It’s always nice when a collection of ‘rarities’ actually does what it says on the tin. Covering the period of 1992-2002, this is nine ultra-limited singles, plus their respective B-sides, with a couple of ‘hidden’ oddities shoved on the end for good measure. And when you consider you had to be at random gigs in Brazil (“Push Some Air”) and Hoboken (“Naked”), and a Sassy magazine competition winner (“Showgirl”), as well as one of four people to snag a test pressing of a never released single (“Caroline”), chances are even the biggest fans will have a few of these as embarrassing gaps in their lovingly alphabatised collections.

The rest of the compilation comprises the five singles that make up the In the Red label’s Jukebox seven-inch series; no bad thing, as they’re all belting tunes. Described by the man himself (who you may know from other popular music combos such as Pussy Galore and Boss Hog) as “wild, low-tech rock ’n’ roll”, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion fuses Elvis with dentist drills, the history of blues with the history of violence, and a garage rockabilly racket that transcends its peers by being sparklingly, angrily, and balls-out we-don’t-fucking-care imaginative. From the pure uncompromising adrenalin of “Shirt Jac” and the “Train” tracks (sorry) to the stomping but groovin’ swagger of “Caroline” and “Showgirl” (featuring the girls of Boss Hog on backing vocals), JSBX make blues-punk make sense, just as it should – while they may be fifty years apart, they both sprung from the same abandon and frustration. With the exception of the comical, chilled “I am Tupac “(one of the bonus tracks) there is none of the experimental, remixing Jon Spencer here; this is purely the noisy stuff, but Jukebox Explosion is none the worse for it.

If you like the band, buy this CD: unlike many cash-in compilations, this is well worth your hard-earned. If you know nothing about them, buy it anyway. Put simply, it fucking rocks. Hard.
85%

Links
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion [official site] [myspace] [buy it]