In the early ’90s, the Jesus Lizard—vocalist David Yow, guitarist Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims and drummer Mac McNeilly—was untouchable. Not literally, of course—if you were at one of its hundreds of shows in that era, you could very easily touch ’em. And given the amount of time Yow spent slithering on top of the audience, you probably didn’t have a choice in the matter. Denison and McNeilly will be guest editing. Read our new MAGNET Classics feature on the band’s Liar album, one of the most important LPs of the ’90s.
McNeilly: Raw, primal, driving, heavy and more … This double live album from 1970 is why you might want or need to play music like this. When I first heard this record, it just made sense. Not just the songs, but each player’s parts. Them being a three-piece, it was stripped down, and there was space to hear what was going on. Don Brewer’s drumming is full-on, and fearless. Mel Schacher’s bass lines are so nasty and gooey I tend to make strange faces whenever I listen to him. And, of course, there’s Mark Farner: guitar just about to fry out in the pan, amps shrieking and moaning—his voice a desperate fucking howl that will convince you he believed in this band and where they were going. Never mind the later versions of Grand Funk … This and 1971’s E Pluribus Funk deserve to be played loud—as loud as you can get away with.
