Arbeiter at the Gate

Arbeiter At The Gate
Studio album by Steve Lieberman
Released	18 October 2004
Recorded	April 2004 – July 2004
Genre	Punk rock, Garage, Obscuro, PitBash, Progressive Rock
Length	63:36
Label	Bad'lan USA
Producer	Steve Lieberman
Steve Lieberman chronology
Liquidatia 455 (2004) Arbeiter At The Gate (2004) Jew In The Underground (2005)

Arbeiter At the Gate is a post-punk, experimental noise-rock album. It was the fifth album released by Jewish-American bi-polar outsider musician, Steve Lieberman on 18 October 2004.

The album title is a play on a Biblical verse in Isaiah 29:21 ' (the wicked) lay a snare for the arbiter(judge) at the gate'(by changing to "arbeiter" it becomes Yiddish for "worker").^[1]

Of Lieberman's 22 releases to date,Arbeiter At The Gate still remains a top album pick of the AllMusic Guide^[2]

Arbeiter had charted on a number of college radio stations, most notably peaking at #42 on WXDU Duke University^[3] and #87 at KZSU Stanford University.^[4]

It was while on tour for the Arbeiter album that a reporter from Newsday interviewed Lieberman at one of his shows and stated that the essence of his music is (Lieberman's) message and emotion, not his talent in an article about outsider musicians on Long Island published on 27 February 2005.^[5]

The record is considered darker than his works preceding Arbeiter as Lieberman suffered a bi-polar dark cycle through much of the cd's production, dealing with the illness of his beloved Labrador mix Buttons, who passed just before Arbeiter's release.

Critical reception

Greg McIntish-The AllMusic Guide

' A lo-fi sonic sock in the gut built around Lieberman's ultra-fuzzed-out bass,multitudinous flute overdubs and other sundry sounds. Certainly outsider music there's no doubting that Lieberman's sound is unique, but like such artists as Wesley Willis it is completely stagnant... Mostly, the appeal of Arbeiter At The Gate and all of Lieberman's work is the sheer and impressive fearlesness of it. Rating 3.5 Stars out of 5^[6]

James McQuiston-NeuFutur Magazine

'Although vocally, sometimes achieving an Ozzy-like inflection, the production and mixing of Arbeiter is almost painful to listen to because of the overdoing of the cheesy distortion Lieberman loves... Steve is unique, that much can be said. He's trying to make a coherent yet different album which doesn't necessarily make for solid, listenable music. But i sense here an evolution that eventually, we could get a solid album from him. Rating 4.0 Stars Out of 10.^[7]

Bill Cuevas-KZSU-FM Radio

Combines programmed drums with driving fuzz bass and insane flutes and really strange vocals, lyrically covering topics of anti-semetism to all kinds of crazy stuff. Either this guy is not all there or is doing a great job of faking it. Totally lovable and adorable like Wesley Willis.This is like Wesley Willis crossed with Jethro Tull on a bad acid trip.^[8]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Steve Lieberman except where noted. 

Musical personnel

Steve Lieberman - bass guitar, vocals, flutes, recorder, trombone, melodica, beatmachines, fiddle, bombard, shahnai, bagpipe chanter, tin whistles, zurna

References

1. ↑ Isaiah (650 BCE). Book of Isaiah. Prophets. 29.21. Pre-exile Judah. p. 672.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. ↑ "All Music Guide-Steve Lieberman The Gangsta Rabbi Discography". October 2004. Retrieved 18 August 2011. 
3. ↑ "WXDU Top 88.7". November 24, 2004. Retrieved 18 August 2011. 
4. ↑ "KZSU Zookeeper charts". May 22, 2005. Retrieved 18 August 2011. 
5. ↑ "Newsday, Long Island's Outsider Musicians". February 27, /2005. Retrieved 18 August 2011.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. ↑ McIntosh, Gregory, A.M.G.-Steve Lieberman-'Arbeiter At The Gate' Review, retrieved 18 August 2011 
7. ↑ McQuiston, James, NeuFutur Magazine-Steve Lieberman-'Arbeiter At The Gate' Review, retrieved 18 August 2011 
8. ↑ Cuevas, Bill, Lieberman,Steve-'Arbeiter At The Gate' Zookeeper On-Line, retrieved 18 August 2011