Mr. Magoo Goes to Jail, Vol. 3

AMG Review of Mr. Magoo Goes to Jail, Vol. 3

Tom Schulte
All Music Guide

Here, Willis rants sans band. A remarkably undiversified synth beat accompanies nearly two dozen songs. Every canned flourish is preceded by one of Willis' many vents and the punch line to a radio or TV commercial. Willis has some major themes: bands (Mr. Bungle, Scissor Girls), female objects of adoration, comic-book characters (Spiderman, Birdman), radio stations, fellatio, and urban crime ("I Jacked Your Car," "He Killed a Policeman"). He has found a paradise for his schizophrenic personality in the rock setting; it's fascinating how he intuitively incorporates advertising jingles and superheroes into this backdrop. Willis wants his words to be as potent as a national ad campaign. With this obscene, deluded album, he may have succeeded.