Reviews of Retrograde

Action Potential—Retrograde: Destined to Become a Classic!

Well, it seems as if Action Potential has released another hit album! Eventhough they went the glitzy, Hollywood-publicity route with their slick packaging and hauntingly familiar graphics, the crux of the album lies in the verses and rhythm which speaks volumes for the depth of this work. While each generation before had its defining artist, the musical creations of Action Potential serve as a rallying cry to Generation X'ers everywhere! Hits such as "I will not pee in a trough" embody the spirit of the repressed youth of America. In that song, you, the listener are asked "Where do these people get off?" signifying the plight of everyman when being told to conform to the will of a prior generation and it's fascist customs. Action Potential says, in essence, "I refuse to just whip it out and whiz infront of anyone." As an artistic note, the sound of the accordion conjures images of a Germanic (i.e., Amish, Pa Dutch, etc.) farmer's market, where all there is for a weary man needing to relieve himself is a trough. We all have faced our symbolic trough but in a very real sense, shyness of the bladder is a real affliction, and it would be unwise to leak before you look. But in a trough situation you just can't look down for fear of being beaten up for staring at some rednecks' privates. It typifies the paradox we all face when the crumbling vestiges of generations past reach forth into today and point a scolding finger at those who will not conform. This is powerful stuff folks!

Some other songs on the album which add to the mileu of this genre are "Lodi," "Friendly to all, friend to none," and "Ti-di-bowl man." The song "Lodi" represents the deep inner torment suffered by all of us who have found ourselves stuck in our symbolic 'Lodi,' not just for the first time, but again. Lodi is not just a town, but a state of mind. The work speaks volumes for the anyone who has returned to the morass of anxiety, euphoria, or jocularity. If no other work on this album directly speaks to the inner angst of our generation and its inability to establish close social bonds, "Friendly to all, friend to none" is a must hear. And lastly, for anyone who spent just way too much time watching television during the formative years (ages 1 through 6) there is a salute to the androgynous icons of late twentieth century society who rejoiced in being the sole possessors of toilet cleaning power, that is "Ti-di-bowl man."

I could write for hours, but I hope that this taste of Action Potential will spur you to buy the album and drink mightily of its creative juices. I have followed these guys for several years, and while this work seems to diverge from some of their earlier works, it also stands head and shoulders above the rest as a captivating testament to all of us and the times in which we live. I gotta tell ya', it's good stuff and certainly a worthy (and necessary) addition to any music library. Get it...you'll be glad you did.