Some might call it blasphemy, but to others, like myself, it’s just damn fine music with an insatiable hook. This became all too apparent when knowing that I had this project in hand, at 6 am I entered the kitchen, yearning for an early morning cuppa, when “Ple-eeeaaa-ase introduce yourself, let’s shock the world with what we know…”, entered my thoughts as loudly as any sound system. From ‘International Bright Young Thing’, a track that’s crossed 4 decades and still has this effect, it’s not just an earworm but suggests the songwriter might’ve done something mystical when they wrote the number. But having reminded myself of their catalogue of songs, this seems to be a common thread. Jesus Jones is a band that formed in 1988, two years before they released this track. Coming from Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, they had soaked up influences as far and wide as hip-hop, rock and music from the dance floors that bred the likes of Pop Will Eat Itself, EMF and The Shamen. Perhaps even some progressive bands of the 70s who had dabbled with synthesisers had found their way in, but JJ’s use was far from this early incarnation.
Embracing counter-culture, this saw a baseball-capped vocalist Mike Edwards, a baggy intention on his back, become the expressive frontman of this outfit. Some Of The Answers is brought to audiences as a 200-track boxed set, crossing not just these 4 decades, but also 15 CDs. This comes complete with a 12×12” booklet, in which keyboard player and now band manager Iain Baker offers a track-by-track annotation, as well as in-depth essays for each of the band’s albums. Comprising all 6 studio albums, from 1989s Liquidizer, to 2018s Passages, as well as a host of remixes – something the band had earned their name for providing. It’s this bonus content that might be the most interesting element to this set, as Jesus Jones ramped up their use of technology to provide some groundbreaking tunes, whose influence can still be heard today. There are nearly 9 hours of remixed content available here, eclipsing those 6 albums by some margin. Some of my personal favourite mixes are ‘Info Psycho (Dance Extravaganza)’, the original of which was lifted from the band’s debut Liquidizer. This was a number that Leicester band Diesel Park West covered and was a b-side that featured on their 1990 album Flipped. The Jesus Jones mix includes screeching car tires, the unmistakable breath of Mike Edwards and an air 90s street culture that had found its way into television content of the day.
Another track that had crossed genre was ‘None of the Answers’, with its house music chords and hip-hop beats, it showed that the band was far from being your average indie band. One who would be just as at home in the club reciting house music as they are in the student discos and rock nights. The Prodigy offers 2 remixes of ‘Zeroes And Ones’, which are in stark contrast to Aphex Twin’s Reconstruction Mix of the same track. The Prodigy’s recital is in the form of hard techno, whereas Aphex Twin features a more spacious sound, with only voices to separate the beats, another slightly shorter Aphex Twin remix is also included. These take me back to the days I would scour the record shops of Leicester, or Nottingham (of which there once were many) in search of that elusive remix, these days it’s just the case of logging on, where invariably it’s all there at your fingertips. But I have to say it’s still the band’s 1990 single ‘Real Real Real’ that floats my boat and here there are 13 remixes of this tune. Admittedly, some of these are truly awful, having heard ‘Janet (First ‘Real Real Real’ Demo)’, although I guess this was never meant to see the light of day. With its Fresh Prince of Bel-Air beats and competing guitars, it does little but raise a smile. The same cannot be said however for Ben Chapman’s ‘Spaced’ 12 mix, or Phil Harding’s ‘Luxury’ 12 Mix’, versions which show just what a producer can do with the same piece of music. Just a snapshot of those nearly 9 hours of remixed content spanning the band’s entire career and I have to say is a very worthwhile rabbit hole.
Although I had thought the entire catalogue had been included, not all the numbers that made it to Voyages have been. This was a companion release to 2018s Passages, where incomplete tracks and in-progress versions were included, so I guess their lack of inclusion might be considered acceptable. Some Of The Answers is not just a collection of music, but one that justifies itself by including the notes that relate to its content and a collection I’m finding totally immersive. However, something to take with you for this time of year especially is Edwards’ lyrics to ‘Where Are All The Dreams’ and that’s “Somehow the turkeys are voting for Christmas…”, a brilliant remark showing that there’s still time for humour amid a busy recording schedule.
