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McLuhan — Anomaly
(Think Like a Key TLAK 1213, 1971/2025, CD)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-01-01

Anomaly Cover art

Taking their name from the Canadian media philosopher Marshall McLuhan, known for stating that “the medium is the message,” the band McLuhan formed in Chicago in 1969 as a concept and mixed media group with no specific musical venue or style, which is evident when you listen to their one and only album, Anomaly. McLuhan was the brainchild of David Wright, who conceived and wrote most of the music. The band consisted of Paul Cohn (flute, clarinet, and tenor sax), Neal Rosner (bass guitar and vocals), John Mahoney (drums and vocals), Micheal Linn (drums on “Witches Theme and Dance”), Dennis Stoney Phillips (guitar and vocals), Tom “Tojza” Laney (organ, piano, and screaming), and David Wright (trumpet and vocals). The concept for McLuhan was to try different things live including special sound effects, various weird instruments, background sounds, and playing old movies during their performance (“Monster Bride” was actually Bride of Frankenstein and in live performance they would show the movie at the point where they played the 20th Century Fox theme). “The medium was truly the message,” not the content. Labels didn't matter. McLuhan lasted only about a year and a half, and their album Anomaly fell into obscurity only to gain cult status over the years, but has never been officially reissued until Think Like a Key resurrected the album. Anomaly only contains four tracks: “The Monster Bride,” “Spiders (In Neal’s Basement),” “Witches Theme and Dance,” and “A Brief Message from Your Local Media.” The music is innovative, ahead of its time, fun, and unclassifiable. What if Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention had a love child with Chicago? Their offspring could have been McLuhan. There are a myriad of influences and styles that all neatly weave together, be it New Orleans swing, West Coast psych, or King Crimson, for a quirky and enjoyable listening experience. Think Like a Key should be praised for rescuing this obscure underground album. And believe it or not, McLuhan was still playing together in 2024: Neal Rosner and Paul Cohn collected several other talented musicians from the area and they regularly play the entire Anomaly at Saturday matinee shows at the Montrose Saloon in Chicago. Take a peak at the YouTube video below.

Filed under: Reissues, 2025 releases, 1971 recordings

Related artist(s): McLuhan, Neal Rosner

More info
http://www.facebook.com/paul.cohn.7/videos/3417486725182877
http://mcluhan.bandcamp.com/album/anomaly
http://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/511917-mcluhan-anomaly-2025-remaster

 

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