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Backyard gathers various rare solo tracks (and alternate versions) from the Neon Judgement man, Dirk Da Davo. If you're wondering whether the solo Dirk used the opportunity to move way away from the heavy electronic sounds and industrial beats of TNJ to record some introverted acoustic musings or if he nipped to Jamaica to make that reggae album he might feel he has in him, then let me tell you straight away that he didn't. This is Dirk doing what he does (and what he does very well) – making electronic music with heavy beats that results in you bobbing up and down in the chair.
And if you don't already know TNJ, you might think that this would probably be an unusual place to start listening to Da Davo, but such is the strength of much of the material here that it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea. Most the material dates from 1986-1992 with the relentless, pounding instrumental Sexhead opening the album in some style. Seeing as this track is from 1986, you can only come to the conclusion that Ministry might well have been listening before they released those classic late 80s albums!
Other highlights include the almost Killing Joke-like Where Even Angels Fall and the two versions of Meat Cathedral by If It Moves, a collaboration between Da Davo and Glenn Frank of Street Ducks back in 1987. But the stand-out moment is the one recent track - Dirk's fabulous 2009 take on The Fear In My Heart, a cover of an early 80s Luc Van Akker single. I must confess that I didn't know the original but I've checked it out and, yeah, I like what I hear. Dirk's take on it, however, is awesome – he may have kept that pretty synth riff, but otherwise he really has made it his own as he sings, "I want to feel the fear that's in my heart" in those deep tones over a driving powerhouse beat. It's one of those tracks that could only be improved by doubling its length and is worth the price of this album all by itself.
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