Review by Martin Walters
The Steve Albini-produced album from the post-Pussy Galore, pre-Jon Spencer Blues Explosion group lead by Jon Spencer and partner Cristina Martinez features one of the most erotic album sleeves of the New York noise rock underground. When getting past the novelty artwork, the recording is one of the most essential documents of the scene that spawned the Royal Trux, Chrome Cranks, Cop Shoot Cop, and others circa 1990. Utterly unprecedented, Boss Hog's unique take on garage rock, punk, noise, and blues from the gutter is essential to anyone following the post-Pussy Galore axis of N.Y.C. rock. Cold Hands is the masterpiece of the group deserving of much more than the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "side project" banner they often fall under. One could consider themselves very lucky to find the LP version of this release.
Taking the Butthole Surfers comparison one step further... I'd have to say Cold Hands is to Boss Hog what Locust Abortion Technician was to the Surfers: Totally different, even for them. This album is all over the place. The band experiments with back masking, tempo changes (slowing things way down on some cuts) and volume (quieting things down to the point where you think the disc is over).
'Eddie' could've been an Alice Donut song (I'm certain Hog and Donut must have crossed paths in NYC around this time). 'Go Wrong' sounds like early Psychedelic Furs complete with freaky sax. 'Duchess' is total Blues Explosion. 'Pete Shore' is kinda surf punkish. So where's Boss Hog in all this? That's up to you I s'pose. My thoughts are the Hogs are still somewhat embracing the "Pussy Galore" sound at this point in their careers and may also have been subconsciously sponging off of other acts.
That's just a theory, mind you, and you know how those go...
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