Search - Gun Club :: Lucky Jim

"9 Lives of J.L. Pierce/Gun Club"

C. Cameron | Bristol, RI USA | 04/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although, not my favorite Gun Club album, I consider each and every one of their "official" recordings essential for one's life. I just hope that everyone that is a fan is picking up the re-releases of Gun Club/Jeffrey Lee Pierce through the "9 Lives of J.L. Pierce/Gun Club" series that's being issued by Flow Records out of the Netherlands. It's well worth it to check out their website at http://www.flowrecords.nl/englishversion/index.html Their release of "Lucky Jim" is a 2-disc set, as are over half of the nine releases they have planned to reissue. Here's the schedule...



November 2005

1. Wildweed

2. Lucky Jim (2CD)



February 2006 (Unfortunately, these two still haven't been released according to schedule, but are now slated for late April)

3. Mother Juno (2CD)

4. Danse Kalinda Boom (2CD)



June 2006

5. Ramblin' Jeffrey Lee Pierce

6. Divinity (2CD)



September/October 2006

7. Pastoral Hide and Seek (2CD)

8. Ahmed's Wild Dream



February 2007

9. Ramblin' Jeffrey Lee and Cypress Grove - Spanish Flang Dang (Live)"

Disregard the punters... drive by this Gun Club album at wil

Greekfreak | Pusan Korea (South) | 05/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Purists might slag the band's "Lucky Jim" album for being unfocused, but to me it's the best blues album that Jim Morrison never wrote (note: those of you searching for the 'punky' Gun Club should resort to earlier releases).



It compares favourably to Blue Rodeo's "Five Days In July" or the Jesus And Mary Chain's "Darklands" for sheer subdued (read: dark) beauty. In actual fact, Jeffery Lee Peirce had been retreating into blues territory from about '92 on, and he died in '96, when his drug use and alcoholism had already taken it's toll on the man.



Key cuts: "Idiot's Waltz", "Kamata Hollywood City", and "Anger Blues"."

Telling stories in pictures

G. Rao | san francisco | 06/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I agree with several other reviewers that this isn't the best Gun Club album by long shot, but is still worth owning if you are a fan.



Jeffrey Lee's guitar playing sort of dominates the album, and at times it feels like he's trying too hard to be a blues guitar hero. On the other hand, he had a very soft touch as a songwriter, and this album showcases a more mature outlook than the fire/water/earth motifs of earlier albums. "Kamata Hollywood City" might be my single favorite Gun Club song (putting it on the short list for my favorite song period), and "Idiot Waltz" and "Lucky Jim" are likewise among their best material.



They have that wonderful effect of telling a story in fractured images, lyrical pointillism if you will, rather than by describing a clumsy littany of emotive cause-and-effect, binding loose expressions to each other with figurative convention. I suppose this isn't an album that would appeal to punk purists, at least not as much as previous works, but it doesn't really lose the same message in the way you might expect. Also, there's a slight departure from the heavily Television influenced twin guitar funk of Pastoral Hide & Seek/Divinity that may (or may not) be attributable to the absence of Kid Congo Powers.



If you are already a Gun Club fan, meaning you enjoy their music beyond merely "Fire of Love", then this album is worth getting too. At the moment, I'd rank the Jeffrey Lee albums that I own thusly:



1) Wildweed

2) Mother Juno

3) Fire of Love

4) Miami

5) Pastoral Hide & Seek/Divinity

6) Las Vegas Story

7) Death Party EP

8) Lucky Jim



But bear in mind that this order changes frequently."