Edwards Foresaw The Future, and that Future was Computers!
Aug 20 '03
Pros Good music, ambitious idea.
Cons Not always perfect.
The Bottom Line While Doubt was the biggest album, it was Perverse that made the biggest waves in the music industry.
Full Review
Jesus Jones is often discounted as a mere one hit wonder. In many ways, that is true but it is not necessary to have big hit singles in order to make at least decent music…and in some way the band is a clear representation of that fact.
Formed in 1988 by leader and vocalist Mike Edwards, Jerry de Borg, Gen, Al Joworski, and Iain Baker Jesus Jones soon recorded their debut LP Liquidizer. And while the album never yielded a major hit it did set the stage for the pop-infused-with-techno style that would later grant them their official hit or two. And while there was no huge hit, Liquidizer did cross over stateside for just long enough to get single Never Enough played.
Jesus Jones is a bit of a strange bird. Their influences are spread evenly between Happy Mondays and The Bomb Squad and peers included EMF, The Soup Dragons, and The KLF. But mostly, Jesus Jones and frontman Edwards specifically just wanted to bring electronic music (and most specifically) to a level that the masses could appreciate. This goal was best met in 1991 with Doubt. That album was where I stumbled on the band. In fact, Doubt accompanied me through much of my early High School experience and acted as a strange partner to my other infatuation—grunge. Doubt was an overall good album. And while some of the songs that pop up later on the release are rather grinding, I find it hard to deny the infectious loveliness of dance-pop-techno creations the two closest things to hits Right Here, Right Now and Real, Real, Real not to mention equally acceptable International Bright Young Thing and Who? Where? Why?. In many ways I believe that Jesus Jones and Doubt as an album are both underestimated.
Upon the success of Doubt, Edward clearly saw the potential commercial opportunities presented by the melding of pop and techno. So he took not to the studio, but the computer and came up with a rather ambitious although not entirely convincing third release…Perverse. The disc did crack the Billboard Hot 200 chart at number 59 and also managed to spawn two decently popular singles in The Devil You Know and The Right Decision. But where Doubt was full of mainstream appeal, Perverse was too isolating to ever be a major hit.
But with that said, Perverse does have a few truly exceptional moments…and a few that are unworthy of repeating. And believe it or not, but Jesus Jones’s third release is absolutely 100% groundbreaking. Not because of quality, but because of the fact that is was the first album ever recorded completely on computer. Edwards recognizes this fact immediately with the binary-dedicated work Zeroes and Ones. He clearly sees computers as the musical wave of the future, and certainly prophesized the popularization of electronica in the mid-1990’s through today. Computer indeed revolutionized the industry…even if this album wasn’t specifically able to do it by itself.
The Devil You Know is a melodic, pretty song. Edwards’ voice is rich and textured and airy, all three qualities that gave the band such success with Doubt and the singles it yielded. Computers were able to open up the floodgates to non-synthesizer sounding electronic music and I believe that this ability as demonstrated so seamlessly here is what allowed for the more widely accepted kind of electronica thrust upon the world later in the decade. The Devil You Know was a keen demonstration of what was possible.
Also particularly noteworthy are songs including The Right Decision, Your Crusade, Spiral and album closer Idiot Stare. Nothing about Perverse is bad per se, it’s just that some of the songs are only average. But what I can say for Jesus Jones is that their songs are unique if not inspired. The “unique” aspect is certainly a result of Edwards and his vocals. Also what needs to be said is that Jesus Jones doesn’t seem to fear much, including the isolation that this album certainly created. But on all counts, this disc is a lovely slice of early electonica.
If listeners can simple ignore the one really bad quality of Jesus Jones—the lyrics—then it is generally a good listen. Take for instance this example from Yellow Brown.
There is a line between good and evil
That separates light from dark
But a colour now spells our end
And everywhere I see its mark, it's
Yellow Brown
I think that Edwards means for his words to be profound, but trying too hard they are simply stupid. But like I said, usually the songs themselves make up for this pretty major downfall. Also needing ignoring is the fact that at times, it seems that Edwards attempted to equal the single success of Right Here, Right Now and attempted to create computerized reproductions as with the few singles from this album. This isn’t to say that the songs are bad, just that they are derivative of the band’s earlier work.
Anyway, I am overall rather surprised and impressed by Perverse. Doubt was good, Perverse is better. And to people who ever doubted the energy and creativity of Edwards and company I need nothing else than this album in hand. The fact that Edwards took it upon himself to blaze a new trail is brave to say the least. And while this isn’t an “A for effort” kind of work it’s definitely worth a “B for quality.”
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Zeroes and Ones
02. Devil You Know
03. Get a Good Thing
04. From Love to War
05. Yellow Brown
06. Magazine
07. Right Decision
08. Your Crusade
09. Don't Believe It
10. Tongue Tied
11. Spiral
12. Idiot Stare
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