Plastic Fang

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Despite providing the framework for lavishly hyped newcomers like the White Stripes and the Hives, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion remains a determinedly selective pleasure. Not that the New York trio hasn't tried to reach out to new audiences--it hitched up with Lollapalooza a few years ago and cast everyone from Beck to Gorillaz' frontman Dan the Automator to tweak its last album, 1998's Acme, into something listenable. On Plastic Fang the group pulls out the heaviest hitters yet, including producer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Blues Brothers), engineer Don Smith (U2, Tom Petty), and guests Bernie Worrell and Dr. John. Casting the Blues Explosion alongside grizzled veterans who understand the band's fascination with rock & roll's primal blues roots is a smart move. And while the songwriting is predictably unimposing stuff, the propulsive riffs and hammered-out grooves on tracks like "Down in the Beast" and "The Midnight Creep" present the Blues Explosion at its earsplitting best. The masses may still be theirs for the taking. --Aidin Vaziri --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Plastic Fang
Average customer rating:

A Hell of A Rockin' Roll Record

Multiple Listens Brings Rewards

this is weak

Where have I been?

The Bottom Line

Plastic Fang
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Orange

Extra Width

Damage

Now I Got Worry

Heavy Trash

ASIN: B000063IU9
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Tracks:

Sweet N Sour
She Said
Money Rock'N'Roll
Killer Wolf
The Midnight Creep
Hold On
Down In The Beast
Shakin' Rock'N'Roll Tonight
Over And Over
Mother Nature
Mean Heart
Point Of View

Amazon.com

Despite providing the framework for lavishly hyped newcomers like the White Stripes and the Hives, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion remains a determinedly selective pleasure. Not that the New York trio hasn't tried to reach out to new audiences--it hitched up with Lollapalooza a few years ago and cast everyone from Beck to Gorillaz' frontman Dan the Automator to tweak its last album, 1998's Acme, into something listenable. On Plastic Fang the group pulls out the heaviest hitters yet, including producer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Blues Brothers), engineer Don Smith (U2, Tom Petty), and guests Bernie Worrell and Dr. John. Casting the Blues Explosion alongside grizzled veterans who understand the band's fascination with rock & roll's primal blues roots is a smart move. And while the songwriting is predictably unimposing stuff, the propulsive riffs and hammered-out grooves on tracks like "Down in the Beast" and "The Midnight Creep" present the Blues Explosion at its earsplitting best. The masses may still be theirs for the taking. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

A Hell of A Rockin' Roll Record.......2005-07-25

For the life of me I can't figure out how people can call this record "too mainsteam" or "too accessible"???? While there are some great melodies throughout Plastic Fang it's also raw rowdy and unpredictible as usual. The first four songs along with track 10 are outstanding and the rest are top notch heavy reverb JSBX rockabilly-like alternative blues rockers. Don't hesitate to pick this one up.

Multiple Listens Brings Rewards.......2004-04-19

This is an excellent rock album that falls perfectly into Jon Spencer's musical progression. Fans of early Blues Explosion may not find what they are looking for, but they probably did not enjoy the previous album or two either. (...) As each album from Jon and crew has been more focused musically than the one previous, this album is their most focused offering yet. Apparently, they took these songs on the road before recording the album. While some of the spontaneous feeling is lost, so much more is gained in quality.

Lyrically, this is the most advanced work Jon has done, to the best of my knowledge. This is a conceptual album hidden slightly among typical Blues Explosion puncuation. While the video for 'She Said', and album cover and title push the werewolf theme forward, a closer listen makes it apparent that the werewolf theme is only a motif, or metaphor in this case. The story is told in chronological order, across the majority of the twelve tracks. And the tale told is a story of infidelity, guilt, sin, and loss of love.

I have been listening to the Blues Explosion since 1996, and am not a so-called newcomer. I have all of their albums and enjoy them all. However, 'Plastic Fang' and 'Acme' are the only Blues Explosion albums that I will play all the way through without skipping any tracks. This album has suffered from poor reviews, mostly from those who only listened to the album once, and did so trying to hear 'Extra Width' and being disappointed that they did not do so. Make no mistake, this is the same Blues Explosion.. however, they have progressed past that point.

If you are new to the Blues Explosion, this, or 'Acme' would be a great place to start. If you are a long time Jon Spencer fan, listen to this album with an open mind.. and you may find that you actually enjoy it in its own right. In summary, this is a great album, and I highly recommend it.

this is weak.......2003-12-25

This is by far the weakest JSBX album of the lot. Sure its more accessible and sure its straight ahead rock, but its also limp in comparison to the other albums. If you are looking for a Blues Explosion album, start with Orange, or if you're looking for them in their primal form, check out Extra Width. These guys are getting old and the songs are a little tired, its kind of like buying one of those new Rolling Stones album without the nostalgia. Don't judge them by this album. It deserves more like 2 stars but I wanted to bring down the average.

Where have I been?.......2003-12-20

I found a Blues Explosion song on one of the Martin Scorcese blues compilation CDs and thought it was the best song on it. Its the first time I had ever heard of the Blues Explosion. I loved the hard edged rock/blues sound so I picked up Plastic Fang because it was the only Blues Explosion CD the store had. Holy cow! What a find, I love it. I really enjoy the way the drums chug along with the grinding guitar work. Nice and tight on changes and plenty of pop at all the right times. Plenty of different styles and varied sounds to keep the album fresh all the way through. I've got to hear more of this stuff. I'm suprised these guys aren't better known and it took me so long to find them.

The Bottom Line.......2003-09-03

Look, about 80% of all reviews on websites like these are 5 stars simply because die-hard fans want to show support for their favorite bands' new releases. I'm not sure if this is the case in my review, but if you have any sense of good newer American rock then you owe it to yourself to check out the Blues Explosion. Plastic Fang is a release that exemplifies the progression of a great rock band getting better over time, and this album is a great place to start. That being said, this album is not enough to truly experience this band for all they are. See them live, listen to their earlier work, and it will become clear that NO ONE can rock half as hard as this band; especially in the worst era of American rock to date. Thank God for bands like the Blues Explosion that prove Rock n' Roll in this country is far from dead.

Average customer rating:

Spencer's schtick is getting a little long in the tooth

Plastic Fang + Fang Visual DVD
Jon Blues Explosion Spencer , and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006FRUN
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Customer Reviews:

Spencer's schtick is getting a little long in the tooth.......2003-03-26

I'm enough of a Jon Spencer fan to have been disappointed in everything he's ever released. If that sounds like faint praise, let me explain. There may be no other artist out there these days whose voice embodies the salacious virtues of rock & roll as completely as Jon Spencer's. His instincts in phrasing also seem unerringly right - key changes, yowls, gutteral grunts all appear at exactly the perfect moment - and his band plays with a bruising confidence that is head and shoulders above the rest of the crowded garage punk class of '02. All the components should have been in place for the JSBX's new disc to rule the earth, but instead "Plastic Fang" hit the ground accompanied by a collective yawn by every sector of the music world.

What went wrong? And, more importantly, why do I so uncharacteristically agree with the general consensus? On "Plastic Fang" JSBX has forsaken the production experimentation of Acme for a straightforward live sound, which should be a tactic that plays to their strengths. The first three songs ("Sweet 'n' Sour", "She Said", and "Money Rock'n'Roll") certainly rip along in that over-amped treble-and-buzz boogie mode we've all come to expect. "Hold On" throws Bernie Worrell and Dr. John into the mix and comes up with a funky groove that wouldn't have been out of place on Acme. "Down in the Beast" may be the closest JSBX have ever come to an honest-to-god blues number. The central riff of "Mean Heart' sounds like AC/DC at 16 rpm (that means slow to all you turntable-deprived kiddies out there). Throughout the album Russell Simins and Judah Bauer provide typically sweaty and enthusiastic support. So theoretically it should be a party. It's not. It's held back at every turn by a self-imposed resistence to honesty. Like the werewolf motif they've lazily adopted as a unifying concept, their rock & roll has become more a gesture than a mission.

There's a decision to be made here. Is Jon Spencer a keeper of the rock'n'roll flame or simply a supercharged pretender peddling indie irony? "Plastic Fang" wants it both ways, but arms-length and true belief have always been mutually exclusive stances. The argument for the band landing on either side is good, and I imagine the next release will see them stepping back through the door marked "f&!% s*%# up" to a loud round of applause by those who fear success. But I can't stop myself from hoping Jon Spencer decides to stretch himself and take his place in the rock'n'roll pantheon seriously.

There is the potential for the forming of a heroic figure here. And, as declared in all epic myth, the reluctant hero must first reject his heroic calling before inevitably setting out on his quest. Spencer has followed that first part of the script almost too perfectly. Time to slay the dragon.

Plastic Fang
Average customer rating:

Raunch and Roll

A Bit Too "Back to Roots"

Plastic Fang
Jon Blues Explosion Spencer
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Now I Got Worry

ASIN: B000063IU8
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Amazon.com

Despite providing the framework for lavishly hyped newcomers such as the White Stripes and the Hives, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion remains a determinedly selective pleasure. Not that the New York trio hasn't tried to reach out to new audiences--it hitched up with Lollapalooza a few years ago and cast everyone from Beck to Gorillaz' frontman Dan the Automator to tweak its last album, 1998's Acme, into something listenable. On Plastic Fang the group pulls out the heaviest hitters yet, including producer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Blues Brothers), engineer Don Smith (U2, Tom Petty), and guests Bernie Worrell and Dr. John. Casting the Blues Explosion alongside grizzled veterans who understand the band's fascination with rock & roll's primal blues roots is a smart move. And while the songwriting is predictably unimposing stuff, the propulsive riffs and hammered-out grooves on tracks like "Down in the Beast" and "The Midnight Creep" present the Blues Explosion at its earsplitting best. The masses may still be theirs for the taking. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

Raunch and Roll.......2002-06-19

This CD growls at you. Basic, good old fashioned loud blues rock with no strings attached. Have a few beers, play it loud and burp along with the music.

A Bit Too "Back to Roots".......2002-04-25

Before getting to the music itself I'll explain what you get with the limited edition: fancy packaging, nothing more. This is part of an unfortunate trend with recent music publishing: failing to offer the fans anything more than a new gimmick. There isn't one single extra track. But to be honest, I am the type of [person] who goes for creative packaging the marketers must love. In keeping with the album's theme (songs about vampires and werewolves) Chip Kidd has designed a booklet filled with images from 1970s horror magazines (artwork by Estaban Marato, etc.), including an add for plastic fangs. The limited edition cd, instead of coming in a jewel case, is packaged in a cardboard sleeve (with a funny scene drawn by Wally Wood not in the regular ed.) which, along with the regular booklet, is packed inside a plastic baggie with a cardboard hanger (much like the packaging novelty items such as plastic fangs are usually found in). Pretty cool, but not great for storage.

As to the album's substance: Jon Spencer and co. don't always put out great albums, but at least they are always good. This is one of the merely "good" ones. As usual, the songs are much better than anything you'll find on mainstream radio and they will definitely keep you awake, but there is nothing particularly inventive about any of them. In fact, they are more like a throwback to the sort of country and blues inspired rock you could find on the radio decades ago than a return to Spencer's earlier albums. In other words by "returning to roots", he must be referring to those who originally inspired him, vs. "Orange" or "Extra Width" (or Boss Hog, etc).

At least the songs are good enough for Spencer to retain the title of "saviour of rock and roll" for another year (along with half a dozen other artists), and when you consider that his music does not benefit from nostalgia unlike the oldies (CCR and the rest), the fact that his songs are equally enjoyable becomes more significant. There is also less of his Elvis vocal schtick which can become annoying after too long, which is a plus. But Stewart unfortunately seems to be heading towards musical conservatism. Some may hold this against him, but good music is good music.

Plastic Fang (+4 Bonus Tracks)
Average customer rating:

Here's hoping for an Xtra-Plastic Fang

Plastic Fang (+4 Bonus Tracks)
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Manufacturer: Japanese Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005V1R8
Release Date: 2002-03-27