Last Exit

Headfirst Into The Flames: Live In Europe

Label: DMG ARC Country: USA

"Headfirst Into The Flames is considered by many fans to be the best of the six releases by the improv super-group Last Exit, and the least widely distributed. Ronald Shannon Jackson is on drums, occasionally adding creepy blues vocals worthy of a serial killer. Sonny Sharrock play nasty blues lines when he isn't beating his guitar to a pulp, while German sax madman Peter Brotzmann veers between similar extremes with his squealing and honking. Laswell was the perfect bassist for this unit, his dirty, hard-driving lines retaining a feeling of downright meanness throughout. An over-the-top live recording of frighteningly talented musicians improvising as a unit, this album is what you REALLY want to scrape out your cerebral cortex!"-DMG

"Never let it be said that Last Exit didn't take advantage of recording their live shows or playing in front of adoring Europeans. With cover art and song titles courtesy of the late avant-garde British poet Kenneth Patchen, Headfirst kicks off with the brain fry of "Lizard Eyes" only to launch into a Sharrock improv called "Don't Be a Cry Baby, Whatever You Do." Brotzmann blows wild and free here, and his squeal and blurt provides a great counterpoint to the rumble of the rhythms and the pummeling sonic overload of Sharrock's guitar. Another piece of blurt that will make you head spin!"-John Dougan, All Music