Description

The Jesus Lizard s second album followed in the vein of the first with little immediate variation: loud, excellently produced by Steve Albini, plenty of space in the recording to emphasize the sheer force of McNeilly s drums and Sims bass, and more besides. The little-remarked-upon ability of the rhythm section to kick out some ass-shaking jams spikes up such great numbers as Nub, which almost predicts 

Rocket From the Crypt down to the gang-shout vocals, and the slower but no-less-compelling grind of Rodeo in Joliet (also one of the band s most inspired titles). Denison s guitar playing seemed a touch more focused at points here, the results almost suggesting such post-punk groove monsters as Gang of Four and even the Pop Group. There s a more evident melodic lead role for his work as well, as the just plain great riff that fires up Mouth Breather and his near-countryish twang on Karpis makes perfectly clear. Yow, meanwhile, steps ever more into his own persona, his lyrics now downright comprehensible and his singing levels a touch less doom- (and bass) heavy, if no less aggrieved. The staggered vocal overdubs on Monkey Trick are a standout, especially when Denison suddenly serves up another one of his surprisingly sweet passages as a bed. Other treats on the album include the opening Here Comes Dudley — in context one of the more non-welcoming greetings around — and the Morricone-tinged freakout of Lady Shoes, assuming Morricone scored movies about doctors dealing with some freaky female patients. The whole album seems like a party in hell, not to mention demonstrative proof that there s still plenty of fun to be had with a basic rock lineup; it s all in the matter of how it s handled.