Active in the 1980's and
1990's, the Jazz Butcher (real name: Pat Fish; also known as "Butch") is one of
England's most idiosyncratic artists, recording in almost every style under the sun,
including folk, punk, pop, country, blues, Merseybeat, funk, jazz, cabaret, and so on. His
wide stylistic range, sense of humour, and biting satire have earned him a cult following. Fish's backing band has
undergone many changes, at various points including guitarist Max Eider (Max Eider, Best
Kisser in the World, Big Time Records 1987) and David J., the bassist from Bauhaus and
Love and Rockets. Fish also played saxophone on the country album Soul Kiss (Glide
Divine), Silvertone Records, 1992, by a band called Spectrum. (Spectrum is Sonic
Boom's post Spaceman 3 outfit. Like his previous group, Spectrum explores a trippy,
minimalistic psychedelia with lots of reverb and repeated phrases.) Track 6 of Pat Fish's
delightfully titled album Fishcoteque (Combat Records, 1988), is called
"Looking for Lot 49," and is obviously indebted to Thomas Pynchon. Fishcoteque
is far better than the last LP with former collaborator Max Eider. Called Big Questions
(The Gift of Music Volume 2), Glass Records, 1987, Butch's lounge-parody affectations
slipped dreadfully close to genuine schlock. Here, the Jazz Butcher rocks out with more of
an edge and a greater variety of material. He's back to his usual literary self, with such
references as the Pynchon-inspired rocker "Looking for Lot 49." There's a
strange rap number called "Chickentown," which has a few twists that keep it
from being an embarrassing schtick. . . . There are a few obtrusive saxophone parts that
don't mesh well with the Jazz Butcher's sound; perhaps he needs a horn player with a more
sympathetic style. All in all, though, it's a smart, probing set of tunes that manage to
be simultaneously cool and aggressive.
CDs
Excellent!:
The Violent Years
The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy / Audio CD / Released 1997
Our Price: $13.49 ~ You Save: $2.48
