Fishbone & The Familyhood Nextperience Presents: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx

Listening to a Fishbone album is like taking a bunch of jittery eight-year-olds to an amusement park: There’s lots of excitement and variety, but not much focus. On the band’s bizarrely-titled sixth full-length, they do little to change the carnival atmosphere. Whether hopping between punk, funk, reggae, jazz, metal, ska, and soul, or dropping them all into the same stew, Fishbone sound as amped-up as they did when they first emerged 15 years ago. As usual, the band approaches the album like an all-night, sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll fiesta. So it’s not surprising that George Clinton, Rick James, Gwen Stefani, Perry Farrell, Donny Osmond, and most of the Red Hot Chili Peppers all show up to lend a hand. OK, it’s a little surprising Donny Osmond showed up, but we guess they needed somebody they could send out for more booze.