Firstly – two confessions
1) I cheated – this is the third CD I pulled out of the box, the second was one the JC had featured only a short while ago.
2) Its not in alphabetical order – but I think that is because someone in Kent has played them as on this occasion the CD was placed the wrong way round in the case (the pictured side should face out ). Anyway….CD Three is…
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Now I Got Worry
This is the 6th studio album from New Hampshire noise merchants the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Although my CD is an album sampler with only 4 tracks on it. Spencer had been around for a bit before the Blues Explosion, he was in the tremendously named Shithaus and then in Pussy Galore and Boss Hog. The names of the bands suggested that Spencer had a habit of being controversial. The sound that they make was according to Spencer ‘punk blues’ – I remember reviewing this with a guest reviewer (some indie upstart from Camden) who said it was a ‘racket’. Personally I loved it (at the time and its aged well). The sound that Spencer makes I think can be heard in some of the White Stripes music around the time of White Blood Cells perhaps.
The lead track was 2 Kindsa Love which was released in the UK as a single and reached the giddy heights of Number 122. I expect Jon Spencer would have been a bit ‘Meh’ about that, but it deserved to go higher in my opinion. A live version of this album and some other tracks was circulated in May of 1997 called Controversial Negro the cover featured (a drawing of) Mick Jagger with tape across his face. I have that somewhere and to be honest that really was a racket, about 36 minutes of shouting, feedback and white noise – but again, Spencer probably wanted it that way.
mp3 : Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – 2 Kindsa Love
File under criminally ignored if you ask me.
SF
Note from JC
The original second posting would have been Fashion Crisis Hits New York by Frank and Walters, but seemingly the day SF sat down to type his words was the very day it appeared on the blog.
As for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, they’re a lot that I tried but never quite managed to be wholly enthralled by and other than a couple of tracks included on compilations I don’t have any of their songs. So I’m one of the criminals who ignored them…but I do see why the music appeals to so many. I’ll also add that I’m with SF that a lot of the material has aged well which should be taken s a reflection of quality….but still not my cup of Darjeeling.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 