Pakistan

Rodney Anonymous vs. the World

by Rodney Anonymous

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION

Artists: Gaudi and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Album: Dub Qawwali

Country of Origin: Pakistan

Pakistan, the world's most unstable nuclear power, recently found itself bogarting the headline bong when former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto died from bumping her head on her limousine's sunroof while ducking some unrelated bullets and wee bit of shrapnel from a bomb blast. (Damn, Jason Bourne is getting sloppy.) At least that's the official version from our allies in the War on Terror, and any reporter who questions it had better learn to type while wearing a black hood.

Unlike Bhutto, being dead has not hindered the career of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the "Emperor of Qawwali" (the sacred music of the Sufi branch of Islam) who, despite having passed away a decade ago, continues to make music. This time the Ali Khan (who once worked with Eddie Vedder, so let's just assume he died of embarrassment) has teamed up with Italian dub reggae producer Gaudi, resulting in Dub Qawwali on the Six Degrees label.

If mixing dub and qawwali sounds like the worst idea since your older brother conned you into drinking a mixture of Kool-Aid and cat piss, then you'll be relieved to know that this CD rules like Pervez Musharraf on New Uniform Day. And while most of the credit for this recording's godhead status goes to the rich timbre of Ali Khan's voice (you could back this guy up with a room full of toddlers bagging on posts, pans and Eddie Vedder's skull and he'd still sound good), Gaudi's choice of backing tracks are sill nothing short of inspired, as on "Dil Da Rog Muka Ja Mahi," where the Emperor sings over the main riff from Kraftwerk's "The Model." Kids, don't smoke pot. Ever! But if you really have to blaze up, like in order to save a dying puppy or something, you should do it to this song.

Verdict:

The in-no-way-suspicious death of Bhutto should inspire the U.S. to crack down on illegal immigration from Pakistan according to six-toed hillbilly Mike "Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program? When did that happen?" Huckabee. Since Pakistan is now short one politician, let's send 'em Huckabee.

(r_anonymous@citypaper.net)