In 1987 L.S.U. released their first album. The year before Knott's band, Lifesavers
put out a Euro-pop album called Kiss of Life. It was a good album, but many
people were dissappionted. They had all heard about stories of a underground
superhero...skip forward one year. Lifesavers Underground releases "Shaded Pain."
There is one word to describe Shaded Pain -attitude. It would not be a stretch
to say that the album changed modern music. Songs like "Die Baby Die" and "Shaded
Pain" grab you by the jugular, but in a good way (if that confused you, you haven't heard the album).
Later Knott released "The Grape Prophet."(my personal favorite, can you tell?) It was a concept album that confused many people, but
I found an Interview with Mike Knott on the web explaining the meaning. I'll put the link here.
In 1993 LSU released "Cash in Choas World Tour." When asked about the album Mike said
"It's basically about sex." Well, thats the short version. The song "She can sell the Shell" tells about
prostitutes in Knott's apartment complex. The songs on the album do basically revolve around sex, but they do so in such a way that
it doesn't come off as obsessive. This album had the song "There's a Time" which is in my opinion one of the coolest Knott songs ever. Another cool song on that album is "Radio Satan". It's kind of U2-ish, but I think better. The song talks betrayal in a way that is depressing lyrically, but it rocks so much that you can't help but like it.
In that same year Lifesavers put out "Huntington Beach." A tribute to the bands early years (it also contained 3 songs from 1978 when Knott was in a band called The
High Tops). Think about this: within a year the same band releases 2 records, one, a hard rockin', introspective album that drives the kids crazy, the other, a punk-ish album that sounds just like what came out of Chapel Hill a year later. Less
than 1% of bands are that flexable.
Next came "Grace Shaker". This album is strange in that it is so straight forward. As a rule Michael Knott is a cryptic songwriter. Well at least he didn't miss his quota for beer songs. Just about every Knott album has a song about alcohol (which I think is cool because
he isn't afraid to talk about a common problem that many people don't talk about).This album is probably the most maketable album that L.S.U has put out, but Alarma(the record company) gave it next to no promotion. The songs ranged from "Bad Disease" with it's bitterly crazed shouted chorus, to "Grace" ,which sounds more like a pop ballad than the hero of the underground "tellin' it like it is."
L.S.U.'s "last" album "Bring it down Now" was a "best of" + some live songs+ 3 new songs. The live tracks showed a glimpse of the live L.S.U. experience. Anybody who has seen Knott live knows that he loves live shows and he knows how to get the audience crazy. "Funky space Cat" and ""Baby Flies a Comet" rocked. They are like a cartoons put to music. Also, the Beach Boys sounding backing vocals gave the
songs a groovy feel. "It fit's Inside" let all of the L.S.U. fans know that they were still soul searching.
The new album is called "Dogfish Jones" it is on Flying Tart. Very Cool. Two Words. Cool Organs. go get it .
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