USS Tantalus (ARL-27) USS Tantalus (ARL-27) USS "Tantalus" (ARL-27) was one of 39 "Achelous"-class landing craft repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Tantalus (a legendary king of Lydia condemned to stand in a pool of water up to his chin and beneath fruit-laden boughs only to have the water or fruit recede at each attempt to drink or eat), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. Originally laid down as "LST-1117" on 10 October 1944 at Seneca, Illinois by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company; launched on 2 January 1945; sponsored
Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt slightly more tuneful than the more ambient, experimental second section[...] Mostly what you get are Frusciante's acoustic-guitar scratchings and stream-of-conscious ramblings." The first "Rolling Stone" review of the record, however, was positive: "All in all, [the album is] a mess—but definitely a fascinating, often lovely mess. As one might expect of an album titled "Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt" this is twisted, cool stuff." The "Boston Herald" said that while the album was "a stark display of Frusciante's acoustic guitar virtuosity" and "eerily beautiful", the singing was "terrible; his high notes will drive the neighborhood dogs into a