ANTON BARBEAU - King Of Missouri

They may seem worlds apart, at least geographically, but Anton Barbeau, pop rocker from Sacramento, California, and Bevis Frond, neo-psychedelic Brit-rock band of underground residency are closer in proximity than their far-flung locales might suggest, especially in sound and spirit. Barbeau, who's recorded six previous albums under his own aegis, lists Andy Partridge as his musical mentor while the Frond sound checks the Soft Boys, Julian Cope, and Pink Floyd in their prog-rock ramblings. Their new collaboration, King Of Missouri, draws in all their collective influences, resulting in a '70s-sounding celebration of English outlandishness, one that suggests an unlikely alliance of Strawbs' Dave Cousins fronting Mott The Hoople. Specifically, "Sweet Creature, What's Your Name?" sounds like a brash outtake from Ziggy Stardust. Album opener "King Of Missouri" boasts the flash and sizzle of Sweet, T. Rex, or Hanoi Rocks in all their glam-rock glory. The searing "Retabulation" allow the Bevis boys to exercise more of their '60s sensibilities. It's the combination of attitude and aptitude that makes this a must for any Anglophile or, for that matter, anyone who misses the over-the-top bluster of an earlier era. Wham bam -- a grand slam!