Great primer for Jazz Butcher newcomers, rare tracks aplenty
Winthrop Harrison | Seattle, WA United States | 11/30/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Newcomers: This is a great catchy balanced way to start. If you love smart bands, this is the right place surely. For hardcore Jazz Butcher fans, there are plenty of very rare tracks I've never even heard of. And they're good.The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy band has always found a way of slipping through the commercial cracks. Robyn Hitchcock has a cult celebrity. What about Pat Fish & Gang? They're beyond similar with Robyn. Catchy tunes, smart lyrics, distinct humour, but with jazzy spiky guitar atmophere. Certainly a product of punk - only the 'no rules' freedom of punk could allow them to exist. They showed up past late for the punk game, but they applied that expression, and applied better musical tools. This is tuneful stuff. You really need this CD.Blah Blah. Anyway, 'Cake City' collects material from the early-mid '80s Glass Records era. The beauty of this CD is it doesn't play as cute tuneful novelty, there's substance with the jokes. Of course, the gorgous lyrical tunes would perfect in the early '90s. But the balance here is stronger than any Jazz Butcher album from the '80s.For hardcore fans, tracks 12-19 are required. Most of the Jazz Butcher albums are out of print. I own so many impossibly rare JBC records, I thought I knew it all. But I have only 1 of these 7 tracks.[I believe this is] The Track Listing:
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Girlfriend / Soul Happy Hour / What's the Matter Boy? / The Human Jungle / Who Loves You Now? / Nothing Special / Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present / Big Bad Thing / Love Kittens / Roadrunner / Big Old Wind / City of Night / Sweet Jane / Affection / Speedy Gonzales / Knocking on Heaven's Door / Over You (not Roxy Music) / May I? / Water. (CD time: 71 minutes)"
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1