From this wiki Jesus Jones sounds like they would be okay. But the song “Right Here Right Now” I remember as being a cheesey piece of adult contemporary sounding crap.
What gives? Is the song not a good representation of the band? Or am I mischaracterizing the song somehow? Or is the wiki (and my reading of it) deceptive? Er wut?
-FrL-
Jesus Jones were good at the time, but I cannot see anyone who is not a music historian giving them the time of day right now. The wiki article is accurate, they were an innovative band for 1990, mixing a dance music sensibility with a classic UK indie guitar set up. Its dated terribly though, I listened to liquidizer and doubt when I was in school but I couldn’t imagine putting them on now. Also saw them live, and they were OK. There was always something corporate and not very cool about the band though, I could see them playing live versions of ‘right here, right now’ to fortune 500 human resources training days and being quite happy about it.
They’re like a shite version of death in vegas. You could put the contino sessions on today and it would sound maybe a little dated, but still viable. Not the case with Jesus Jones.
I guess I don’t really see what your issue is–the article seems fairly straightforward and accurate. Look at this, for example:
Shamen, PWEI, and EMF are listed as their fellow travelers. While I personally love PWEI, I think EMF and Shamen are just big piles of dance cheese … which is what JJ was, mostly.
And just because it was innovative–“Incorporating elements of electronic music styles such as house and techno to an indie rock format”–doesn’t mean it was a good idea. A bunch of white Brits trying to mix rock, pop, techno, and hip-hop? You can see right where that’s going to lead.
I remember it being quite entertaining and fun to listen to.
Listen to Musipal or Fly Swat by Wagon Christ (Luke Vibert) or anything by Mr. Scruff, and then tell me that a “white Brit” can’t pull it off. Jesus Jones were just bad at it.
No “issue.” Just an anomaly: The one song I can remember from the group does not sound like the product of the combination of genres listed at the wiki.
-FrL-