Axels & Sockets

by Jeffrey Lee Pierce, The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project

Overview

It seems sadly fitting that Jeffrey Lee Pierce (best remembered as the founder and leading light of the fabled band the Gun Club) is better recognized in Europe years after his death in 1996 than he was in his native United States in the final decade of his short life; it was just the sort of fate that met many of the innovative blues and jazz artists and outlaw poets that were his heroes and role models. Though audiences overseas more eagerly embrace Pierce's vision, there was something strongly and defiantly American in his lyrical voice and his fusion of blues, punk, jazz, folk, country, and nearly any other native musical strain that crossed his path. Thankfully, a handful of Pierce's friends and admirers have kept the flame alive with a series of albums that offer fresh, sometimes radical interpretations of his songs, with Pierce's old running buddy Cypress Grove contributing guidance and a cache of old demo cassettes that held a treasure trove of unrecorded Jeffrey Lee Pierce compositions. The third album from the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project, Axels & Sockets, offers more rare and unheard Pierce tunes performed by a rotating cast of musicians, ranging from folks who knew and worked with Pierce (Debbie Harry and Lydia Lunch) to like-minded left-of-center rock icons (Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, Thurston Moore), and young upstarts who see Pierce as an influence and kindred spirit (Black Moth, Honey). While a number of these performances are rave-ups in the Gun Club's tradition of punk informed by rootsy blues and country accents -- notably Honey's version of "Thunderhead" and Slim Cessna's Auto Club's romp through "Ain't My Problem Baby" -- many of the participants put different spins on his work, showing how diverse his songs could be in the right hands. Iggy Pop's wiry vocals fit "Nobody's City" like a glove, Primal Scream's electronic overhaul of "Goodbye Johnny" transports the song's swampy vibe into cyberspace, Nick Cave's duet with Debbie Harry on "Into the Fire" reinforces both the beauty of the melody and the emotional intelligence of the lyrics, Mark Lanegan finds something both lovely and ominous in "Desire by Blue River," and Lydia Lunch's spoken word duet with an old recording of Pierce on "The Journey Is Long" is effective enough that it ought to be longer than just over a minute. (Pierce's vocals also pop up on Mark Stewart's reworking of "Shame and Pain," with Thurston Moore adding his own brand of dissonance.) In their third round, Cypress Grove and his colleagues are still finding fascinating things in the Jeffrey Lee Pierce archives, and Axels & Sockets is a potent reminder of the strength and imagination of his songwriting, making a powerful case for his status as an overlooked visionary. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	05/13/2014
Label:	Glitterhouse Records
UPC:	4030433779620
Rank:	139931

Tracks

1. Nobody's City
2. Kisses for My President
3. Just Like a Mexican Love
4. Weird Kid's Blues
5. Ain't My Problem Baby
6. Constant Limbo (Constant Rain)
7. Into the Fire
8. Thunderhead
9. Desire by Blue River
10. Kitty ina Moonlight
11. Secret Fires
12. Kisses for My President
13. Body and Soul
14. Goodbye Johnny [Andrew Weatherall's Nyabinghi Noir Mix]
15. Break 'Em Down
16. When I Get My Cadillac
17. The Journey Is Long
18. Shame and Pain

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project   Primary Artist
Black Moth   Primary Artist
Nick Cave   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Featured Artist
Crippled Black Phoenix   Primary Artist
Slim Cessna's Auto Club   Primary Artist
Kris Needs   Primary Artist
Lydia Lunch   Primary Artist,Vocals
Cypress Grove   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Handclapping,Guitar (Tremolo),Musical Director,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Bertrand Cantat   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Slim Cessna   Primary Artist
Honey   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Debbie Harry   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Mark Stewart   Primary Artist,Primary Artist,Vocals
Mark Lanegan   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Jeffrey Lee Pierce   Primary Artist,Guitar (Rhythm),Guitar,Vocals
Andrea Schroeder   Primary Artist,Vocals,Harmonium
James Johnston   Primary Artist,Primary Artist,Bass,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Handclapping
The Amber Lights   Primary Artist
Julie Christensen   Primary Artist,Vocals
Iggy Pop   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ruby Throat   Primary Artist
The Peeler   Primary Artist
Robert Ferbrache   Primary Artist
Dwight Pentacost   Primary Artist
Daniel Grandbois   Primary Artist
Munly Munly   Primary Artist
Hugo Race   Primary Artist,Loops,Guitar,Vocals,Moog Synthesizer
Primal Scream   Primary Artist
James Sclavunos   Fuzz Bass,Drums,Organ,Percussion,Tambourine,Vocals (Background)
Barrie Cadogan   Vocals (Background)
Mick Harvey   Bass,Drums
Anda Eckman   Vocals (Background)
Thurston Moore   Guitar,Featured Artist
J.P. Shilo   Vocals,Guitar (Electric)
Andrew Innes   Guitar,Mellotron,Synthesizer
Bobby Gillespie   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Kid Congo Powers   Slide Guitar
Jim Hunt   Saxophone
Justin Greaves   Drums,E-Bow,Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Greg Leisz   Weissenborn
Pascal Humbert   Bass
Jeff Zentner   Mandolin,Slide Guitar,Banjo
Brian Henry Hooper   Bass
Warren Ellis   Violin,Mandolin,Flute (Alto)
Scott Ayers   Drums
Catherine Graindorge   Viola,Violin
Rune Simonsen   Guitar
Dominic McCready   Drums
Harriet Bevan   Vocals
Jim Swainston   Guitar
Sarah Lowe   Handclapping,Vocals (Background)
Suzie Stapleton   Vocals
Andreas Beddari Hoyer   Bass
Brett Poliness   Vocals (Background)
Bryan Colechin   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Crispin Payne   Lap Steel Guitar
Peter Malick   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Katie Jane Garside   Vocals
Willie Love   Drums,Maracas,Percussion,Tambourine
Darrin Mooney   Drums,Percussion
Daisy Chapman   Piano,Keyboards
Dave Allen   Bass
Sioux City Pete   Slide Guitar
Unloved   Vocals (Background)
Chris Hughes   Drums
Robert Marche   Guitar
Chris Whittingham   Guitar
Marco Nelson   Bass
Mike Lord   Piano
Karl Demata   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Xanthe Waite   Vocals,Featured Artist
Dan Wilson   Mandolin
Olia Ougrik   Keyboards
David Cavhon   Bass
Dimi Dero   Drums
Ele Lucas   Bass
Esko Pedersen   Drums
Jesper Lehmkuhl   Guitar
Kip Mowgli   Piano,Vocals,Farfisa Organ
Mick Cozens   Bass,E-Bow,Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards
Nico Carew   Guitar
Ricky Tavi   Drums
Sammy Downing   Drums
Sarah Marie Tyrrell   Guitar,Vocals

Technical Credits

Hugo Race   Composer,Producer
Loki Lockwood   Engineer
Mick Harvey   Producer
D.J. Bonebrake   Composer
Crippled Black Phoenix   Producer
Dan Cox   Engineer
Dan Swift   Engineer
Chris Eckman   Mixing,Producer
J.P. Shilo   Producer
Julie Christensen   Composer,Producer
Andrew Innes   Engineer
Andy Hawkins   Engineer
Andrew Weatherall   Remixing,Additional Production
Chris Stein   Photography
Kris Needs   Producer
Justin Greaves   Arranger,Composer
James Sclavunos   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Sound Design,Field Recording,Associate Producer
Cypress Grove   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Photography,Vocal Arrangement
Jeffrey Saltzman   Engineer,Producer
Steve Gullick   Photography
Peter Rave   Mixing
Edward Colver   Artwork,Photography
Hart Gunther   Engineer
Sylvain Mercier   Engineer,Photography
Liz Reed   Photography
Juergen Peschel   Design,Artwork
Rob Jones   Illustrations
David Holmes   Producer
Robin Guthrie   Engineer
Jon Langford   Paintings
Mark Stewart   Mixing,Producer
Lincoln Fong   Engineer
Peer Rave   Engineer
Jeffrey Lee Pierce   Composer
Eric Isip   Engineer,Assistant
Kirsty Garland   Photography
Elise Passavant   Photography
Ashlee Elfman   Liner Notes
Chiarra Dom   Photography
Crispin Payne   Engineer
Peter Malick   Engineer
Rich Costey   Mixing
Willie Love   Production Assistant
John Mitchell   Mixing,Engineer
Chris Kasych   Pro-Tools
David Hefti   Engineer
Manda Mosher   Photography
Dugald Jayes   Engineer
Gene Temesy   Production Assistant
Masayoshi Sukita   Photography
Dave McEwen   Mixing
Hans-Joerg Maucksch   Mastering
Chris Whittingham   Engineer,Producer
David McCluney   Engineer,Photography
Niall O'Brien   Photography
Frode Jacobsen   Engineer
Robert Ferbrache   Engineer,Producer
Dwight Pentacost   Photography
Karl Demata   Composer
Paul Bearer   Liner Notes
Martin Bowitz   Engineer
Andrea Schroeder   Photography
Daniel Tyrrell   Photography
Fred D. Patterson   Composer
Henri-Jean Debon   Engineer
Jacqui Pierce   Liner Notes
Jesper Lehmkuhl   Photography
Laurent Rivelaygue   Cover Design
Lucas Dubosc   Engineer
Merle Leonce Bone   Liner Notes
Mick Cozens   Arranger,Production Assistant
Sam Kinchin-Smith   Liner Notes