Crimson Panzer Rules with Iron Fist
I searched for this record for years before eMusic made it available. It's become the stuff of legend. I found internet ads selling it for $1000 (which were actually planted by the band) and read that the late John Peel played the whole thing on his show and owned the only copy. That being said Crimson Panzer is a fantastic album from the enigmatic Sex Clark Five, a cross between Wagner, T Rex, and Tex Avery. Lo-fi and jangly before it was cool, sc5 were the direct predecessors of 90s indie music. Described as a collection of anthems and operas, Crimson Panzer flows like a concept album pulling in historical fascinations and compressing sly little jangly ditties they're noted for among swaths of vaudeville Bertolt Brecht/ Kurt Weill. It sounds like a mess but the reclusive Alabama popsters make it a compelling ride deserving repeated listens.
