The Red Crayola with Art & Language, Black Snakes (side A)

By 1983, Jesse Chamberlain had left the Red Crayola, and the sheer insanity that makes Soldier Talk and Kangaroo? legendary had diminished, at least slightly. Black Snakes resembles those records, but is vaguely a more straightforward new wave album. The somewhat surgical production is typical of its era, but with less effects than would be expected for either new wave or the Red Krayola. The weird and interesting songwriting barely draws notice in the band's long history. The playing is great, but the vocal takes are probably not Mayo's best on record. Allen Ravenstine stands out as always, and Black Snakes includes several songs still in the group's live repertoire.