Two "Pretty Little" Heads

1996 was the most productive year in Home's existence. (Again with the plethora of labels who have released Home records) Emperor Jones was privileged with gracing us with Home X, first pressed on vinyl as an ep (another relic I'm in search of), later as an extended album on compact disc, this is Home showing off thier classically trained (??) chops. I've always thought of the band as some very anonymous and well hidden figures who spice up children's programming, documentaries, and art films with highly orchestrated scores, then moonlight from thier paying jobs as a quirky garage unit. X is full of instrumental/incidental music. This isn't exactly Ennio Morricone-styled mood music, it's quite bigger than that. As if each song is a movie in itself. Take for instance "Underwater" it starts with some twinkling piano (courtesy of thier version of Keith Emerson, Eric Morrison), then the strings begin to build and guitars begin to boil, a bit of recorded noise, some bubbles perhaps, a rollicking descent, a chorus of singers, some horns blurt and then the grand finale. If I'm ever caught drowining I want this to be playing.

That same year, Jetset Records (a label ahead of the times, for they were the first to introduce Mogwai to the world, but also responsible for Sahara Hotnights) released Home's 11th album, known as Elf:GulfBoreWaltz. For most people who say they know about the band, this is probably the album that they've heard. Until recently (we'll get to that later) it is perhaps their most accessible record (All Music Guide say so too) and easiest to find, simply because the songs all stay at a comfortable length and the pop hooks far outweigh their prog tendencies. It's also the only album for which they have toured, and released a single (the perfect sound forever of "Forgiveness"). By this time I was entrenched in college radio and remember playing cuts from this every time I got to deejay. The band made a freak stop at Bernie's, performing in front of about 20 people, and probably vowing never to return afterwards. If you are in need of a starting point, this album is probably it.