Brute Force, I, Brute Force, Confections of Love (side A)

Another caveat here—I've done some work on an unfinished Brute Force LP that I'm hoping will be released someday. 1967's I, Brute Force, Confections of Love is a truly odd album. The songwriting is very well-crafted, and the arrangements from John Simon and Pat Williams are classy and professional. Brute's bluntly comedic lyrics do not neatly reconcile with the well-crafted music. His simple vocal delivery, while proficient (and perhaps ahead-of-its-time) in a way that would match perfectly with many indie-rock albums, also does not align with the incredibly traditional craftsmanship around it. The resulting album is often confusing, sometimes beautiful, and of course frequently very funny. Its sequence is surprisingly bottom-heavy, with the more memorable songs like "Tapeworm of Love" and "Brute's Party" far back in side B. The cover picture of Brute, in a dapper outfit and holding flowers, is also funny and memorable.