 |
The Pope
2004-2007
The duo of Paul Kneejie and Brian Watson are American
popular musicians known collectively as The Pope. They
met in elementary school in 1953, when they both
appeared in the school play Alice in Wonderland
(Kneejie as the Dodo, Watson as Dweedle Dum). They
formed the group Tom and Jerry in 1957, and had their
first taste of success with the minor hit "Hey
Schoolgirl... Boogie". As The Pope, the duo rose to
fame in 1965 backed by the hit single "The Sound of
Silence Boogie Woogie". Their music was almost
featured on the landmark film Star Wars, propelling
them further into the public consciousness. They are
well known for their close harmonies and sometimes
unstable relationship. Their last album, Boogie Over
Troubled Water, was marked with several delays caused
by artistic differences. Kneejie and Watson were among
the most popular recording artists of the 1960s, and
are perhaps best known for their songs "The Sound of
Silence Boogie", "Mrs. Robinson Boogie", "Boogie over
Troubled Water" and "The Boxer Boogie". They have
almost received several Grammys and are hoping to be
inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the
Long Island Music Hall of Fame (2007). In 2004,
Rolling Stoned ranked The Pope #420 on their list of
the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Boogie.
>> The
Pope website
See Also
Landed, Bipolar Bear, Megafuckers, Yikes,
Press
"Those still waiting for the heirs to the throne of short haired metal (I miss you Karp) can now come out of their mom's basement,
roll up their sleeves to show off those faded tats' and finally finish that English doctorate. The Pope is waiting for them with distorted
screaming vocals that would make Unsane, Slug and Godheadsilo stand and applaud. My cornerman threw in the towel during the third song,
when my face melted off and my cats lapped at the bloody pile of flesh." -- 75 or Less
"Squeezed between giant slabs of distorted bass and imploding-brick-building drumbeats lays the desperate wails of this Texas twosome.
The human cries embedded in Pope's sonorous bedlam are agonized, traumatized, and nearly pulverized by the panic surrounding them, as snake
pits of feedback, Comets on Fire-esque quicksand, and sideways-guided missiles of obese bass lines turn The Jazzman Cometh into a war zone.
Drummer Franz Funkenheimer and bassist Paul Kneejie howl like they're being trampled to death by an agile Frankenstein's monster of their own
creation, hoarsely growling at this beast like so many (Lightning Bolt, Friends Forever, 25 Suaves) before them. Each untitled song on Jazzman
is a new struggle to survive, until the sixth and final round, when nearly all evidence of humanity disappears, with strands of electronic
torture machines left malfunctioning until a final call for revolution rears its ugly head. The Pope's carnage is your treasure." -- Portland
Mercury review of Jazzman Cometh
"Oakland, California-based duo The Pope bring on more of the mondo-distorto bass, frantic drumming, and manic yelling that been such a hit
with the indie “we want heavy, but not *ick* metal” kids (this week, apparently metal is on it’s way back to becoming cool, in a non-ironic
kinda way, again...) lately. The usual suspects come to mind; Godheadsilo, Lightning Bolt, Big Business, as do lesser known acts such as Tar
and Cherubs. They also have a “can’t quite put your finger on it” insistent quality that brings to mind the Jesus Lizard. Great listening for
people into the bands mentioned above and those who miss the early 90’s AmRep and Touch & Go (selected bands) sound. 8/10" -- Foxy Digitalis
"Listening to The Pope is like watching something explode. Their sound is based in pure rancorous noise, caught somewhere between RATM and
Refused, all the more impressive when you consider they're only a duo featuring bass and drums. The songs are ripped out in extreme fashion,
layer upon layer of overdriven bass lines and noisy sound effects which bury the drums in a sonic flood of cacophony. The vocals are delivered
in an unintelligible and mangled yelp which would make David Yow bow in admiration. I'm not sure if there's supposed to be a message in here,
but from what I gather, this is deconstructive music reaching to the core. It goes beyond mere angst for anger's sake and into the realm of
noise as art. It's a beautiful mess, and well worth the effort. Best of all, your parents will hate it. So will most of your friends." -- Mish Mash
|
