San Diego’s husband-wife duo of singer / guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers, otherwise known as The Schizophonics, are legends in their hometown for good reason. Their live shows are bat-shit crazy. Their second album, People in the Sky, is equally so.
The album starts with “Something’s Got to Give,” and it might be your speakers. Pat Beers’ voice already sounds like he’s been up all night drinking and smoking and Lety Beers is beating her kit like she’s angry about that damn dog next door that won’t stop barking all night…and it’s only the first track. “Steely Eyed Lady” is like a gas guzzling muscle car burning up miles while blasting The MC5 on the tape player. The comparisons of the Schizophonics to The MC5 are unavoidable. Pat Beers’ vocal stylings and Lety Beers’ beats are clearly influenced by the Detroit legends, while Mr. Beers’ guitar work combines garage, surf, punk, and psychedelia.
“Nine Miles” has a lot of crunchy guitar riffs to back Mr. Beers’ lyrics about hard work and the sacrifices one makes for love. The title track discusses mind expansion and controlling one’s emotions. “The One I Want” is a hot cut about a hot lover. “Battle Line” has some of Mr. Beers’ best shredding, and the track that follows it, “Not Gonna Change My Mind,” has a Hendrix-like solo that sizzles like a hot skillet sauteing habanero peppers.
“Long Way to Go” has a great dirty blues groove to it that reminds me of backroom jam sessions Howlin’ Wolf might have played. “Every day’s a lifetime, baby. We got a long way to go,” Pat Beers sings before unleashing a short but furious solo. The beat on “Show Me Your Eyes” mixes so well with the guitar fuzz that I’m not sure which one is playing lead (which is probably the point). I love that they included a song like “Like a Mummy,” which combines 60’s garage rock speed and “monster rock” grooves on an album that was released on Halloween. Also, Pat Beers goes nuts on it with his guitar. Every time you think you’ve heard him burn up all his energy on one track, he unleashes another hidden reserve from somewhere and makes your jaw drop.
“Down, I’ve been so down and out about you. Out, I’ve been so out of mind for you,” he sings on “Down and Out.” It’s a solid cut and one of the best tracks on a record full of impressive tunes. The closer, “She’s Coming Back,” has Pat Beers trying to convince himself that a lover will return, but even he’s not sure he believes it.
This is a top-notch rock record. If you’ve been looking for an album to blast away the cacophony of the 24-hour news cycle or the banality of the rat race, start here.
Keep your mind open.
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