Still one of my favorite bands ever. Never got to see them live, unfortunately, although I've lived vicariously through others that have.

Down is actually one of my favorites of theirs. Goat was all well and good, but Down seemed to be their peak and then it was _down_ from there.

If pressed to rank the albums of the Jesus Lizard, I'd probably say:

Liar
Down
Goat
Head/Pure
Shot
Blue

Despite how very long it took me to get past the sound of David Yow's voice, I have finally come down on the side of not crap.

Not Crap.

I can't get into them. I hate to say it, because I know they're revered and I feel like there's something I'm not "getting". I saw them live in '95 (I think. I was there to see Six Finger Satellite, in any case), and wasn't interested enough to stay through their entire set. I bought that singles comp used a while back, because I wanted to hear the Chrome covers. It's OK, but I don't see what's so special about them. I don't hate 'em, but they don't really do much for me. CRAP.

I like Scratch Acid, though. Mayhaps that counts for something?

placeholder wrote:I like Scratch Acid, though. Mayhaps that counts for something?

It does. It means you're not soulless at least. You're still a cunt, though.

Edward wrote:It does. It means you're not soulless at least. You're still a cunt, though.

You are a charmer! I try not to judge bands by who listens to them, but I can't help it; I am now a Jesus Lizard fan! Thanks a heap for settin' me straight!

Where the heck did you guys meet girls who like this mighty band?

NerblyBear wrote:Where the heck did you guys meet girls who like this mighty band?

Hey, I'm a girl and TJL were probably the MOST important band of my high school experience. I also discovered them completely on my own, sort of randomly. We exist!

EDIT: Actually, aside from on this board i've yet to find any GUYS, at least where i am/ where i'm from, who are into the jesus lizard or music in general. Seriously, where are you guys? I need to deal with these idiots talking about twee pop and how meaningful it is every day.

Ace wrote:
Hey, I'm a girl and TJL were probably the MOST important band of my high school experience. I also discovered them completely on my own, sort of randomly. We exist!

Wow, that just made my day. The search is on!

Okay, Jesus Lizard talk, why not.

I never got it back in the day. I knew of their reputation for being excellent live, I knew David Yow was supposed to be the maddest frontman on the planet, and I knew that a lot of bands that I was listening to at the time, i.e., a lot of Sub Pop bands, were calling them 'important'. I saw David Yow co-presenting The Power Hour once and he seemed like a really nice friendly guy, considering he had this gnarly reputation; wasn't a pretentious rock and roll dick or a laid back slacker, he was into it with the other fella and was enjoying himself. But the music, when I heard it, just didn't turn me on. I don't know why but I always felt like there was something I wasn't getting. I never bought any records and no-one I knew (as far as I know) did either. Never saw them live.

Time passes.

So only sometime in the last couple of years do they come to my attention again, basically from coming on this forum and seeing how much they have affected so many of you people on here. Then one night after Stu from The Dragon Rapide and Gillham and I had all done mushrooms and pills through two gigs in one day, we ended up back at Gilllham's and on the tape deck goes Liar. I am kicked in the face immediately. Gillham and Stu are going on and on about them, about how good they are. Stu is talking about Duane Denison: "he just gives you that little bit more... just takes it that little bit further..." while I am listening open mouthed to a whole new idea of what a singer is supposed to do. And it keeps driving at me, this record. It feels like sweating.

In the next couple of weeks I bought (in chronological order) Lash, the Fly On The Wall 7", Down, and Liar all second hand and on vinyl. The vocals on Glamorous are transcendental: so raw and scuzzy, yet fucking spiritual. Down entertained me for quite a while before I finally got to hear Liar again, but that kick in the face at the very start of the first song never fails to get me.

The pleasures of Goat I still have waiting for me. And that's not a sentence I get to say often in public. I confess I downloaded it, but I listened to only a little before thinking, 'fuck this, I want the bastard on vinyl.' I don't want to cheapen the experience of listening to a record that many of you regard as better than the fucking brilliant in every way Liar by listening to a shit digital download from some other computer. I think Goat and I should be introduced properly, by my physically placing a piece of metal on its skin and hearing it yelp. I look forward to more new variations on the kick in the face.

Although I guess I may never see them live (or I'll never see them live then), they are still a relatively new band to me, an extremely powerful band with plenty of records that still haven't entered my world yet. Liar still hasn't got tired and it's been a while now.

This lizard of the Jesus. She is Not Crap. Goddamn no.