“Slung”
There was a brief period of time where, after roughly twenty years of hard work, it looked like Thirlwell would be ‘The Next Big Thing’ in a post NINE INCH NAILS world. Sony threw a bunch of money at him.
What did he do with that cash?
Why, during the heyday of the swing revival he, he recorded his full-band swing song “Slung”.
“That doesn’t sound unusual!” you may be asking yourself.
And the first three minutes are not. But “Slung” is almost 12 minutes long, and the bulk of it lacks vocals, so make of that what you will. Thirlwell loves to push boundaries and he loves to compose. He knew he’d never get another chance at this so he went for broke, and — at least for me — it paid off.
“Why am I so paralyzed by the majesty of thighs?!”
While I loved FOETUS’s prior works, “Slung” made me a lifelong member. It’s so crazed but also expertly handled, while also being filthy in the only way that Thirlwell can be. It’s an absolutely singular piece that I can’t help but return to every few months.
It’s an epic work, well-worth every dollar they wrung from Thirlwell — because if you know how studios work, you have to pay that shit back. It’s a fucking deal with the devil.
I’ll note: the album photo? That’s real. I don’t know how he pulled off that very expensive bit, but props to him and Sony. It’s not easy to show projected pseudo-wartime tits in Times Square, much less get a wide-release displaying all of it, plus under the title of FOETUS and your album being named “GASH” but I think we’re in a better world for it.
“I INSIST I STAY ALIVE!”