It is fitting that the quintessential “rock” album of 1997 is also the swan song for Walt Mink. While it could be argued that regular ol’ rock is still going strong in the form of mainstream bands like Pearl Jam and the throngs of “alternative” bands, few, if any, of those records will stand the test of time in my book. Or at least on my web page! Those who bother to look at my lists all the way back to 1965 will see that I hold much classic rock in high regard. But somewhere along the line, classic rock became crap. Since the 80s, it is rare that I would rank an album that is not very genre-bending or groundbreaking so highly. While Walt Mink may stylistically have more in common with the Meat Puppets and the Flaming Lips, I hereby stamp Colossus with the official Uncle Fester classic album status.
With the sublime balance of gorgeous acoustic numbers and rockers, this is Walt Mink’s Led Zeppelin III. Only better. Tons of influences have been attributed to this band, from Jimi Hendrix and Cream to early ZZ Top and Elvis Costello. Yet John Kimbrough writes songs that always sound fresh and memorable. And if that’s not enough, let’s talk about musicianship. Walt Mink never failed to be a live experience to behold. Candice was a bass prodigy, setting out fat, Bootsy-worthy notes just a year after first picking up the instrument. Joey, son of Lenny Waronker the famous 70s producer was raised in the studio by a parade of famous drum gurus to become an encyclopedia of rhythm. John is a guitar fan’s wet dream. At shows, people who play guitar themselves and can appreciate how he makes impossible things look easy, would stand in front with their mouths agape while the crowd behind shook its collective booty. I was fortunate enough to go the the same college as these people and have great memories of many a sweaty basement show. I was certain they would become rock stars. But after nearly a decade of poor business decisions (see Caroline, Columbia and Atlantic) and bad luck (on the eve of recording their third album, Joey abandoned them to become Beck’s drummer), Walt Mink have split up, seemingly only a minor footnote in rock history.
Let’s address something that has irked me, and been a thorn in the band’s ass from close to the beginning. Not that they have said anything but positive things about this so-called rival. Despite the fact that both bands formed at the same time in 1988, Smashing Pumpkins was first to release their debut album. Corrigan and Kimbrough grew up listening probably to a lot of the same things, and developed somewhat similar styles. But both bands were not aware of each other until they ended up briefly on the same label. The contents of Walt Mink’s 1992 debut were already fully baked, released on early demos and road-tested before the Pumpkins released their album. Corrigan is a very good guitar player, but not as great as Kimbrough. To be fair, Corrigan can open himself up emotionally and spray you with his feelings more effectively. So more angsty Cure influence than Walt Mink’s roots in hardcore punk. But I think it’s to a fault, as the sprawling Melon Collie album is kind of an overbearing mess of teen drama. Walt Mink remain more tightly wound, though Kimbrough definitely has made strides in more directly communicating matters of the heart. “Lost In The World,” for example, is one of their most epic, emotive rollercoasters. “Lovely Arrhythmia” is more poetic, delicate and mature. Colossus is where the band’s expert musicianship serves up the most heart in a beautiful balance. It’s a damn shame more of the world didn’t notice.
Fortunately, they have the small but feisty label support of Deep Elm to valiantly push their back catalog (including a CD of their last show and their early demos) onto anyone who cares to listen. For your own musical well-being, check it out.
