Reviewed by Stephanie Ramp

...Ronnie Neuhauser's Congregation Against Styrocultural Brain Damage (a.k.a. No Cheez Orchestra) Umm, yeah. This is one of those bizarre entities that confound and befuddle. I guess you'd loosely refer to it as a rock opera. It has four acts, 22 tracks and a cast of 17. I suspect it's about the horrors of corporate America and about how democracy and humanity have been gobbled up--like maybe commerce is the new religion or something like that. There's a Government Pork Informer, The Commander 'n' Thief and several Malcontents, along with "Non-Conformist Bellows of Disapproval."

Although I admit to a pre-conceived notion that Neuhauser was a talking head for the radical fringe, his soundtrack for reform is pretty coherent. And it's not just an elaborate ploy to mask a lack of talent--the music is good. Rock, R&B, funk, and lots of big-band horns. And there are pleasant surprises here and there like the suave, Latin-flavored guitar riffs and smoky beats in the midst of "Congregation." Act Two "Bile from the Belly of a Jackal" has some real socio-political gems.

The spoken word "I Am the Media" makes some great points about mainstream sensationalistic brainwashing, which is why we here at the alternative press work for next to nothing to save our souls; and Neuhauser is good at making zealous, radical points in a witty, well-organized way so as not to scare the moderates among us. "Tax Monster" is really funny and unfortunately all too true; it's about what our tax money goes toward--like studies on public approval of beets. One of my favorites is "Lust in Oval Space," which is a very beatnik experimental spoken-word piece, interspersed with tight and noodley guitar solos, featuring a presidential impersonation claiming, "I did not sexually harass that small-breasted woman." It's an ambitious project and a surprisingly successful one. Can you imagine this guy live?