Ask Rocket From the Crypt renaissance man John "Speedo" Reis for hisopinion on the record his other group put out back in 1994 and he'll dismissit as youthful overindulgence. But the fact he's earmarked Yank Crimefor one of the first releases on his own record label is an implicit acknowledgmentof the gravitational pull this instant classic has had on the indie rock nationfor the past eight years. Right place, right time, right sound—even themore calculated numbers achieve a remarkable sort of potency. The recording,engineered and mixed by hard-hitting drummer Mark Trombino, is rich and veryvisceral; it's easy to get lost in all of the dramatic wrinkles on the9+ minute "Luau" and both epic versions of "Sinews." Thisversion also includes a pair of songs culled from the long out-of-print 7-inchthat preceded the record, a bittersweet reminder that it's the best—andlast—offering we'll get from this idiosyncratic act.