Diving back to a time around the early 1990s to when the phrase Alternative music actually meant something. One band in particular stalked the earth like a half naked (often fully naked) rabid colossus.
There are no bands anywhere in this world that could ever hope to come close to the unhinged chaotic genius that is the Jesus Lizard.
Quite simply one of the most consistently compelling live bands to ever exist, this 1991 album, Goat is their utterly essential masterpiece.
The devastating almost mechanical pummeling of genius drummer Mac McNeilly and the wandering spidery runs of bassist David Wm Sims lay down a sonic bulldozer of bludgeoning off kilter beats while guitarist Duane Denison sprinkles jazz tinged spiky guitar runs over the top which combine to create the most punishing, original and occasionally outright creepy music ever recorded.
Singer David Yow delivers his vocals in a gleefully unbalanced style reminiscent of a maniac wrapped in an old duffel-bag.
From the sinister as old fuck opening salvo of “Then Comes Dudley” to the deeply unsettling and claustrophobic closing track “Rodeo in Juliet” this is a band truly at the absolute peak of their powers. For any first timers to the world of Jesus Lizard I’ll point you all in the direction of the track “Mouth Breather”.
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice guy, I like him just fine. But….. he’s a mouth breather”
Damn straight x
Editor’s Note: When it comes to The Jesus Lizard you’ve basically got six albums, but you only need to mess with the first four… ‘The Holy Quartet’ if you will. Once original drummer McNeilly left the music was still really good, but that original line-up was an all-timer.
So when you look at the first four albums from the original lineup, Head (1990), Goat (1991), Liar (1992), and Down (1994). Goat is the crown jewel, but all four albums are all-time-dope! That is all.