Some you may have missed.
Right I have ran out of stuff to moan about so I will hand
over this blog (moan page) to some classic albums that people for some reason
have missed. It will be a real mix of music so if you only like 90s music or
only listen to rap don’t bother looking back again.
First up is the reason I am doing this as I am still totally
shocked they never made it.
Jason and the Scorchers, LOST & FOUND (EMI – 1984)
This band formed and done three full albums (this being the
first) and then split after not making it in 1990. Just a year later you had
the alt rock explosion from the likes of the Pixes, Nirvana and REM. They would
all go on to sell millions and change music history by killing the glam
rock/metal crap of the 80s.
The band came about as Jason Ringenberg (Vocals) was told
his voice was crap when he sung other peoples songs. He decided to form a band
and do it himself and not long after the self funded debut came out. An EP
called Fervor in 1983 got them signed to EMI and then a proper full on album to
be made.
Mixing country and punk rock the band made a new sound and
most of all a great sound. Hated by both country and rock they done something
similar as REM as they were just not taken well with the AOR fans. Many big REM
fans don’t know that Michael Stipe co-wrote a song with Jason and can be found
on the first EP.
The band were getting a lot of heat from country fans as the
cross of punk and country was so unpopular that people picketed the gigs. I
think this helped fuel the band to make them hate them even more and the band
entered the studio.
With no real budget they could only really capture the bands
live sound and record it. And by hell they did, this album rocks like a
motherfucker from start to end. Opening up with a big guitar drum harmonica
start that you will never hear ever again. ‘Last Time Around’ is one of the
best starts to an album I have ever heard it just sets the whole band up so
well and I am sure it made many mums and dads scowl in hatred. The second track
is the anthem ‘White Lies’, a real punk song that should have been a hit. A
good video was made but MTV just don’t get it. The band was only really able to
play the south and try and exploit the country link.
‘Shop it Around’ was released and even managed to top 40 in
the UK. But the band was busy in the US and could not do anything about it. I
often think that this was a big mistake as Top of the Pops would have loved a
band like that and I do think UK country and punks fans would have got it. This
is a rare album where just about all the songs could have been released as
singles. ‘Broken Whiskey Glass’ again a popular song here and a song Jason is
still mostly recognized for mixes the styles of music so well that you just
can’t believe a band can do this all on one grove of a 12” LP
Even listening to this now it is so much fresher now than it ever was. The guitars sound so loud and sharp something you just don't get now. This is one of those albums when yo put it on you have to turn the volume down a little. The way this album sounds is like a blueprint for the alt rock bands who came along after them.
The album is out in the UK as the EMI Years and has extra tracks included. In the US you can get it as a double album Fervor and Lost and Found.
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