The latest solo studio release from Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters singer Mark Kozelek, is a collection of ten AC/DC songs recast as quiet, acoustic numbers.

"What's Next to the Moon", the latest solo studio release from Red House Painters singer Mark Kozelek, is a collection of ten AC/DC songs recast as quiet, acoustic numbers that happened by happy accident. Kozelek has always liked re-interpreting songs and his reworkings of songs by Yes, Kiss, Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkel and the Cars have popped up throughout his band's work. So, fiddling around with his acoustic guitar, he did what came naturally. It just so happened to be singing the lyrics to the Bon Scott-era AC/DC songs that he remembered growing up. The peculiar mix of foreign and familiar made perfect sense. Live solo gigs gave him the chance to try out his new covers. Most couldn't believe they were AC/DC songs. In fact, several years ago, when performing "What's Next to the Moon" for a live appearance on KCRW, a radio station executive there insisted it was a Leonard Cohen song.

Just as casually as the idea first developed, Kozelek headed over to his friend and Badman Recording Co. label owner Dylan Magierek's home studio to put down some basic tracks to see if he liked what he thought he heard.

So with Badman, Kozelek recorded the songs that became his first solo album "Rock 'N' Roll Singer," which included three AC/DC tunes. Recording continued and over the next few months, Kozelek put together the ten songs that appear on this album. Ironically, it's Kozelek's most consistent project ó the simple acoustic guitar and vocal approach give the proceedings uniformity, as if the whole album were one long song, or a perfectly crafted song-cycle. In effect, he crafted an unplugged "tribute" record without ever intending to. By removing the electricity from one of rock's legendary, High Voltage bands, Kozelek has done something both mesmerizing and perverse: two terms that work remarkably well when describing the music and antics of AC/DC themselves.

"What's Next to the Moon" will stand potentially as one of the more unusual albums of the rock era. Listened to as either a compelling collection of acoustic songs or an unusual take on another band's material, the album should remain essential to all who cross its path.

Red House Painters will be touring the US and Europe in support of their upcoming album "Old Ramon." Their live set will feature songs form "What's Next to the Moon." Mark Kozelek will tour solo throughout 2001 in support of this album.

Reviews:
5 out of 5
"Classic" - San Francisco Chronicle

4 out of 5
- Uncut

4 out of 5
- Alternative Press

"Kozelek's sparse, haunting delivery can render even the basest material achingly affecting, and coarse classics such as Love Hungry Man and Bad Boy Boogie are reinvented here as taut, maudlin masterpieces. Kozelek's art is paramount." - Q Magazine