Ambient Noise I Was There at the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 12”
Quite possibly the catchiest KBD cut of all time, 1980’s “I Was There At The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” by NY weirdo rockers AMBIENT NOISE gets promoted to a big ol’ 12” courtesy of trusted historian Harry Howes at Brooklyn’s Almost Ready records. A humorous homage to the 1974 cult film, this hokey little earworm of a tune famously features sing-along lyrics that are impossible to remove once embedded in the brain, as well as oddly anthemic guitar soloing, resulting in fun for all ages. After this goofball classic comes three more jams—the B-side from the 7” and two unreleased songs from the same recording sessions. A quirky little ode to artificial insemination, the previously unheard “Test Tube Babies” melds a rudimentary new wave groove with classic rock noodling. Next up is the original flip, the sleepy, CCR-esque “Hostage Hotspot,” with its offbeat political commentary accompanied by a requisite shaking tambourine. Finally, the decidedly less jovial “Another Day Gone” most closely resembles an earnest attempt at expression from this short-lived act. It’s always cool when records that have become prohibitively costly are supplanted by a more desirable version, and this is an exemplary instance of such. Scoop it up and cross this one off the checklist for good.