Galactic Cowboys: Machine Fish Reissue 2024 | A Classic Back From The Shadows
(Brutal Planet/Metal Blade – 2024)
What can be said that hasn’t already been said about this iconic and charming album that was released way back in 1996. In short, “Machine Fish” became a classic of the galactic cowboys and their best work but, its original edition was out of print and in good time, through the label Brutal Planet Records, the Cowboys take their “Machine Fish” out of the freezer, put it back on the market and with some details that we will see next.
The highlight of this re-release is the addition, as a bonus track, of an extra disc containing that old and forgotten EP titled “Feel The Rage” which contains extra tracks not found on “Machine Fish” plus some live versions of “Idle Minds” and “9th Of June”, which adds a lot more appeal to the whole thing.
What about “Machine Fish”? In principle, we have the same album we once enjoyed back in 1996. It is evident that the original recording has been kept without retouching or new mastering. So there we have the same 14 tracks that amazed us at the time and that we should review again.
There is practically no song on “Machine Fish” that is boring. Everything is thought in a way to get you hooked and you have no way to let go. The symptoms are gradual. At first you may not care about the Cowboys’ proposal. On the second listen, some of the tracks may catch your attention. By the third listen, there’s no turning back, “Machine Fish” will grab you in a way that will be hard to escape. If that was the intention, at least with me they have succeeded.
But what is it about this album that makes it so interesting? Well, we could say that it is extremely difficult to categorize Galactic Cowboys with a definite label. Instead, we can find an assortment of sounds borrowed from Metal, Grunge, Hendrix, etc. and all that combo crowned with the Beatles-like backing vocals, which is almost their trademark, all with a tremendous personality from the band and a rough sound that sets them apart from the rest.
To mention in passing, we can go through “Feel The Rage” or “Fear Not”, their most powerful songs, although to tell the truth “Idle Minds” is not far behind. What can we say about the groovy “Stress” or “Psychotic Companion”, a true rendition of the best that can be found on this album. They don’t miss the opportunity to add a ballad like “Easy To Love”, or the nice “Pattin’ Yourself On The Back”, which confirms the Cowboys’ level of lunacy. The contrast with “Arrow” is evident. A deep ballad to close the album.
As if that wasn’t enough, this edition comes with the EP “Feel The Rage” as a bonus track one could say. Ok, what’s so special about this EP? First of all, it is just over 30 minutes long and, logically, it has the title track, in the same exact version of “Machine Fish”. Then, three unreleased tracks follow. “Paradigm Shift” is one of them. With a slow tempo, strong guitars and an almost hypnotic beat, it follows the logic of “Machine Fish” but surely its duration must have been enough for it to be left out of the album. A pity because it is an excellent piece. If anyone has any doubt that “The Fab Four” is the main influence of Galactic Cowboys, I suggest you listen to “I Want You”, another lost gem rescued on this EP and also “Junior’s Farm”, which has more of a jam feel and a country vibe that makes it very interesting.
As a bonus, the live versions of “Idle Minds” and “9th Of June” are added, which are useful to check how the Cowboys sounded live in those years. Finally, “Grandmother’s Coffin” is…plain and simple a joke. No commentary.
This reissue, at least the one we have on compact disc, has its downsides. Although it keeps the covers of both “Machine Fish” and the EP with an important graphic quality, the digipack edition is not to our liking. In addition, it does not have a booklet, but all the lyrics, technical information, and others are printed on the same cardboard that contains both discs. Cost reduction, as they say. From that point of view, we believe that something much better could have been done. The good thing is the graphics printed on both discs. The rest, it lacks enough to be a re-edition that pretends to be superior to the original. A positive point for the vinyl edition, which will be appreciated by those who still use this format.
To get this reissue, you can check at https://brutalplanetrecords.com or simply at https://galacticcowboys.com.
