JESUS LIZARD RETURN

I've already gone on record about how amazing a live band Jesus Lizard were during their prime in the '90s -- performing maybe my favorite show ever at CBGB's in 1992. After catching them again all these years later at ATP NY, I can say they're definitely kinder/gentler, but still blew the majority of the groups at Kutsher's out of the water. The thing is, as I just did, people tend to fixate on David Yow & Co. sweating and screaming and nailing things so tightly to the ground in clubs, but their best records are classics: I find myself listening to Goat and Liar on a regular basis, more than 15 years after their release dates. So, basically, theirs is a reunion I can get behind and these reissued, Steve Albini and Bob Weston remastered versions of Down, Goat, Head, Liar, and Pure -- an oeuvre as clean sounding as Dennis Cooper's -- could actually serve a purpose, i.e. resurrecting a seminal band for a bunch of folks who missed them the first time around. As far as those who already own the old stuff, there are various live and studio bonuses, and on the albums proper you can hear a marked difference. See, for instance, the classic heave of Goat's "Mouth Breather."
Jesus Lizard - "Mouth Breather" (MP3)
Details on the sound:
Back in the late '80s and early '90s, the available digital mastering equipment and analog to digital converters were not as technologically advanced as the equipment available now. The original CD masters of these records were quieter and just did not have the same punch as the vinyl records did at the time. These re-masters, done by Steve Albini and Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering, sound a world apart from the originals.
The remastered Down, Goat, Head, Liar, and Pure are out today (10/6) via Touch & Go. The vinyl re-issues are packaged in gatefold jackets with 12" x 24" double-sided color inserts that include rare photos and new liner notes by the band and in-the-know journalists. They come with a download coupon that includes the bonus tracks not included on the LP itself. The CD reissues include the photos and those liners notes, too. You'll find all the tracklists over at Touch & Go. The band's on tour. Needless to say...
10/14 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
10/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
10/17 - San Francisco, CA @The Fillmore
10/22 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/23 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
10/24 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
11/05 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle
11/06 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
11/07 - Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/12 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
11/13 - Montreal, QC @ Le National
11/14 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
11/16 - New York, NY @ The Fillmore (Irving Plaza)
11/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom
11/19 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
11/20 - Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
11/24 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
11/25 - Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
11/27 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
11/28 - Chicago, IL @ Metro