Customer Reviews

Down

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This band is the only reason that rock is not spent... They are simply the finest musicians I've heard. There's not anyone out there doing what they've done -- in their rhythms, their melodies, their arrangements, or their lyrics.They are at least 10 years ahead of their time...do they rock, too. I've been listening to Goat since its release. I still listen to it, and find new things in it every time. I've bought 300+ Cd's since it, and there's not one I'd rate as highly.

As the sonic maelstrom of "Fly on the Wall" is let loose, the understatement of the linear notes becomes painfully obvious. Jesus Lizard's deft musicianship, pummeling rhythms, and passionate howling vocals seem almost otherworldly in their intensity triggering a brutal assault on all fronts. To call "Down" simply an abrasive album wouldn't be giving it enough credit. This CD does not merely repel the senses like so many other "abrasive" recordings but instead launches a full-scale attack that continues at an unrelenting pace from beginning till end. Proving to be the true embodiment of noise rock itself, the individual member's talents easily rival those of legendary noise veterans. Recalling the heyday of Detroit's 1969 proto-punk acts, Dennison's riffs are as heavy as Wayne Kramer and as sloppy as Ron Asheton while David Yow's manic unintelligible rants are easily worthy of Iggy Pop himself. Holding down the bottom end, as always, is Jesus Lizard's first rate rhythm section with Mac McNeilly and David Wm. Sims literally beating every ounce of life out of their instruments. The band's veins course with aggression and power and with the help of Steve Albini's equally confrontational production work, Down proves to be a quite satisfying documentation of the band's raw energy. The only drawback to this CD would be that, although Jesus Lizard's sound is definitely as unique as it is massive, the actual songs tend to be very similar. In the grand scheme though, the repetitiveness of the individual songs tends to not really matter when coupled with the consistently striking overall sound and Down still remains a fairly strong effort. Although perhaps not as memorable as Liar or as innovative as the Head/Pure Eps, Down is another strong Jesus Lizard album, even if it is a largely repetative affair.

Jesus Lizard are simply not as others. David Yow's lyrics and vocal delivery are like listening to the paranoid ramblings of a deeply twisted, and sensitive person broken by this absurd, violent, yet humorous world. Like some kind of punk rock Charles Bukowski, he deals in psychic pain and character observation (or confusion) unlike few others. He doesn't wallow in self-serving despair, rather his angst and anger is primarily directed outward in a kind of celebration of the absurd. His screams and pained vocal delivery provide a huge contrast to the surgically precise, yet no less disturbed math-metal-punk of guitarist Duane Denison, drummer Mac McNeilly, and uber bassist David Wm. Sims. They proceed like some kind of unending bad dream that you don't want to wake up from, that you can't wake up from. Relentless and abrasive and dark, yet not without humor, Jesus Lizard's Down is a unique listen from one of the odder and truly alternative bands of the '90s. Also recommended: Head/Pure (their first EP and album in one CD), Liar, Goat, and Shot.

Some lyrics from "Din":

Get me up from this terrible place
Because it's dangerous down here
There are splinters and splinters
Flying like arrows around
I turn around to see one huge black tongue
That means to lick my very being
And the sun is about to set
On the head of my shadow
so get me the hell out of here
so get me the hell out of here

This album is probably my favorite JL album, even compared to Liar.
It's just crushing, and bass lines (like on 50 cents) just don't come around often enough. While i am glad to see bands such as the Dennison Kimbel Trio rise from the ashes, the Jesus lizard are just so seminal, and i think this album really captures why.

I fluctuate between Down and Shot, both are brilliant beyond words. Down has nary a bad track. Jesus Lizard changes up the tempo, feel and texture from song to song, but their signature rhythmic drive and mean chords are always present. Forget about metal, forget about punk. Jesus Lizard, man, Jesus Lizard.

This is the best Jesus Lizard album, with its unique arrangements and stellar songwriting.
Or is it "Liar," with it's amped-up crunchiness?
Now that you mention it, "Goat" is pretty essential.
The singles/rarities collection "Bang" is also hard to beat.
"Head/Pure" might be more difficult to access until you're into them, but then you get even more of their best songs.
Heck, even "Shot" (despite being the "major label sellout post-Albini album") is most assuredly rocking.

"Head" and "Liar" are tied for first regarding Jesus Lizard recordings. You cant really go wrong getting any of them, so whatever your mega cd store can carry, fear not and buy it. This one will put an odd look on the faces of old Lizard fans, though. Its very slick, methodical, and muted somewhat. "Misletoe" is a ragged, jangled rant that ranks with their best, heaven knows what its about, but who really cares when its up loud? "Countless Backs of Sad Losers". from what I can tell, is either David Yow's attempt at a political statement, or about the way things are because of the travails of ruthless alpha males, or maybe Im just an idiot and should refrain from interpretation, especially of someone who is as obtuse and cryptic as Yow is. "50c" is what David Yow would pay your mother to screw the band...those are my favorites, the cd drags a bit at the end, but all in all, this is good money spent if you cant get any of the early ones.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard all of TJL's records, like Goat (1991), Head (1990), and their debut EP Pure (1989); however, I think that 'Down' serves as the best elegy (no pun intended) to their ten year career.

It is an album that has an equal balance of hard, stomping rockers ("Fly on the Wall", "Mistletoe", "Din", "Queen for a Day", "Countless Backs of Sad Losers", "Destroy Before Reading", "50 cents") as well as slow/melodic songs ("Horse", the beautiful and "Zachariah"-esque "Elegy", "American BB", "The Associate") or an instrumental ("Low Rider"), and it all comes together as a coherent whole, (ending with the beautiful "The Best Parts").

This was the last album that TJL did with Steve Albini as well as the last album that was on the great Chicago-based label Touch and Go. After they moved to Capitol in 1996 they released two more albums, "Shot", (produced by GGGarth) and "Blue", (produced by Gang of Four's Andy Gill). Both did not have the great, live, claustrophobic, bombastic sound of their previous efforts that Albini provided; in short, TJL had put so much energy and talent into their past albums already; the talent was there, but the freshness was not. TJL had also had been around for 10 years, a feat compared to the shelf life for most groups nowadays, in addition to already previously being members of Cargo Cult, Rapeman, Scratch Acid, and Phantom 309, respectively.

Here's to you, Mr. Yow, David, Duane, and Mac--may the lizard live on.