Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Experimental Remixes
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Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Experimental Remixes
Elektra, 1997
RiYL: Beck, UNKLE, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys |
Highlights include a balls-out remix of "Greyhound," by Moby, which shakes and rattles with the technological energy of a London discotheque. The remix builds on the band's three-power-chord progression with strings, skipping vocals and a guitar solo of uncalcuable intensity before melting into a rather foreboding rap by Killah Priest in "Greyhound Part 2."
According to the liner notes, Beck, Mike D, and Beasties producer Mario Caldato "remixed, reorganized, repeated, destroyed, and simonixed," two versions of the "Flavor," the second of which is easily the best track on the album.
"It's a def comedy jam with Beck and Mike D," a silly voice injects. "White Boys in the house!"
Beck then throws in a set of rhymes, which, when roughly translated, read like this: "I'm in the moonlight, taking a Crest / Ripping the blues out of your vest / Stip mom the built to shrug / Strict noun when you hear me with the thud." It doesn't really make sense, but it doesn't really matter. The shit makes you nod your head.
The final track of the album is little more than a mish-mash of sound bites from Spencer's career, including bits of answering machine tapes, random conversations, interviews, live shows and rehearsals.
If nothing else, the hodgepodge gives the listener a good laugh. At one point an interviewer asks about the group's tour schedule, which Spencer is apparently reading: "How many days a year does it say?"
"It says 300 days a year," Spencer answers.
"The Blues Explosion is on the road 300 days a year?" the interviewer responds in disbelief.
"Yeah it says it right here," Spencer says, half-laughing before letting his voice pop into an overly serious, melodramatic tone. "It's rough but I think we owe it to the people."
The interviewer's response is our own: "That's a cool attitude, man."
BEN FRENCH | Ben founded NATN in the winter of 1998-1999 with fellow IU alums Troy Carpenter and Jonathan Cohen. During the day time, he's working for Nielsen Business Media, publisher of Billboard. Ben's favorite acts include Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Sonic Youth, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys.