THE GREAT MILENKO  -  INSANE CLOWN POSSE

YEAR:  1997
LABEL:  Island/Psychopathic Records
TRACK LISTING:  Intro,  Great Milenko,  Hokus Pokus,  Piggy Pie,  How Many Times?,  Southwest Voodoo,  Halls of Illusions,  Under the Moon,  What Is A Juggalo?,  House of Horrors,  Boogie Woogie Wu,  The Neden Game,  Hellalujah,  Down With the Clown,  Just Like That,  Pass Me By
IMPRESSIONS:  This was the first of the Joker's Cards I got into in a really big way (working backwards to RIDDLE BOX soon after) and this shows by the fact that I nominated it for a Penguin Award for Album of the Year.  The dunderheaded rap of ICP combined with an expertly hidden morality and some good ole axe murders made for a strange combination but one I found to be very amusing.  The mystique of the "Dark Carnival" and the six "Joker's Cards" melted this horror-fan's heart and the abundance of hooks melted my ears.  And how can you not love an album which starts with Alice Cooper introducing it?  And the fact that the whole album was made by Disney is just too hilarious to forget!  The title track is a monster "head-nodder" you can't help but move to -- as is the rather profound (for wicked clowns) "How Many Times?" which holds up as a stand-out track.  Seriously though . . . who was asleep at Disney that didn't realize what kind of album Insane Clown Posse was gonna produce?!?!?!
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Intro,  Great Milenko,  Hokus Pokus,  Piggie Pie,  How Many Times?,  What Is A Juggalo?,  House of Horrors,  Boogie Woogie Wu,  The Neden Game,  Hellalujah,  Pass Me By
GUEST ARTISTS:  Alice Cooper (narration on "Intro"),  Steve Jones (guitar on "Piggy Pie"),  Slash (guitar on "Halls of Illusions"), Rich "Legs Diamond" Murrell (vocals, guitar on "Piggie Pie", "How Many Times", "Halls of Illusions", House of Horrors", "Hellalujah" and "Pass Me By"), Deb Agoli (vocals on "Intro", "Hokus Pokus" and "House of Horrors")
FACT SHEET:  THE GREAT MILENKO is Insane Clown Posse's fourth album and the fourth "Joker's Card".  The Great Milenko (in the "Dark Carnival" mythology) is a "Necromaster" illusionist who tricks people into "greed, envy and lust" and warns them against committing these sins.  The album was released by Disney-owned Hollywood records who quickly pulled the album from release laughingly stating that they didn't realize what the album's content would be -- despite the fact they spent a million dollars making it.  Island Records agreed to take the album and release it untouched.  The album features guest appearances by original horror-glam rocker Alice Cooper, the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and former Guns N Roses guitar hero (and self-confessed ICP fan) Slash.  A song called "House of Wonders" was originally recorded for this album but didn't make it; instead winding up on the collection "FORGOTTEN FRESHNESS VOLUME 1 & 2"; this cd compilaton also features the "uncensored" version of "Piggy Pie".  THE GREAT MILENKO was produced by DJ Mike E. Clark who brought a stronger "rock" sound and better production to the album.  The strong sense of morality always hidden beneath ICP's violent lyrics always guaranteed that those punished with violence in the songs were guilty of such sins as bigotry, perversion, violence and injustice themselves; the innocent never get axed in an ICP song.  This quite clear theme throughout ALL the Joker's Cards assured my guessing quite early that Violent J and Shaggy were secretly Christians; a fact revealed in the final Joker's Card to some juggaloes' dismay.  In 2009, long-running horror magazine FANGORIA named "THE GREAT MILENKO" an iconic horrorcore album . . . whatever THAT means.  The album was also nominated for a Penguin Award for Album of the Year.