It’s Showtime Again!!
THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
Rock is inherently beautiful and strange music, right?
Finally, a complete comeback! How was this megaton-class new work born?
Interview with Masatoshi Aranya
Interpreter Keiko Yuyama
He certainly wasn’t slacking off, and he certainly didn’t produce any bad albums. However, after dropping “Jon Spencer” from the band name, Blues Explosion somehow found itself in far less of a spotlight than before. It must be difficult for an artist like him, with his undeniable “style” and no interest in gimmicks, to keep listeners interested.
After a brief hiatus, the band changed its name back to “Jon Spencer Blues Explosion” (hereafter JSBX) and focused solely on live performances. With the re-release of their older albums, such as “Orange,” they have suddenly been rediscovered.
They’ve also signed with Mom & Pop, the same label that also includes Sleigh Bells. Their long-awaited new album, “Meat and Bone,” their first in eight years, is packed with straight-forward, wild rock ‘n’ roll that screams, “This is JSBX!” Without a trace of staleness, they ride the dynamic band sound to the max and go wild. The groove that Jon creates with Judah Bauer (guitar) and Russell Simins (drums) is like a raging gushing water. The sharpness of this ensemble, once compared to Led Zeppelin, shows no signs of slowing down.
Even so, it’s hard to believe that Jon, now in his 50s, still had this much passion left! In terms of age for a bluesman, he’s still in his early twenties, so perhaps JSBX will reach new peaks many times in the future – the boundless energy that makes you think so is what makes “Me” so appealing.
It pulsates with the rhythm of “Meat and Bone.”
It has been decided that he will be performing in Japan for the first time in a while, and this time he will be making a complete comeback to Jon Spencer.
We asked him to talk about his journey there.
—This is JSBX’s first album in eight years. You’ve been performing live frequently in recent years, so why did you go so long without releasing an album?
“After releasing their previous album, Damage, in 2004, they went on a long tour until 2005, so when the three of us got back together, we were able to rediscover our love and pride for this band.
After the first one, all three of us decided to take a sabbatical and pursue our own interests. I released three albums as part of a new band, Heavy Trash.
The reason the three of them got back together was that they produced two new songs for “Jukebox Explosion,” a compilation album of rare old tracks, released by the California label In the Red in 2007. They had always wanted to make the “Jukebox” project, a collection of old singles, a reality. When this compilation album was released, they started getting offers for live shows, and in 2008 they resumed full-scale touring as Blues Explosion. Then, in 2010, when they compiled and released the reissued albums, they toured Europe and the US.
After we resumed live performances, it felt really good to play as a trio, and the desire to write new songs naturally welled up within us, and before we knew it, we were in the studio.”
――――Many people who have reached a career of your size tend to make albums that are calm and laid back, appropriate for their age. But your new album is the complete opposite: it’s your most upbeat, passionate, and loudest yet. How did you manage to make such a fresh album? Is it some kind of rejuvenating elixir?
“Hahahaha (laughs). I went to a bang once during a long vacation.
“By leaving the band, I think our minds were cleared and we were able to gain fresh perspectives and sensibilities. But we never said things like, ‘Let’s make the new album aggressive,’ and we never had detailed production meetings. I’m sure there’s a mysterious power that comes from the three of us playing together. When we got back together, we were able to rediscover our love and pride for this band. And we also had the wisdom that the three of us had cultivated over the years.”
In the second half of “Black Mold,” you shout out the names of artists who influenced you. You shout out the names of musicians from various genres, including blues, rock, and jazz, but the reason you did that on the first track of your new album was because you were inspired by your own
Was it also a way to reaffirm your roots?
“Actually, it’s a much simpler story than that (laughs). You know, a lot of great blues songs have weather themes like storms and heavy rain, right? When New York was hit by Hurricane Irene, some of my treasured vinyl records got moldy and were ruined… So I started listing off the names of the artists on the damaged vinyl records one by one.” –I see (laughs). I was also impressed by the part in “Bag of Bones” where you ask, “Do you remember the 1990s? Do you remember the 1980s? Do you remember the 1970s?” What were you thinking when you said those words?
“It was an attack on the current music scene, raising questions. It wasn’t a nostalgic nostalgia, but a statement about what rock and roll should be like, venting frustration at the modern rock that has become safe, bland, unadventurous and lacking in interest. After all, isn’t rock music originally beautiful and strange music?”
—I agree. Another thing is that I sense a lingering punk spirit in your new work. It goes without saying that punk rock is one of your roots, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen such elements so clearly emerge in your work.
“Yes, the new album certainly has a raw sound. The punk spirit is still alive and well, of course. I love the DIY spirit of punk… the idea of doing things on your own responsibility. I’m still busy and on the go, but I’ll never give up my freedom and being true to myself.”
-You’ve been active for such a long time as just the three of you, and you’ve established the JSBX “style” that you’ve maintained since your debut, but what’s the secret to not falling into a musical rut?
“I think it’s about being respectful towards the band and the other members. In JSBX, there’s an atmosphere of respect where each person wants to realize what they want to do, and the distance between us is just right.”
–Looking at rock history, if JSBX hadn’t come first, there would have been bands like the White Stripes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
I don’t think bands like the Yeah Yeahs would have come along. As a pioneer who reinterpreted and revived the blues, what did you think of the success of those who came after you?
“Well, I don’t know about that. Personally, I don’t think they’re necessarily influenced by us (laughs bitterly). That’s something that’s often said, but I don’t really know what the truth is. Among those bands, there are some I like and some I don’t like. But I don’t think it’s good for artists to do it for fame or fortune.”
—The music industry has changed completely over the past few years, and we are now in an era where CDs don’t sell at all. On the other hand, it seems like people are reevaluating the importance of live performances. How do you plan to deal with these times? “Yes, especially in the past five years, more artists have started to place importance on live performances. Live performances have always been at the core of our activities. Live performances give us a great feeling, and we love them. However, with more artists touring, competition in the live performance market has intensified. For example, in the past, there was only one live act that people wanted to see per week, but now it’s increased dramatically to three to five artists per week.
“The world has become one where scumbags don’t get by. We’re also doing our best and pulling ourselves together.”
–This year, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who was a good friend of yours, passed away. What did you think about when you heard the news of his passing?
“Yes… We were on tour in Germany when we heard the news about an hour before we were due to go on stage. I knew Adam had been battling cancer, but I was shocked to hear that he had passed away at such a young age. There was no one like him who was so filled with talent, humour, intelligence and deep love. He was such a good guy. It made me realise how unfair life is, and I was so sad.”
–Please tell us if there are any young musicians that you think are quite interesting.
“The G.O.C.S from San Francisco are really psychedelic and great! I’m always checking out young artists too.”
–You’re also scheduled to visit Japan solo for the first time in a while. What was the most memorable experience from your past visits to Japan? Please tell us about any unforgettable performances or incidents.
“Yes, I can’t wait for November! I’ve been to Japan many times, and the Japanese audience always welcomed us warmly, which made me happy. What I’ll never forget is, we were the headliner at the first Summer Sonic, but for some reason, James Brown was the one who performed before us! That’s crazy to think about, right? (laughs) We were supposed to be the opening act for JB. Of course, there was no way I could talk to JB himself at the venue, so I kept talking to the members of his backing band, the backing singers, the saxophone player, and asking them all sorts of inside stories about what the real Mr. Brown was like (laughs).
That James Brown concert at Summer Sonic… I think you can probably watch it on YouTube, but someone in the audience threw a plastic bottle towards the stage during the performance. At that moment, JB stopped singing and yelled, “Who was that? Come forward!” and I remember the whole venue froze (laughs). JB called a young, suited-up interpreter onto the stage and had him say something along the lines of, “If anyone throws anything onstage, we’ll stop the show,” but JB was so forceful that even the interpreter was intimidated, and I felt bad for him (laughs).
Then, after that, JB counted “One, two…” and the song continued as if nothing had happened. That live performance was mind-blowing (laughs).”
