The Jesus Lizard Book by Jesus Lizard
Reviewed by Stephanya
Several months back, the BookPeople marketing department asked me if I had heard of a band called the Jesus Lizard and if we should do an event at the store for their forthcoming retrospective book. As a certifiable music obsessive, I could not stammer out, “Yes! Yes! For God’s sake, YES!!!” fast enough. I’ve been a fan of the feral power of Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard since the early 90s when I was just a wee, little fledgling music nerd, haunting the stacks of wax (and blowing my allowance) at my neighborhood record store. I was still heavily into The Doors and Pink Floyd at the time, but always paid attention to what sort of odd bands the long-haired guys behind the counter were playing. Between the dudes at the record store and 120 Minutes on MTV (remember when they actually showed music videos on Music Television? Those were the days), I was turned on to bands that I still love 20+ years later… bands like Morphine, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and, of course, the mighty Jesus Lizard.
Formed in 1987 in a sleepy little town called Austin, Texas, the Lizard quickly built quite a notorious reputation for themselves in the underground rock scene. They were known for concocting a wicked potion of noise-rock anchored around front-man David Yow’s distinct on-stage performance style I can best liken only to that of a caged, restless and slightly starved zoo animal. Their live gigs brought a sense of power and danger that few bands outside of perhaps The Stooges, The Birthday Party and Suicide have ever delivered. Playing alongside bands like Butthole Surfers, The Dicks, the Blues Explosion, Sonic Youth and Slint, the Lizard cut a swath of terror across the US and Europe more awesome and destructive than the biggest, baddest F-5 tornado that’s ever dropped from a storm cloud. I’ve heard them described as “a band made up of four pit bulls on speed.” No one who has witnessed a Lizard show has ever forgotten it (and you can take that to the bank).
The Jesus Lizard Book is an exhaustive collection of all manner of Jesus Lizard-related flotsam & jetsam… photographs, show posters, rude tour-van drawings and even a recipe for Yow’s famous Chocolate Bourbon Bread Pudding. I quite enjoyed a baby picture of Yow sitting pants-less on his training potty… this is a suitable photo to be included in the book as Yow has scarcely donned a pair of pants since. Embarrassing and often down right bad-ass stories of the Lizard’s reign of terror are sure to make any record nerd giddy with glee. On a purely cosmetic level, the physical book itself is both odd and beautiful, much like the band itself. The strange proportions of the book (long and skinny) have provided many challenges to us as booksellers as we consider how best to display it (not to mention how the heck to fit it on my bookshelf at home). The Jesus Lizard never made things easy on its audience… but those who approached the band with open ears and an open mind would be treated to a unique and ultimately rewarding experience. In that light, the big, beautiful Jesus Lizard Book also delivers a fun, albeit wild ride fans are sure to enjoy thoroughly.
I leave you with this: David Yow owes me a drink. A couple of friends and I went to the Scratch Acid show at Emo’s a couple of years ago and before the show we made bets as to when we thought Yow would remove his shirt. For the uninitiated, Yow gets partially or, if you’re really lucky, entirely naked at almost every show he’s ever played. I bet a round of drinks with my pals that Yow would remove his shirt after the third song. But, I am saddened to report, that it was perhaps the only show in history where Yow remained entirely clothed for the duration of the performance. So, David Yow, if you’re reading this, I’ll expect a bottle of fine Kentucky bourbon to be hand-delivered by you to me at the booksigning at BookPeople on March 14th. Thank you and good night.
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The Jesus Lizard speaks about & sign The Jesus Lizard Book here at BookPeople on Friday, March 14 at 7pm. The speaking portion of this event is free & open to the public. Tickets are required for the signing and only available with the purchase of a copy of The Jesus Lizard Book from BookPeople.
We are now taking orders for signed, personalized copies of The Jesus Lizard Book via our website. bookpeople.com.
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