JAZZ BUTCHER, THE - The Wasted Years (Sealed) (4CD)

BOXSET: 4CDS IN 20 SIDE HARDCOVERBOOK - THE FOUR ORIGINAL ALBEN "BATH OF BACON" (1983),"' A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA" (1984),"SEX AND TRAVEL" (1985) & "DISTRESSED GENTLEFOLK" (1986). REMASTERED BY BRIAN PYLE. The Jazz Butcher released four albums and eight singles for Glass Records between 1983 and 1986. Thatcher, DIY Post-Punk, LSD, surrealistic cabaret, The Velvet Underground, a bottle of Cointreau or two, the Amstrad 7090 Ghetto Blaster Tape Player and the' Back Magic' Soul Compilation by Bronco. All this leads to "The Wasted Years": four albums, many visions. "Bath Of Bacon" was a sound experiment, which succeeded in combining various musical influences such as Todd Rundgren and Wes Montgomery by mentioning imaginary monsters and accompanied by rhythmic clapping. Maybe it's just "the sound of friends who don't realize they have to do an LP!", as can be read on the JB website. Pop meets bluesy scat with a lot of dry humour coupled with irony! The successor "A Scandal In Bohemia" led this competent little rock band (as a journalist once put it) with a bass player, who had spent his time with Bauhaus before, into a new world, which is characterized by multi-track vocals and bathroom ambience. With today's knowledge, the All Music Guide calls it a record that's at the forefront of record shelves and filled with excellent, unforgettable songs." "Sex and Travel, on the other hand, offered a broader perspective. Even more competence and travelling across Europe created a narrative reminiscent of impressionistic "Cold War" espionage films, with a ultimately coherent mix of musical styles. "A great album", says All Music before the comparison between JB Mastermind Pat Fish and Ray Davies about 1969. It's a random concept album and is prone to fleeting melancholy. The release of "Distressed Gentlefolk" preceded the subsequent decline of the original line-up of the band by fatigue and alcohol. The attempt to make their biggest album of all time resulted in a beautifully romantic recording of soft rock ballads and jazzy torch songs,"said the enthusiastic US magazine Trouser Press. Apart from the inevitable romping through the history of pop music, there's this folk-heavy sound that gives the album its character. Four albums, then. The' 80s reinterpreted by wild, ironic troublemakers. With Indiepop as soundtrack. Songs that don't really fit together, but still do. Wasted Years"? Yes, can you say