Country Dick Montana, vocalist/drummer for the Beat Farmers, finished this debut solo album shortly before his death. Though the aneurysm that stopped him at the age of 40 could not have been predicted, he lived a hard life and battled throat cancer in his last years, so the references to death, which start with the title and the flaming cover (Montana's concept), are not entirely coincidental. Still, when he sings, "I'll die happy with a smile on my face" in "Party Dolls and Wine," a song with a sudden, unexpected ending, the ironies abound. As last statements go, however, The Devil Lied to Me is an unusually joyous statement. Montana had a resonant bass voice that dominates the record, even in the presence of such guests as Rosie Flores, Dave Alvin, John Doe, Katy Moffatt, and Mojo Nixon. The material gets more twisted as the disc goes on, until Montana's persona, with its barroom swagger and interest in sex and stimulants, is well established. Given the singer's untimely departure, it may be heard as a cautionary tale, but it's hard to believe he would have done it (the record or his life) differently if he'd known what was going to happen.
The death of the Beat Farmers' spiritual leader Country Dick Montana barely registered a blip on the rock & roll radar, but many sense a substantial loss. Country Dick and the various groups he associated with (Beat Farmers, Pleasure Barons, Snuggle Bunnies), didn't produce "art" exactly, but when they were in town, you went. (In fact, one Beat Farmers packed more sweaty fun and wild joy than tenfold such shows by Pavement or other indie rock fingerpuppets). Dressed like a cattle rustler just back from thirty days on a particularly dirty trail, Montana took the microphone in one hand and sang "California Kid" in his basso profundo growl that made Nick Cave sound like Jon Anderson, one of those exquisite moments that make the live music experience worth all the smoke, noise, and tedium. In his other hand was an ever-full glass of beer that he shook and sprayed on both the audience and himself. The Devil Lied to Me, recorded shortly before his death of cancer, is a fiery collection of roots rock, country and hilarious snippets from Country Dick's twisted subconscious. I laughed my headphones off during "Trendy Shitbag," stomped my feet numg during his spirited cover of "Green Door" and wiped away a tear (or maybe it was just a booger) during the surprisingly tender "I Wanted You to Know." Everything you ever wanted to know about the man named Country Dick Montana is right here, with the musical support of friends like Mojo Nixon, Dave Alvin, Rosie Flores, and John Doe acting as the kind of hot-sauced eulogy the man would have loved. Vaya con Dios, hombre. --John Chandler
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