Friday, March 26, 2010

Texas II



I was going to call this post "Texas" but then realized the almighty Cosmic Hearse had already used that title for Jon Wayne's first album, Texas Funeral. Oh well. And like most sequels, while the anticipation may be higher, production better, etc, etc... you can never quite attain the accidental greatness of Part One. Such is the case of Two Graduated Jiggers, Wayne's uneven sophomore effort. I salivated when I first got this relatively elusive album in my hands... 21 tracks! And then I listened to it. It's the same Wayne, sure, just not as brilliantly bargain-basement, funny, or catchy. While the first album is an alcoholic unrehearsed country one-take dirge in front of a confused and irritable sound engineer, the second is... carny music? There is so much going on, so many overdubs, inserts, effects, skits and samples that none of the songs ever get a chance to develop a hook. Especially with the vocals... all of Wayne's "yips" and cackles that made you guffaw on Funeral are done ad nauseum here to the point where it actually gets annoying. There are a few stand outs, "Las Vegas Audition" for the most part is untouchable and "Texas Jackin' Ledge" is probably the closest thing to a radio hit he'll ever have. For these tracks alone this album is worth it, for the rambling Wayne-isms it gets a little long in the tooth. I'd rather listen to Funeral all over again. Twice.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks a lot-love the first lp-theres a review here from julian cope's site
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/987

heard it getting a reissue!!

winston95 said...

To those it may concern... re-upped early 2018. Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

Cool! Will you reup it please?

winston95 said...

You got it brother... enjoy it mang.