Re: Old vs. New

Joining the debate a little late...

I profess a fondness for most of Pat's earlier albums over the latter ones
(anything post-Fishcotheque). That's not to say I dislike any of the albums
(though Big Planet, Scary Planet comes close). I would still rather listen
to the JBC in any context than most of what's out there.

I'm not sure why I like the earlier stuff. Partly because it was what got me into it in the first place (I think this is generally true of most people with their favorite bands. The first song or album that makes one a fan remains on the top of the list). In Bath of Bacon was the first JBC I heard and it truly changed the way I listened to music at that time. The first five or six albums were a soundtrack to a lot of really important events in my life. There was the thrill of discovering a really cool band. While I have always looked forward to any new release by Pat, nothing recently has provoked the same kind of response.

I also lost some measure of interest after Max left the band. Nothing against the playing of any of his successors, but his idiosyncratic style of playing was such a integral part of what I liked about the JBC in the first place. Pat's lyrics and songwriting have stayed as strong, but there was a musical component that I missed.

As far as the early work being considered "novelty," I always thought that, while funny, Pat was able to transcend the merely novel. Unlike the Weird Al's of the world who simply go for a very broad cheap laugh, Pat had the ability to provoke thought and stimulate emotion within the context of his sense of humor.

Having said all that, I think that stylistically speaking, the ouevre of the JBC is broad enough that anyone who truly loves music should be able to find something they like.

Wayne Received on Sun Aug 25 19:35:50 1996