Kim Bates wrote this review.
Ah, the energy! The hilarity! The passion! The nonsequiters! The gentle mocking of tourist music! Obscure visions on liner notes! Yes, it could only be 3 Mustaphas 3, here in a compilation released by Omnium for those of us who don’t have the back catalog of this musical phenomenon . Yes folks, this is a vision of the Balkans, as filtered through the United Kingdom by some rather odd individuals who know how to play, how to laugh and whose alchemy transmutes this music into a gold that shines brightly, demanding the attention of even the most jaded Midwesterner. For you see, friends, the intrepid Mustaphas seemed fond of the Twin Cities of my youth, and played there often, no doubt drawn by one of their members who made his home there. Oysterband fans will also note that the bass player we know as Chopper once played with this ensemble as well. I’m afraid these gentlemen were my introduction to the music of the Balkans, but a grand introduction it was. They made me see the beauty of this music, and their spirit cut through that sense of cultivated cynicism that plagued my late twenties. Did I mention the passion? And the fun? Above all, music by the Mustaphas is fun.
Play Musty for Me brings together tracks from several earlier recordings, and serves as a grand introduction to their work. What can you say about songs that relate the hypnotic appeal of nylon dresses, and the sage advice to buy them for girlfriends? The energetic dismissal of a taxi driver’s lover? The banter poking fun at the audience, except that we’re all allowed to be in on the joke? These are some odd situations, set against a furious backdrop of accordions, percussion made by rampant exhibitionists, and general fun. If you have a sense of fun, if you possess at least one quirky bone in your body, or even a passing fancy for European folk traditions, this is worth checking out. Play Musty for Me is a great retrospective and a great introduction, and a great antidote to ennui in all its forms.
Now, where was that nylon dress…
(Omnium, 2001)
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