Customer Reviews

Sideways Soul

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

 

 

this album sounds like johnny cash and fat elvis went insane, got real drunk and turned on a tape recorder.

I can tell you one thing I loved this record! It's like one big jam session. It features some new tracks as well as some re-worked tracks from xtra acme USA. I loved Xtra acme as well as Acme and this album seems to go deeper inside these albums getting a more gritty sound. Calvin Johnson from Dub Narcotic sound system does a lot of lead vocal work on this while Spencer shouts in the background in agreement to Johnson's ramblings, giving encouragement in his Elvis in heat vocal style.

Johnson's vocal style is more out there in fact that it doesn't work but it does, you know in the context of this album he is a good singer his deep voice goes with the vibe. You may remember his collaboration with Beck on One foot in the grave his voice was put to good use as it is on this album where we get a kinda Johnny Cash kinda thing going on in tracks like Love ain't on the run and Fudgy the whale. So all and all this is in my opinion a top album.

Like always the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion compines their punk funk blues to make for a great time. Though not alone this time- The Dub Narcotic Sound System joins them to make some of the most freeborn expressionalism rock this world has ever known. Guaranteed to keep your feet tapping. However, there are some things that drag this CD down. During Frosty Junction there is a small annoying melodica solo and Chicken Legs has an distorted echo effect to Calvin's voice, both taking away from the song. On most every song Calvin sings lead. For those that haven't ever heard him, he sounds like a Beck that can't (or doesn't try to) sing right... who cares though- The CD sounds really good for those who like rough jammin' - Go For It!

i have seen this in the stack of cd's in our house for a while and have passed it over numerous times not realizing the gem that it was. dub, bub, hubbub, dub a bub, doobie hoobie who cares what it is, it rocks, socks, cleans your clocks, call it what you want i am 60 years old and this is simply a winner anyway you look at it. just sit back and enjoy it anyway you want to. the singer does sound like johnny cash and it is strange to just try to imagine johnny cash singing here -- "banana". i don't recall any song j cash sang that had the word banana in it; at least not sung like this. there are moments when you are just so excited about finding something special when least expecting to -- well this was definitely one of them for me. and believe me i have had a lot of them in my life. you won't go wrong from my view. it is simply rocks on with a nice flavor of dub. very much an indie garage sound but solid. they are tight and should get together more often. (yeah i know i came to the party late but i don't care, they should play together again.) i would go for about twice as much though - it is too short. what maybe only about 40 minutes? jammin' sounds should go longer than 3 or 4 minutes though fudgy the whale keeps movin' and banana version is 6 minutes. banana meltdown is a favorite but is only 2:55. chicken legs just gets going at 3:28 and it is over. we should go for more 15 to 20 minute jams. more. more.

I love JSBX, but Dub Narcotic is lame. Skip it, this shizzle aint worth a free download, let alone $14.98. If you want JSBX dub remixes, do it yerself, skip this tripe.