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Deconstructed
11/11/1997 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Jon Wiederhorn
Music aficionados who have long accused Bush of being parasites will likely indict the group for releasing itself from the withered, bloodless corpse of grunge just long enough to dig its teeth into the latest trend, electronica. But before you sentence the band and discard the key, give Deconstructed an unbiased listen. The disc features 11 of Bush's recordings given facelifts by such artists as Tricky ("In A Lonely Place"), Goldie ("Swallowed") and Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto ("Insect Kin"). Most of the original guitar, bass and drum rhythms have been surgically excised and replaced with computerized blips and menacing sound effects. By the time the alterations have been completed, the tracks are no longer grungy or metallic. Instead, stark drum & bass, techno and ambient soundscapes dominate the mix, which would be virtually unrecognizable as Bush, if it weren't for the telltale vocal snippets. It's ironic then that Deconstructed is Bush's finest hour. Even songs like "Insect Kin" and "Synapse," which seem so formulaic and lackluster on album, work well in a computerized forum since there's no need for strong hooks or verse/ chorus constructs to drive the songs. The final verdict: Not guilty by reason of split personality.
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