Genre: rock
Rating: 2 stars **
Title:  Hotel Insomnia
Company: Marilyn
Catalog: USMLP-1013
Year: 1992
Country/State: Los Angeles, California
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: purple vinyl
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 6136
Price: $35.00

Kim Fowley's not exactly a household name, but with a musical career that stretches back to the early-1960s there's a good chance that even if you don't recognize the name you've come across something he's done as an A&R man, DJ, poet, producer, manager, etc.

Released by the L.A.-based Marilyn label, 1993's self-produced "Hotel Insomnia" served as my introduction to Fowley the artist.  I remember being less than overwhelmed by the set, left to wonder what all the excitement was about. Responsible for all of the material, judging by these 14 tracks Fowley wasn't a particularly gifted writer and his singing voice was best deemed an acquired taste - better than Leon Redbone, but not by much. Musically the set bounced across various genres, but a disproportionate number of tracks showcased Fowley as kind of a Dylan wannbe - never a good artistic corner to be in ... Actually about half of the tracks sounded like demos that Fowley may have planned to shop around to other acts.

- 'Failure Rock' was one weird track - apparently an autobiographical number, the song melded a nice punk rock-flavored base with Fowley-has-the-last-laugh reflections on his interfaces with Hollywood. Easy to see Mott the Hoople recording this one. rating: *** stars
- '1983: Year of the Bleeding Trees' had a surprisingly funky rhythm (think mid-1980s Talking Heads) with a glam-styled vocal delivery. Love to know what Fowley's eclectic lyrics were about ... rating: **** stars
- Complete with Al Kooper styled organ, the bluesy ballad 'Back On the Road To Nowhere' found Fowley seemingly trying out his best Dylan impersonation. Not exactly the easiest song to sit through. The violin accompaniment sounded like fingernails scratching on a chalkboard. rating: ** stars
- 'Citizen Kane' continued in the sensitive/songwriter vein complete with an extensive celebrity name check. The lyric was interesting, though once again the plotline was lost on me. rating: ** stars
- 'Precious Kate' offered up another slice of Dylan-wannabe, though this time around the song had a decent melody. rating: *** stars
- About as close to a pop song as Fowley was going to get, 'Shape the Night' was actually quite likable. Yeah, the violin drove me crazy, but the song was strong enough to make you forget about Fowely's ragged voice. rating: **** stars
- With a folk-rock arrangement, 'My Foolish Heart' sounded like a demo he might have written for The Byrds. The song started out promisingly, but never really kicked into gear, eventually simply running out of steam. rating: ** stars
- At least to my ears 'Angry Young Man' sounded like an older song. Not sure how to aptly describe it, but the instrumental backing track just had a mid-1960s vibe to it. Check out the pseudo-surf lead guitar. Kind of an entertaining 'protest' song with lots of name dropping. Wonder why it faded out so early ... rating: *** stars
- 'Where the Cactus Grows' found Fowley trying on acoustic blues for size. It wasn't a particularly good fit ... rating: ** stars
- The stark rocker 'Let's Rock 'n' Roll Tonight' (Just Fowley and an acoustic guitar), sounded as if he was interested in giving Bruce Springsteen a run for his money = ) rating: ** stars
- 'Teenage President Talking Blues' was another slice of acoustic blues. Best description - dull ... rating: ** stars
- Opening up with some electric piano, 'Angel of Fire' sported a touch of new wave angst, though the barebones arrangement left you with the impression this was just a demo. rating: ** stars
- Wow, talk about truth in advertising - 'I'm Crazy' was bizarre even for Fowley. Wonder how many beers he'd consumed during this recording session ...rating: ** stars
- No stranger to glam, 'He Is Pretty' sounded like a demo penned for one of the late-1970s bands he established and managed. Quite raw and almost laughable in its effort to be shocking. rating: ** stars

This is one of those albums I've listened to at least a dozen times trying to figure out what I've missed. I still don't know ... Maybe someone else out there will get it. rating: ** stars

"Hotel Insomnia" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Failure Rock (Kim Fowley) -
2.) 1983: Year of the Bleeding Trees (Kim Fowley) -
3.) Back On the Road To Nowhere (Kim Fowley) -
4.) Citizen Kane (Kim Fowley) -
5.) Precious Kate (Kim Fowley) -
6.) Shape the Night (Kim Fowley) -
7.) My Foolish Heart (Kim Fowley) -

(side 2)
1.) Angry Young Man (Kim Fowley) -
2.) Where the Cactus Grows (Kim Fowley) -
3.) Let's Rock 'n' Roll Tonight (Kim Fowley) -
4.) Teenage President Talking Blues (Kim Fowley) -
5.) Angel of Fire (Kim Fowley) -
6.) I'm Crazy (Kim Fowley) -
7.) He Is Pretty (Kim Fowley) -