John Wilkes Booze C or D?

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A friend is convinced I'll like them but I vaguely remember hearing them and writing them off as a bit too Gospel Yeah Yeah for my tastes. Enlighten a brother if you can.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 25 March 2004 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Second best band in town! Genius! Saw them live the other week and they were drunk and I was drunk and they were flopping around on stage swilling beer and going crazy and I danced. I think I did. I don't actually have anything of theirs on CD or anything because I'm waiting for that Kill Rock Stars comp, but they have lots of MP3s on their site which are very good. They really hit home with me. "Hoosier Soul," yeah, that's me. Also they sound like Pere Ubu. A little James Chance, too. And they give props to Yoko. Definitely Classic.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Thursday, 25 March 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

C for the name.

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 25 March 2004 02:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I always think of ILM when I hear "White Guilt"

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Thursday, 25 March 2004 02:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Sonny - you sold me. I just bought volume 4 from their website. Cheers

I don't hafta ask what the first best band in town is tho - Rapider Thna Horsepower!! Am I right?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 25 March 2004 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Close - Racebannon! I really hope you like the Booze Roger, that was almost too easy! You should see them live if you get a chance, definitely.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Thursday, 25 March 2004 02:30 (twenty-two years ago)

they're playing here on april 14, i'll hafta check em out - looking forward to it

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 25 March 2004 02:32 (twenty-two years ago)

By the way...I keep hearing that they covered a Zombies song - it doesn't seem to appear on any of their releases - what song and where is it from?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 26 March 2004 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

(if you're asking me I know nothing about it, sorry.)

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Friday, 26 March 2004 01:23 (twenty-two years ago)

i agree with the james chance comparison. also think nation of ulysses--specifically songs like 'they don't like me in this town.'

they do a pretty true-to-form version of 'butcher's tale' on the kill rock stars full length... not sure if it was originally included on an ep, though.

― brad k!, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

i've never heard them...they are playing with some friends of mine on saturday so I will see them then....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 20:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I've downloaded a bunch of stuff from their site that's really good. And I have a 7" they did on the uber-excellent Family Vineyard Records called "Whiskey and Pills" - it's totally great, teetering rock n roll.

― scott m (mcd), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 20:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic! And I am only on the 3rd track of the full-length (Zombies cover, which I find annoying). KRS has had a bunch of good stuff lately. Ok now 'White guilt" is on, more classicism!

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Sunday, 4 April 2004 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree. i just bought the full length too and it is definitely making my sunday. (well, that, and JB's Live @ The Apollo reissue)

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 4 April 2004 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Really excited to see them next Friday so I can get the full length. Very pleased with the positive ILM response!!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 4 April 2004 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

One thing really really bugs me about this album, which I've been enjoying in the car for the past few days - what the FUCK is up with that horrible, disrespectful Zombies cover? Maybe I'm especially irritated because I'm a really big fan of Odessy & Oracle, but come on! What the FUCK?? It sounds as if the singer heard the song for the first time two minutes before they recorded their version, and just sorta sang whatever notes he felt like singing. The background vocals sound pretty decent, but, I ask again...WHAT THE FUCK??

It's almost making me hate the album. That and all the "White Guilt" stuff tho I assume that they're just taking the piss with all that crap.

A good rock record nevertheless. But man that's gotta be one of the worst covers I've ever heard.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

OTM. What of the "They Dont Like Me in This Town/Carpe Diem"? Is the Fugs part recognizable at all? I've never heard the Fugs, sadly.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 22:58 (twenty-one years ago)

no, that one rules, in fact I just put it on a mixtape.

Christhamrin - get thee Fugs First Album. The self titled one is also very good. Avoid the live album.

I still much prefer the Godz though, FWIW

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Re: Zombies Cover
I used to be in the band. We did the Zombies cover to fit in with the Second EP about Tania (Patty Hearst's alter-ego when she was kidnapped and "joined" the SLA). It is a little out of context on the full length but worked well on the EP. Seth really can't sing, and has always been afraid of having that one out. The other guys in the band then really liked it, including me. The idea I always got, in the context of Pillar 2, was a nervous little suburban kid singing along with it in 1969.
When Kill Rock Stars asked to put the record out, they really wanted that one on there. I think it's cool and creepy, but it also sounds terribly and amateurish. It's all about context.
That and "People's Songbook" are the two best things I think we ever did when I was in the band.

― Jason Groth, Monday, 19 April 2004 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

But did Seth actually know the song beforehand? I mean, I couldn't sing that off key on purpose if I tried...

No disrespect - like I said I dig the record

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 19 April 2004 03:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Jason, do you lurk here?

Roger, did you go to that show? If so, how did you like it? I saw them friday and they were pretty good, though they would have been better if I had been drunker. It seemed like his voice wasn't all there, which is understandable coming off the tour, I guess. They played with Rapider Than Horsepower, actually, who were also great.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 19 April 2004 03:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Rapider Than Horsepower = rules

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 19 April 2004 03:49 (twenty-one years ago)

no i couldn't make the show. Money troubles...

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 19 April 2004 03:49 (twenty-one years ago)

john wilkes booze=classic

― chris besinger (chris besinger), Monday, 19 April 2004 11:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, no I don't really lurk. I was actually looking for a particular review of the record and stumbled upon it.

Now, I know I quit the band, but I'm still good friends with the guys (considering I'm in another band with two of them). But let's be honest here -- Seth can't sing in the classic, Zombies school of singing style.
Hence the background vocals. Seth has problems doing the same thing twice, which is what's so electric about the band. We have version after version of songs in the studio because he never did the lyrics the same twice (another, I think superior, version of White Guilt exists -- the one you hear is actually both versions combined [the first part is take two, second part take one]).

Anyway, yeah -- Seth can't sing, but the subject matter fit the context, so we tried to make it sound "creepy" instead of going for the on-key cover.

― Jason Groth, Tuesday, 20 April 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

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