From the liner notes:

"In these modern times, we find ourselves in a world where life is a roller coaster of high wire expectations and inevitable nose-dive disappointments.  It is no wonder so many people have turned to pharmaceuticals as a means to even it all out.

Prozak for Lovers is all about the highs and lows...and how to eliminate them."

In other words, somebody thought it would be a great idea to take passionate songs and turn them into lukewarm ditties that tend to put you to sleep.

Fail.

The first unfortunate song to be utterly butchered on this loathsome album is "Proud Mary."  An exciting, highly rhythmic song that Creedence Clearwater Revival did well, that Ike and Tina Turner did even better, and that Elvis Presley completely nailed on tour, it turns into a sedated plodder by Bruce Lash and Maura Corey, the two vocalists on Prozak for Lovers.  Maura in particular is especially somnolent.  Musically, little goes on beyond a guitar strumming, a flue solo, and some minor percussive elements.

"Pump It Up" comes in as another snoozefest, and barely melodic to make it worse.  Only the bridge and verse get somewhat catchy, marking one of the few spots on the album where I feel like I am genuinely living.

Perhaps the worst cover of them all is "Aqualung."  To turn this gritty, complex Jethro Tull song into something easygoing and lighthearted is just - I can't even use a strong enough word.  Lash's half-hearted vocal delivery and the lackluster musicianship destroy what this brilliant song about a disturbed homeless man was meant to illustrate.  This is simply a musical atrocity of highest proportions.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" stands out on this album as the only song that actually remains similar to its original emotion (it's still melancholic).  Of course, that isn't what Lash and Corey meant to do - they wanted to take these timeless pieces of art and turn them into white wallpaper.

Remember the brooding greatness of "Don't Fear the Reaper"?  They take the edge off that one, too; and once again, you probably won't remember it minutes after the fact.  "Message of Love"?  So slow that it actually made me feel seasick - I skipped it before the nausea could set in too much.  "I Wanna Be Sedated"?  It's all blending together by this point - amazing how they could make all these songs sound so similar and lifeless.  "London Calling"?  I'm barely awake.  Help.

The only near-redeemable song on Prozak for Lovers is "Rebel Rebel."  I say this because, for once, there are some distinct variations in the notes played by the musicians, and the melodies are in sync with the rhythms.  It's sort of funny how much this one reminds me of "Spooky" by the Classics IV - without the verve, though, of course.

Could the album end on a good note?  Oh please, I knew better.  Given that this album came out before he died, I hope Johnny Cash never subjected himself to hearing this version of "Folsom Prison Blues."  While they got the melody right, the pacing is still a bit off, and the guitar is too happy and frolicking to fit.  No, no, no.

I understand giving a new twist to old hits can be a huge risk, but sometimes it works, and sometimes covers can turn out better than the original.  But in the case of Prozak for Lovers, the project was largely doomed from the start because the songs and their emotional contexts are changed so drastically that many would not be recognizable were it not for the lyrics.  Music is the universal language, and when there is a miscommunication of intent, you've lost your listener.

Avoid this album *entirely*.

Recommended: No