Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Orange
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Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Orange
Matador, 1994
RiYL: Rolling Stones, Pussy Galore, Beastie Boys, Beck |
It's on this, his band's fourth full-length, where Jon Spencer finally steps fully into the role of hard-working '90s rock-and-roll preacher. Meshing flashy blues-rock guitar riffs with drummer Russell Simins' powerhouse funk attack, the Blues Explosion simultaneously made fun of itself and reached a new level of sincerity.
Spencer's vocals are a morbid cross between self-referential rap and southern pulpit testimony. He calls out "Blues Explosion!!" about a hundred times throughout the course of the album, bellows "oh, yeah" in a hyperbolic Elvis-esque voice here and there and makes whole songs out of sentiments like "That's the sweat of the Blues Explosion!" or "You need a Blues Explosion Man!!"
In response to questions about the band's guitar-guitar-drums lineup, Spencer once claimed "New York City is our bass player." On Orange, the throbbing attitude of the metropolis can certainly be felt through the music, whether in Spencer's own hearty bellowing, the street-smart rat-a-tat of Simins' kit, or the acute swagger of guitarist Judah Bauer. That there's only three players allows the songs to have well-placed spaces, where Spencer might scream "Good God!" or "Thankya!" (or once, "This lovin' tastes ooooh like Chicken!") before the beat kicks back in.
String arrangements, a manic saxophone, distorted harmonica, and nasal backup singers add rock power to the tracks, and help bring Orange out of the basement to strut its stuff on 2nd Avenue. Surpises lurk at every turn. On "Flavor," Beck makes a phone call in during the song, spins some crazy wack poetry ("feel so good about a piece of trash / the birds are drunk, they're drinkin from my glass"), and then asks Spencer if his rhyming was good enough for the take. Spencer's only response is to shout "You Got The Flavor!" in a mock croon until Beck cracks up laughing and has no choice but to go along with it. Somehow, the whole experience keeps up with the funky beat.
Orange is a return to rock and roll's roots -- southern gospel preaching melded with electric guitar riffs -- but it's also a very modern rejuvenation, with distorted sounds and Spencer's attitude spreading out over the whole record. A severely funktified effort.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.