The 1986 Listening Post - The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy - Distressed Gentlefolk

The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy - Distressed Gentlefolk

#462/2112 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

October 1986

The Jazz Butcher Consipiracy

Distressed Gentlefolk

Genre: Rock

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Falling in Love

Big Bad Thing

Buffalo Shame

Nothing Special

How best to describe the latest from The Jazz Butcher? 

Maybe like this: Imagine you put out two or more excellent genre defying albums of the 80s that few people care about, don’t get radio play, doesn’t make a dent on the charts but are all excellent and it’s time to follow it up. 

You can either aim for commercialism as deftly as possible, forsaking everything you once stood for.

Or.

You can double down on your songwriting, craft and sense of whimsy and fun.

That’s what Pat Fish and the gang does here. 

It’s a bit paisley, a lot buskery, jangly and dreamy and just damned great. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/distressed-gentlefolk/1207940510

The 1985 Listening Post - The Jazz Butcher - Sex and Travel

The Jazz Butcher - Sex and Travel

#182

May 1985

The Jazz Butcher

Sex and Travel

Genre: Indie Rock

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Big Saturday

President Reagan’s Birthday Present

What’s the Matter Boy

This time, unlike last time, The Jazz Butchers sound very much like they are from the 80s. Now, that doesn’t mean Human League or China Crisis or the like. It sounds like…don’t shoot me…if David Bowie fronted Everything But the Girl. Until later when they start to sound a LOT like Talking Heads (“President Reagan’s Birthday Present”).

Maybe this is why The Jazz Butcher didn’t make an impact here. They are an aggressively named band whose music is actually very pleasing and, at times, gentle. Their songs are dynamite. 

There is nothing to dislike here. But also, it just sounds like so many other people. Besides the aforementioned, they, at times, also come across as early Cure. And The Kinks. Definitely The Kinks. They would’ve toured with the Kinks if they were around in the early 70s.

This is really good stuff, tho. I know the review didn’t make it sound like I liked it, but, dammit, I did. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/sex-and-travel/1329691707

The 1984 Listening Post - The Jazz Butcher - A Scandal in Bohemia

The Jazz Butcher - A Scandal in Bohemia

#313
November 1984
The Jazz Butcher
A Scandal in Bohemia
4.25 out of 5

Highlights:
Southern Mark Smith (Big Return)
Marnie (Muscovite Mix)
Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present
Girlfriend

Ah, the joy of discovery.
How many times has that happened to us here?
The Cardiacs.
The Chameleons.
Scott Walker.
The Del-Lords.
Plasticland
The Icycle Works, ffs.

And now, The Jazz Butcher.
I know, I know, you're saying, "The Jazz Butcher? Where ya been, Allen? Everyone loves The Jazz Butcher!"

I don't know who Pat Fish is or really who he reminds me of because he reminds me of so much and yet no one at all. If I had to call it, I would say he's like a British Jonathan Richman if Richman had just that much more musical chops.
"Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present" is the Fleshtones song the Fleshtones wish they could have written and performed.

From jump this is not the sound of the 80s. It's the sound of the 80s becoming the 90s. It's jangle pop but not cloying. It's a cousin to The Bluebells and, as you will recall, that's a compliment.
But it's also different. There's a ton of different styles happening here. As I said, it sounds like everything and nothing. And all of it is listenable.
Might listen again and rate it higher.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-scandal-in-bohemia/1207957091