Consumer Guide Album

Matthew Sweet: Son of Altered Beast [Zoo, 1994]
Interim, tour-keyed EP product--one remix, one B side, one live Neil Young cover, four live remakes and outtakes from the decidedly subepochal Altered Beast album. Happens to include his contribution to the even more subepochal No Alternative comp, which it blew away the way it would have blown Altered Beast away if only Sweet had taken the risk. Except on the remix, no Robert Quine--Richard Lloyd is the guitar hero, and he'll do. Because even though the whole record is basically an accident, this is the way live rock and roll is supposed to sound these days--inspiration on the edge of chaos. A−