Classic Albums: The Axeman’s Jazz by Beasts Of Bourbon

So after missing posting yesterday I’m back today and Wednesday morning with, what Beasts album was it ever going to be for me? It’s just got to be one of the most perfect forty mins. of music, I was going to say Aussie and 80’s but really anytime or anyway! These nine tracks are just pure swamp, gutter, pub, punk, rock chaos like nothing else.

It’s the record every hard rocking and drinking band would like to make but there is only one like it. Not just rocking, drinking but as Tex the lead singer points out in his book, it’s total nutcase lyrics with death toll of 41 people and one dog by various means including murder but also quoting his lyrics of the last tracks “I’ve got 15 kinds of diseases.” If you never heard it your in for a happy, happy and joy, joy ride today, if you do press play?

To make it clear from the start it’s NOT jazz too, you know? I did learn full meaning for that book he wrote, all about the New Orleans serial killer who murder people in there homes just after WWI. He would change his mind to kill someone if jazz was being playing, it sounds like a record company ad campaign. Other books have been written about this guy, off course he did kill people with axes too. I think I remember some vague idea about all this but reading it clear it all up for me, so there you go.

This was Tex Perkins‘ debut album he record at just 18, he points out that’s his goofy chuckle right at the start of the album where everyone else are older blokes. The guitar player Spencer P. Jones asks drummer James Baker but he says “I don’t start it” where guitarist Kim Salmon jumps in with “1, 2, 3, 4” and then all hell breaks loose. The bass player who doesn’t open his mouth in these opening secs. is Boris Sujdovic. Off course I had two or three Tex post lately but Kim Salmon is already on my little list of fave albums already with The Scientists’ Human Jukebox which I added back in April this year so here’s that link, if you missed it and want to check that out too?

These names might not mean anything to you but it’s pretty much the who’s who of Aussie 1980’s underground scene at the time! It’s repeat how and why these blokes got into a recording studio for a binge drinking, less than one day/night session a thousand times so no glorify all that again today. I’ve have tagged all names above plus at the bottom of the post so if you like clicking away can see what else I’ve got on these guys already and most likely will not be the last time they all pop-up here on my blog but here’s wikipedia page if you need it?

Now my all-time fave track from the album is the Salmon written slacker anthem Drop Out! Which is the only track no one get’s killed or died in it on the whole album too. Also whenever they do play shows to this day it’s also the main one still in the setlist from this album. I even got to see Tex singing it live with the Aussies legends You Am I once too!

My live Beasts gigs have been: The original lineup reunion at the ATP fest thingy a few years back now. But also did see my first shows in the very late 90’s around the time of the Gone album. Thinking about now it, one was at the Big Day Out fest and another one was a sideshow where headlining act Soundgarden’ Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Chris Cornell did hanging side of stage but because it was a small-ish Perth venue they were just on the stage’s left side in plan view with nowhere to hide. Spencer who was on that side just seem to be talking with them all night like they were just sitting at the bar together not playing a show. That place is now a strip club and one drunk night a mate drag me into that hellhole and I just got all sad and depressed, he was like naked girls but I just wanted to cry and that was even before Chris passed away too. Anyway I think I did see the Beasts at some point in-between late-90’s and ATP reunion too so a few times and they never disappointment me but that original lineup show was very special show! The Beasts early drummer always lived in Perth and still see him playing with The Painkillers and at others gigs like last time Tex was in town.

The year was 1984 not 1988 as some YouTube clips have dated, Perko even listed the album as 1983 in his book but to clear it all up here on my blog right now. The recording date inside the album says October 1983. Then released on a label called Green in 1984 but later reissued on a different label Red Eye in 1988. Also got to note that Tony Cohen did this album too.

If you need to be fill in who Marty Robbins is? I did wrote a CA post about him last year, if you would like to check it out? Or not? just click on this sentence for more Marty, OK?

In the long line of released by them my personally faves after The Axeman’s Jazz is the third studio album Black Milk and then double disc of live and rare stuff called From The Belly Of The Beasts. So those three I enjoy the very most in that order and would be my top three, if you’ll like to know? How about you? As always please feel free adding your own two cents below about the Beasts with my own two cents here?

The Axeman’s Jazz track listing and times:

1. Evil Ruby – 3:12
2. Love And Death – 4:01
3. Graveyard Train – 7:11
4. Psycho – 3:52
5. Drop Out – 3:04
6. Save Me A Place – 5:39
7. Lonesome Bones – 4:33
8. The Day Marty Robbins Died – 3:18
9. Ten Wheels For Jesus – 5:19

So here’s all my Classic Albums posts and it’s number 95 today! Counting them all up today and adding the numbers. Which really only mean the order I wrote these posts in and that’s it! NOT a chart of best to least, they’re all my fave albums and the basic idea is write a little about each of all my fave albums but I don’t know why really I titled/tagged them all as classic albums? I’m not anywhere close to finishing this little project too, you know?