Year: 1996
Label: Dreamworks
Genres: Hip Hop, Rap
I first heard Dr. Octagon when I was about seventeen. Thom Yorke was asked by Richard Kingsmill to choose five of his favourite songs for a Radiohead special on Triple J, and along with Neu's 'Hallogallo' (which also totally blew my mind) and tracks by Tom Waits and the Tindersticks he chose 'Blue Flowers', by Dr. Octagon. I'd never gotten into hip hop - as an indie rock kid I had a mate who was a real hip hop head and he was gently exposing me to things like the Beastie Boys and a few other crossover-type acts in the beginnings of a broad schooling on the genre. So 'Blue Flowers' wasn't necessarily a revelation to me, as I was across the style generally, but I do believe it's one of the first times that I truly connected with a hip hop track.
'Blue Flowers' is, if anything a subtle introduction to the album. Lyrically it's not as "out there" as some of the more disgusting rhymes or skits featured elsewhere on the album, but it's still pretty darned psychedelic. It's use of spooky B-movie violins and a number of other tripped out effects is complemented by a textured, gritty break, and Kool Keith's effortlessly cool and crazy rhyming/vocalising sits perfectly over the top. Tripy little lyrical asides like "It's totally raining green" are what make Keith's rhyming so satisfying - they don't make complete sense but they offer up startlingly original images through which the listener can escape and make what they will. Check this sterling example:
Dr. octagon, paramedic foetus of the east
With priests, I'm from the church of the operating room
With the strike support, scalpels since the holocaust
I do indeed in greed, explore meet the patients
Back to brooms with the nurse with the voodoo curse
Holding up office lights, standing at huge heights
Back and forth, left wing swing to north
East and south with blood pouring down your mouth
I come prepared with the white suit and stethoscope
Listen to your heartbeat, delete beep beep beep
Your insurance is high, but my price is cheap
But this truly inventive and uttelry impressive rhyming is backed up by Dan the Automator's always solid production, with what sounds like snippets of Disney musicals, classical music stabs and that kitschily spooky theremin line all creating a sonic cornucopia in which to lose yourself.
In fact, the way that the album in general melds jazzy instrumental elements with breaks that I can only describe as grey, sparkly and fuzzy - yet clear (?) in general is one of its biggest assets and arguably part of the reason this album hasn't dated in over ten years - of course the Automator's skill as a producer is well documented, but the specific combination of elements makes for great listening. I guess another aspect of this is the fact that at this point in his career Automator's production was oriented towards the inherently "futuristic" sounding, with lots of laser beam type effects, big hazy synths, and other sonic periphera. Add to that Keith's rhymes on tracks like '3000' and 'Earth People', where he busts out all manner of lyrical sci-fi cliches, and it makes almost for an "alternate future" kind of kitschiness, that never sounds naff or lame, because it's fun, funky and never takes itself too seriously.
And this B-movie theme runs through the whole album too. There are all kinds of snippets of dialogue from doctor-related TV shows and movies, as well as a few hilarious pieces from medical-related porn. It all feeds into the overall craziness and haphazard nature of the album, which perfectly suits its roughly constructed concept of a crazy doctor who's the nephew of a dude called Mister Gerbick, who's two hundred and eight years old, is half shark and half man, with skin like an alligator. His skin is coloured lilac and turns orange and green. Yeah, you get the gist... 'Halfsharkalligator' is another favourite, which follows the album's tendency for icky but funny lyrical allusions to bodily functions and nasty medical related humour.
The rest of the album is a kaleidoscopic trip through minimal, jazzy hip hop production paired up with interesting Science Theatre 3000-type effects, with Kool Keith's charismatic, unpredictable, yet ultimately charming persona looming large thoughout. Much has been made of Keith's battles with mental stability, and the fact that some of his projects have in fact exploited his "crazy" persona and used it as a marketing ploy. Regardless of whether you think Keith is being exploited here, you can't argue with the solidly satisfying results on this album.
And despite all of its kitschy novelty elements I find it difficult to grow tired of this album. Keith's masterful rhyming and Automator's brilliant production really do break through any novelty factor and hey, maybe the fact that I actually really enjoy toilet and porn-related humour has enabled this album to maintain its favourite status for so long.
