This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Love, as the old song goes, is strange. Which makes it a prime candidate for the eccentric attentions of musical mad scientist Dan (The Automator) Nakamura, whose long and twisted resumé includes such inspired hip-hop and electronica platters as Dr. Octagon, Handsome Boy Modelling School, Bombay the Hard Way and Gorillaz.
In his latest guise, Nathaniel Merriweather, Nakamura presents Lovage, a surreal parody of ’60s soul-man seduction albums. Co-written with leading man Mike Patton (Faith No More) and sultry femme fatale Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields) — aided and abetted by the likes of Prince Paul, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Afrika Bambaataa and Canadian scratchmaster Kid Koala — Nakamura insinuates his way into your ears with a typically kooky lineup of slinky boudoir grooves and tantalizing melodies, artfully spun together into laughably lovable tracks like Ladies Love Chest Rockwell and Herbs, Good Hygiene and Socks. What is not to love?
