CD Review: Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers' Kings of the Robot Rhythm

Many know UK band Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers as the band that launched Philip K. Lithman, aka Snakefinger, and search far and wide for the band's first release Kings of the Robot Rhythm. This British import CD has popped up in a variety of places; searches via google.com and ebay.com both show results - with prices varying from approximately thirty to fifty dollars.

But is it worth the cash?

I was lucky enough to find Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers' Kings of the Robot Rhythm for a mere twenty dollars, new, at a local music store. I only had twenty dollars on me so, reluctantly, I had to put back the Butthole Surfers and the Residents CDs I had initially picked up for purchase; I regret this now. The Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers disc was something I had no idea about, besides that it was a brainchild of Snakefinger, of course, and turned out to be disappointing.

One disappointing factor of Kings of the Robot Rhythm is its production value. Volume often differs between tracks and, although the sounds can be considered grassroots, the instrumentation doesn't shine as well as it should. Although there is no overwhelming raspiness to the songs - which is exceptional - I couldn't help but feel as though some members of Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers were playing underwater. Sure, the album hasn't been remastered but this is a compact disc we're talking about; I could have bought the LP in a variety of places for considerably cheaper and I wanted to hear some better sound.

But the songs are good. I wouldn't call any of them great; perhaps Kings of the Robot Rhythm's musical stylings don't necessarily pair up with my musical taste. There's definitely a down-home country kind of vibe - versus the 'pub-rock' sound, which is how they refer to it in England - and it often seems a bit convoluted and/or cheesy. Now there's a certain amount of corniness to expect from a band called Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, but when it's compared to some of the harder hitting 'sad songs' it kind of diminishes the overall worth of the album.

Songs like "A Page in History," a tale about a man trying to change the course of his time on earth, or "Living Out My Suitcase," a nomads anthem, convey a down-to-earth hippy disparity that should, in my opinion, dominate and direct Kings of the Robot Rhythm. Instead, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers decide to mix it up a bit and, in turn, cast the idea of a cohesive album aside.

Now, onto the most important aspect of Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers' Kings of the Robot Rhythm: Snakefinger's solos. It is often difficult to detect exactly which instrument Snakefinger is playing at any given time. He is credited with guitars, dobro, steel, fiddles, piano, VCS3, mellotron, and banjolela. I honestly have no idea what half of those instruments even are - I played trumpet in 6th grade. But Snakefinger's flavor is all over every track, with fluttering notes floating about every track. In fact, knowing that Snakefinger played with Chilli Willi, and hearing his contribution, is probably the album's only redemption. He definitely raises the band far above other bluegrass acts and, although this is a mediocre (and disappointingly short) album, makes the album worth every schilling.

Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers' Kings of the Robot Rhythm is a must-have for any completist in search of the legend of Snakefinger, but it's like oil to water when paired with the rest of his work. This album's only a little bit weird and features grassroots instrumentation.