Gene Loves Jezebel Albums (14)
'The Thornfield Sessions'
Release Date 11/25/2003
Tracks 14
Label Red Steel
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What The Critics Say
Unfortunately, the musical legacy of Gene Loves Jezebel is a confusing, sometimes ugly one. When they initially burst upon the scene, twin brothers Jay and Michael Aston were embraced by the goth community and created a pair of wonderfully dark albums, 1983's Promise and Immigrant from 1984. By the time of their third album, Discover, from 1986, they lightened up their sound and became more commercially successful, losing much of their goth audience along the way. Within two years, the brothers had a falling out and Michael left the band, relocating to Los Angeles. Jay kept the band and the name and has continued making fine but sadly underappreciated GLJ albums ever since. Michael, meanwhile, started using the band name as well, releasing a few inferior albums and touring under the GLJ band name. Since the middle of the '90s, it's been difficult to figure out which version of the band is on each new release. This release, thankfully, features Jay's version of the band, which includes guitar legend James Stevenson and longtime bassist Pete Rizzo. On The Thornfield Sessions (recorded around the same time that VII was recorded), Jay and the boys kick off their shoes, grab the acoustic guitars, and run through some of their hits and obscure album tracks. While not entirely unplugged (electric bass, drums, and some keyboards are present), this is an interesting glimpse into a secret musical world that no one would have dreamed of back in the band's early days. Although the songs don't come close to the officially released versions, it's still nice to hear different takes on old favorites like "Jealous," "The Motion of Love," "Gorgeous," and others. They even break out an old Associates chestnut, "White Car in Germany," for a test drive. Thankfully, there's a warm feeling throughout, allowing for a better appreciation of some of the earlier material. Not a substitute for a good compilation (there are two of those to choose from), but a nice way to introduce yourself to the band for the first time. ~ Stephen SPAZ Schnee, All Music Guide
'Giving Up the Ghost'
Release Date 3/27/2001
Tracks 11
Label Triple X
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What The Critics Say
On Gene Loves Jezebel's 2001 release, Giving Up the Ghost, singer Michael Aston continues to perform without his twin brother Jay, one of the original co-founders of the band. Perhaps it's Aston's estrangement from his brother that lends itself to the singer's dramatic and guttural vocal style. Whatever the case, Aston is a passionate performer, full of fire and intensity, and Giving Up the Ghost is one explosive kaleidoscope of an album. Elements of retro (early U2 and the Alarm) and psychedelia (the Doors and Lou Reed) pepper this otherwise earnest commercial rock album. Indeed, kudos go to producer Geza X (Meredith Brooks and the Dead Kennedys) for extracting a contemporary sensibility from the beloved '80s post-punk band. Listeners of Giving Up the Ghost should be quick to notice how the bass parts, courtesy of Clint Reynolds, drive many of the album's songs. Their place up front helps characterize the tracks -- eerie, urgent, tense, fevered, and so forth -- adding to the rich color already supplied by Aston's primal singing. There is plenty of good fare to be found on this vibrant album. "Sly Old Fox" combines down-home funk with loads of raunchy guitar rock and slap-bass sound. This devil of a song is on fire, and Aston scorches as he slithers through the slick words. Elsewhere, the urgent "Speak My Language," with its frenetic guitars and driving rhythm section, holds the greatest mass appeal on the set and would do well on mainstream rock radio. However, the most eccentric song on this collection -- and the best one -- is "Push," a tense, electrified tribute to delivering a baby. There is nothing commercial about this song, and it's too bad, because it just screams with fever-pitch dynamics and parts that bounce around like gumballs in a machine. "Push" is a great ensemble piece, with a pointed bassline that, again, propels the song. Aston's performance here mimics a Lamaze coach -- on speed -- as he talks a woman through delivery. If this poor mother-to-be doesn't pass out from the delivery, she should from Aston's heart-racing performance, which is relentless as he pushes listeners along. The closing sample of a woman giving birth is a nice, almost funny, touch. For the curious, "It's a baby boy," shouts an elated Aston at the end. Giving Up the Ghost's one faltering moment is "Limey." With his spoken word delivery, Aston tries too hard to be Lou Reed on this track. His performance, backed by lonely guitar-oriented lounge music, is adequate, but he should just be himself. Aston is much better when singing in his signature dramatic style. The pressure cooker of an affair that is Giving Up the Ghost is a welcome return by a seasoned band that can more than hold its own alongside the acts of 2001 -- and perhaps teach them a thing or two. If you're looking for music that has a pulse, you will certainly find it on this disc. You may go into cardiac arrest while listening to it, but what a way to go. ~ Liana Jonas, All Music Guide
'Live in the Voodoo City'
Release Date 9/14/1999
Tracks 13
Label Robison
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What The Critics Say
For Gene Loves Jezebel's Jay and Michael Aston, 1999 proved to be the year of the feud. Working very much apart from one other, both were touting their own Gene Loves Jezebel albums that year, Jay with his VII LP and Michael with his own Love Lies Bleeding. However, although Love Lies Bleeding appears under the Gene Loves Jezebel imprint, it owes far more, obviously, to Michael's own folk-rock aspirations than to the wonderfully big-haired and beribboned neo-goth that the band usually plied, and anyone looking for the anthemic "Desire"-era Jezzies -- beware. That said, Love Lies Bleeding is a remarkable foray into melody and style -- epitomized by the haunting title track as well as by the cagily titled "Necromancing the Cunning Linguist," "The Lion in Your Eyes," and the bitter bite of "Loving You is the Best Revenge." Working with former Human Drama mainstay Michael Ciravolo, whose guitars add an interesting touch, Michael Aston revamped his vision of Gene Loves Jezebel and, lying under that perhaps more commercial banner, he delivered what essentially amounts to a nifty solo album. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
VII is often slighted among Gene Loves Jezebel followers because it strays from the group's '80s hybrid of goth and glam. But VII is a Gene Loves Jezebel album in name only, as Jay Aston's twin brother Michael is nowhere to be found. Nothing on VII is as dark as "Screaming for Emmalene/Scheming" or as bouncy as "The Motion of Love," so fans of pre- and post-Discover Gene Loves Jezebel might be a little alienated. The band can't even be labeled goth anymore -- not even close. However, taken on its own, VII is a welcome comeback from a group that seemed lost after 1987's The House of Dolls. The inconsistencies of 1989's Kiss of Life and 1993's Heavenly Bodies can now be forgiven. VII has the sound and spirit of an artist who has matured and become more introspective. The party's over, and mellow, melodic songs such as "When We Were One" and "Heroine" are about as far from Gene Loves Jezebel's dancefloor hits "Desire" and "Heartache" as they can get. The pretty balladry of the Verve seems to be an inspiration, and Bob Dylan as well. Aston obviously wants to be taken seriously; after all, Gene Loves Jezebel was once seen as new wave's equivalent of a hair band -- flash and no substance. Fortunately, VII avoids being bland because of the catchy lyrics and engaging guitar work, especially the Cure-like ringing riffs of "Who Wants to Go to Heaven?" and the chiming notes of "Love Keeps Dragging Me Down." Odd to hear such a subtle record from a group that used to be so flamboyant, but VII proves that adulthood doesn't have to be dull. Like Echo & the Bunnymen's late-'90s discography, VII shows how a '80s post-punk icon can age gracefully. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The songs on Heavenly Bodies are driven by James Stevenson's fluid guitar riffs while maintaining a distinct kind of British reserve. The rhythm section treads a fine balance between dark foreboding and romantic optimism. First single "Josephina" is a decently memorable airwaves tune, if a little derivative of early-80s peers U2, Comsat Angels and Simple Minds. What Gene Loves Jezebel gives up in its drive for accessibility are those spontaneous moments of raw abandon that leave an unforgettable impression on the listener. With Heavenly Bodies, the group suggests those kind of transcendent musical experiences without ever quite delivering. We're left with a good, rather than an excellent, disc. ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide
'Kiss of Life'
Release Date 1/1/1989
Tracks 10
Label David Geffen Co.
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What The Critics Say
The acrimonious departure of Michael Aston left brother Jay Aston with the remaining bandmembers, along with plenty of questions regarding whether or not the group could continue without the tense energy that the siblings brought to their songwriting and performance. The end result was, on the one hand, the least GLJ-like record made yet, but on the other a fairly strong rocker all around. If the days of Promise and Immigrant were long gone, the foursome avoided the missteps of The House of Dolls to create a more effective mix between raunch-rock and elegant dissipation. Producer Tim Palmer did a particularly fine job, picking up from initially failed sessions run by Paul Fox. "Jealous," the group's opening number, is at once both a stab at the neo-L.A. glam-metal market and something which actually toasts most efforts in that field, and in fact, also rocks out hard. Aston's sassy vocals and echoes of Robert Plant, Stephenson's killer main riff, Bell's basic but effective pound, and Palmer's ear for sharp arrangement connect perfectly. Similarly high-spirited numbers like "It'll End in Tears" and "Two Shadows" are basic but good, dumb fun, with Aston offering up lyrics of romantic doubt over the serviceable music. The energetic "Tangled Up in You" uses an acoustic guitar for its chief energy but otherwise has little to do with Bob Dylan. As for the more beautifully mysterious side of the group, the title track and especially the concluding "I Die for You," with a guitar line arranged to sound like a harpsichord, let Aston sing in calmer, moodier settings, and quite effectively so at that. The secret highlight of the album is "Why Can't I," a lengthy number that starts with a steady drum throb, then builds over its length into a massive electric roar that lets Stephenson pull off some feedback showboating while Aston delivers his desperate love lyric ever more intensely. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
