It’s been way too long between any efforts by Jad Fair and his crew—thankfully Jad is aware of this and has laid down 22 great, weird rock’n’roll classics that have the grunge of the VELVET UNDERGROUND and the charm of JONATHAN RICHMAN. Early ones on red vinyl so move, cheesehead.
High quality live material from these two bands, thirteen songs with alternating tracks rather than sides. My faves are “She’s not a Girl” and “Communication Breakdown” by V.M.
1/2 JAPANESE have been around since the mid-’70s and they still sound like a garage band. They’ve created a romantic jungle planet. Our Solar System is raw and crazy, and makes you sing along, while Sing No Evil is slicker and R’n’B-ish; it’s their Exile on Main Street. There’s also a new JAD FAIR solo record with the VELVET UNDERGROUND’s Mo Tucker on drums available by mail. If you’re in the mood for a V.U. record and want some fun, play these.
A live recording that mostly consists of long, extended jam-type songs. They integrate jazz and funk rhythms into a sort of cockeyed bluesy rock ’n’ roll format. Although they’ve come a long way from their charmingly psychotic teen-torture years, I personally wish they’d go back. Then again, most of us “grow up” sometime, for better or worse.
