Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Originally on Arista Records, the 1980 follow up 'Amerika' settles into a musical style somewhere between Springsteen and The Only Ones and continues to paint desolate pictures of the tangled mess of the world (the wonderful "Trouble", "Sons Of The Revolution" and '"Say Goodbye"); lampoons the American way in "One Big (Happy) Family"; goes all poignant on the single "Cinderella's Baby" before collapsing into the rule breaking crazy, wacky, surreal album closing "Merzsuite" -a collection of pieces that allow the listener to chant "I don't know" or '"futt futt futt" repeatedly in a kind of metaphor for the meaninglessness of life. Just a lot of fun? Who knows? It's brilliant! If you enjoyed Steve Taylor's early raw albums in the "80s, this will grab you. As a maker of great rock'n'roll or as an observer of the human condition, Tonio K has few peers.

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