo-fi
Length46:17
Label50 Skidillion Watts[1]
ProducerKramer[2]
Half Japanese chronology
Charmed Life
(1988) 		The Band That Would Be King
(1989) 		We Are They Who Ache with Amorous Love
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert ChristgauB−[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Pitchfork8.6/10[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide5/10[6]

The Band That Would Be King is an album released by the Maryland rock group Half Japanese.[1][7] It was also their third and last studio album released on their label, 50 Skidillion Watts.[8]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "a lot of the songs are fragmentary, and the music — a sloppy mess of guitars, harmonica and saxophones — sounds largely improvised, but a few tunes ('Some Things Last a Long Time,' 'Postcard from Far Away,' etc.) are genuinely delightful."[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jad Fair, Don Fleming, J. Rice, Rob Kennedy & Scott Jarvis, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Open Your Eyes/Close Your Eyes" 1:08
2."Daytona Beach" (Ft. Fred Frith) 1:47
3."Lucky Star" 2:21
4."Some Things Last a Long Time" (Ft. George Cartwright) 2:20
5."My Most Embarrassing Moment" 0:49
6."Buried Treasure" 1:05
7."Open Book" 1:00
8."Little Records"J. Fair, Fleming, Rice, Kennedy, Jarvis, David Fair1:17
9."Deadly Alien Spawn" 2:36
10."Postcard from Far Away" 1:38
11."Ventriloquism Made Easy" 0:42
12."Something in the Wind" 0:38
13."Bingo's Not His Nam-o" 1:19
14."Put Some Sugar on It" 2:47
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
15."What More Can I Do?" (Ft. Fred Frith) 1:24
16."Brand New Moon" (Ft. George Cartwright) 1:36
17."Another World" 1:34
18."Every Word Is True" (Ft. Fred Frith) 1:20
19."I Live for Love"Daniel Johnston2:06
20."Werewolf" 1:30
21."Ride Ride Ride" (Ft. John Zorn) 0:31
22."Sugarcane" 2:31
23."I Wish I May" 1:32
24."Ashes on the Ground"Mark Jickling, David Fair2:41
25."Curse of the Doll People" 0:33
26."Horseshoes" 2:11
27."Bluebirds" (Ft.George Cartwright) 1:39
28."Frankenstein Meets Billy the Kid" 0:56
29."My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" 1:11
30."Africans Built the Pyramids" 1:35

(last three only mentioned on label, not on the sleeve)

Personnel

Half Japanese

  • Jad Fair – vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • Don Fleming – guitar, vocals
  • Mr. J. Rice – guitar
  • Rob Kennedy – bass
  • Scott Jarvis – drums
  • Kramer – organ, bass

Guest Musicians

Production

  • Kramer – recording, mixing, production
  • David Fair – cover

References

  1. ^ a b Jenkins, Mark (September 13, 1989). "THE REMAINING HALF OF HALF JAPANESE" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  2. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Half Japanese". www.robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ "The Band That Would Be King - Half Japanese | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 74.
  5. ^ Masters, Mark (February 2, 2015). "Half Japanese - The Band That Would Be King". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  6. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 174.
  7. ^ Buckley, Peter (August 10, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b "Half Japanese". Trouser Press. Retrieved 10 August 2020.