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Orange

I think it was thanks to Mark Lamarr that I first heard and saw The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Lamarr was an occasional guest on Mark Radcliffe & Marc Riley's Radio 1 show ca. '94/'95 - during one of his spots on it he enthusiastically sang the trio's praises & I heard 'Bellbottoms' for the first time. He was also one of the hosts of The Word on Channel 4, where the JSBX made a notable appearance in '94.

I was eager to hear their then-new album Orange, and bought it on cassette. Even on my crappy Hitachi boom-box it sounded fantastic. The sound on the German-produced CD I have now strikes me as a tad lacklustre by comparison. It was never an album I loved from start to finish - between the first-rate opening run of five tracks and the excellent final four, the middle of the running order seemed to me a bit weaker.

The CD hasn't had anything like the play that well-worn tape did: now and again I'll put it on in the car. Despite that, the sheer joy I derived from these songs (and those on Now I Got Worry) back in the '90s means that I won't be letting it go any time soon. Favourite songs: 'Bellbottoms' of course, 'Ditch', 'Full Grown' & 'Flavor'; not to mention the two sublime instrumentals 'Very Rare' & 'Greyhound'.

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