Jim Jones Revue “Jim Jones Revue”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#433 in the series Series) is the Jim Jones Revue.

Imagine just for a minute. You are a mad scientist in the rock and roll laboratory. You fuse the DNA of Jerry Lee Lewis , Little Richard, and the New York Dolls. What do you get? London’s Jim Jones Revue.

Jim Jones (ex-Thee Hypnotics) and his band push the term rhythm and blues to its furthest limits. While Jones is the undeniable star of the show, the band fights Jones for every bit of the spotlight. The album is produced by Jones which produces shocking results. This record is very loud. Undoubtedly, the needles on the sound board were well into the red when JJR were recording their debut. This technique makes you feel that you are in a dingy club well past midnight wondering how you ears will operate in the morning after experiencing this cacophony.

The album starts out aggressively with “Princess and the Frog.” Elliott Mortimer’s overdosed on Jerry Lee Lewis electric piano grabs the listener and starts you on a 31 minute wild ride. “I’m the man, I’m the man, Just wait and see!” Rupert Orton’s guitar leaps to the front of the fray on every song in a style very reminiscent of a 2008 version of Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls.

To cement the Little Richard connection, JJR does a stunning rendition of Richard’s “Hey, Hey, Hey.” Jones channels the composer as he howls like a scalded dog on this 1958 classic. “Cement Mixer,” “Rock and Roll Psychosis,” and “Make It Hot” sound just like the titles imply. Jim Jones Revue is loud and in your face.

If you were to close your eyes while listening to “Meat Man” and “Another Daze,” you could envision Lewis and Richard playing so hard they would peel the paint off of a club in Macon, Georgia. Many times the simplest albums are the best, this is rock and roll not rocket science. The Jim Jones Revue understands this very well.

— Jim McCabe

Track Listing

1. “Princess & The Frog”
2. “Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey”
3. “Rock N Roll Psychosis”
4. “Fish 2 Fry”
5. “512”
6. “Another Daze”
7. “Meat Man”
8. “Make It Hot”
9. “Who’s Got Mine?”
10. “Cement Mixer”

Personnel

• Jim Jones – Guitar, Vocals
• Elliot Mortimer – Piano
• Rupert Orton – Guitar
• Nick Jones – Drums
• Gavin Jay – Bass