Notes

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Glorious & Idiotic, a decent recording-quality live show captured for posterity in Hamburg, Germany, is less a triumphant return than a particularly inspired, quiet continuation. The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, with songwriter Pat Fish (aka the Jazz Butcher himself) ever at the conspiracy's center, has been making sophisticated acoustic-punk-pop-jazz (à la Jonathan Richman if he spent more time bellying up to the bar) for nearly two decades as of this release. Glorious & Idiotic is the reunion of Fish, longtime cohort/vocal doppelganger Max Eider, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Owen Jones. This particular conglomeration of conspirators is responsible for some of the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy's finer, early-career recorded moments. Judging by the evidence presented here, the three blokes haven't missed a beat (though they've mellowed a bit since the early '80s). The musical nuances are intact, the pairing and juxtaposition of playful incisive wit and irresistibly catchy melodies — a hallmark of the JBC — are all here in glorious, spontaneous live idiocy. Sometimes sublime and heartbreaking, other times absurd and borderline stupid, the Jazz Butcher is always compelling and this release spurred Pat Fish and the reunited lineup to take a trip around the States, something they hadn't done in more than a decade. So you know they thought the magic was there. Judging by such classic JBC tracks as "Partytime," the sublime "Rain," and such ridiculous romps as the strum-punk of "Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present" and "Bigfoot Motel," it's clear that these three men — who collectively created some of the most underrecognized, smartest pop music to ever barely escape the British Isles — are thankfully still a viable alternative to an unthinking mainstream.
The last thing anybody expected was a new Jazz Butcher album in the year 2000. But there is one, and it's just the sort of thing that you hardcore JBC listeners are going to enjoy. Stick with me. The record is called "Glorious and Idiotic" and it is released on 26th January 2000 on ROIR (Reach Out International Records) of New York City. That's right, Virginia, it's a domestic US release. It is a live recording of the concert which Max and Owen and I played in Hamburg's Logo club in February 1999. It marks Owen's return to the JBC, and, in retrospect, it marks the return of the JBC itself as some kind of going concern. It has by far the best sound quality of any of the Jazz Butcher live albums or bootlegs currently available. The performances aren't bad either, for a bunch of old bastards. It features lots of old favourites and two brand new songs by Max Eider, both performed for the first time ever at this concert. It also features guest appearances from our Euro-buddies Clemens, Curtis and Pat Beirne, three of the finest human beings you could be lucky enough to meet (by the way).