AMG Review of Rush Hour

Steve Huey
All Music Guide

Wesley Willis' first album of new material for Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label (which had already released two Greatest Hits volumes), Rush Hour isn't a significant departure from Willis' previous recordings with a full band. The musical backing still sounds oddly subdued, even canned, and Willis still takes long pauses in between his recitations. Somewhat surprisingly, Rush Hour doesn't have the loopy celebrity tributes Willis became known for; he relies more on his imagination to conjure up lyrical scenarios. Other than that, Rush Hour is pretty much a standard Wesley Willis album, with enough bizarre connections to make it a slightly more amusing listen than some of his other records.