by Eduardo Rivadavia

Electric Boys had caused quite a stir with their solid debut, prompting many critics to single them out as one of the early '90s' most promising acts. But while the band's self-produced 1992 sophomore effort, Groovus Maximus, seemed, on the surface, to pick right up where Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride had left off, deeper scrutiny quickly revealed its many drawbacks. Simply put, dispensing with the services of producer Bob Rock eliminated a much-needed outside opinion which could have helped shape the largely unfulfilling material contained here into focus. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and the funky accents so prevalent (and successful) in the first release are often replaced by bluesy, less-distinctive grooves on this album (see "Knee Deep in You" and the title track). Psychedelia remains a major obsession, but rather than contrasting it with other sonic ingredients to create a surprising blend, the band simply goes for overkill on "Dying to Be Loved," "Tambourine," and Beatlesque first single "Mary in the Mystery World." And the punchy "She's into Something Heavy," one of the album's standout tracks, is actually just "All Lips n' Hips" part two. Needless to say, such all-around underachieving would soon stall Electric Boys' progress.