Dial 'M' for Mother****er

by Kathleen C. FennessyThe title -- shortened to Dial 'M' on the packaging -- is certainly an attention-getter, but this may just be one of Pussy Galore's more listenable, downright likable releases. The songs are more substantial and the production cleaner (if far from slick). The combination of loud guitars, rattle-trap percussion, and growled/shouted vocals hasn't really changed, but there's more depth to the din. Granted, PG were still kicking out the jams sans bass (kind of like Beat Happening's evil twin) -- but the sound is fuller, less tinny. The biggest change, however, is that the lyrics don't seem designed merely to offend. Sure, there's plenty of profanity flying around, but it's used more for spice than as the main ingredient. Spencer and crew seem more concerned about having a good time than pissing everybody off. If that means throwing a little funk into the mix, so be it. "Understand Me" and "Dick Johnson" are particularly successful attempts to bring some groove to the noise. Some of the other tracks fall into the filler category, but there are still more hits than misses. The end result is that Dial 'M' for Motherf**ker sounds more like a blueprint for the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion than the PG of Corpse Love, the useful collection of their hard-to-find 1985-86 material. The fact that Spencer handles most of the vocals, which were previously shared with Julia Cafritz -- who would soon exit the band -- only reinforces that impression.