Boss Hog "Whiteout" 1999****

Eye-catching cover, isn't it? That's Boss Hog's lead singer Cristina Martinez there, and more dressed than she usually is - in fact this the demure alternative cover, the other showing her topless with nothing than long hair extensions. She was in the habit of often posing (and even performing) naked. Not that anyone ever complained about that little knack of hers, mind you - certainly not her husband and Boss Hog guitarist John Spencer. There's a lot of back history for this punk-blues couple and we'll get into it. Since I own quite a few of John Spencer records, we'll get back to him later and focus for now only on Cristina. She hooked up with Spencer in 1985 and almost immediately joined his band Pussy Galore as guitarist despite never having played guitar before. That caused a lot of friction with the other members (especially "real" guitarist Julie Cafritz) who eventually kicked her out of the band before the group itself disintegrated. In '89 the (by then married) couple formed Boss Hog and immediately became an underground NY sensation thanks to their wild and noisy music and live antics. Constant personnel changes and Spencer's preoccupation with his other group (the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/JSBX) prevented Boss Hog from having any success until a major label deal with Geffen in '95. Which brings us to this 1999 album which reads like an all-out assault for pop stardom. Two big name producers helped them clean their sound: Andy Gill (former Gang Of Four) and Swede Tore Johansson who had masterminded the Cardigan's rise to the top and also produced dance acts from A-ha to Melanie C/Sporty Spice. And they do a great job: The tunes are catchy and danceable and the vocals sweet and sexy. Martinez sounds less like her old self and more like Garbage's Shirley Manson. Her new sexy and comparatively restrained singing style, electronic beats, retro farfisa organ and funky guitar breaks combine to make the most accessible and mainstream album imaginable from these former punk rockers. Opener "Whiteout" is a declaration of intend, perfectly balanced between dance pop and indie rock. Spencer takes the lead vocal on "Chocolate" doing his familiar Elvis meets James Brown routine. He returns to backing vocals and distorted guitar for "Nursery Rhyme" with Martinez doing her best PJ Harvey impersonation before turning sweet and sultry again for synth-pop "Stereolight". "Fear for You" is one of the highlights with its retro-keyboard and 60's garage feel and "Get It While You Wait" another danceable pop single ala Garbage with a catchy chorus. Spencer is held back lest his guitar riffs scare innocent MTV viewers away. On the next song he offers a lot of "ugh"s and "c'mon"s, the combination of male and female vocals, funky rhythms and retro sounds sounding like a rootsier B52's. "Itchy & Scratchy" is another pop song with electronic beat and sultry female vocals before a sudden change of mood: Aggressive singing, loud guitars, wild garage punk are unleashed for the closing trio of songs, as a reward for any old fans still listening. In the end, although the album did well by their own standards, it failed to conquer the charts and put a stop to Boss Hog and Martinez's career in show business. Why it didn't catch on is a mystery. It certainly didn't lack the tunes, production or charismatic frontwoman. My guess is that it was too tame for rockers and too "meaty" for a pop audience used to ingesting nothing but hot air. As for Cristina's intended transformation into a pop idol, it was bound to fail. Dress a pussycat as a tiger, people will find her cute. Dress a tiger as a pussycat, you won't fool anyone into petting her... UPDATE: Two years after I wrote this, and after almost two decades of absence, Boss Hog were back with a new album and tour. Still an explosive live band judging from youtube clips, hope to see them live someday. They were last seen in 2018, but never say never...

**** for Whiteout, Chocolate, Stereolight, Fear for You

*** for Nursery Rhyme, Get It While You Wait, Jaguar, Itchy & Scratchy, Trouble, Monkey  

** for Defender