JIM WHITE


Wrong-eyed Jesus (The mysterious tale of how I Shouted)

 
Jim White's debut album is a cinematic collection of Appalachia-inspired country-folk rendered with a Gothic sensibility and junkyard atmospherics (the inclusion of Tom Waits collaborator Ralph Carney on several tracks lends the record a distinctly Waitsian veneer). Drawing on his bizarre life experiences and troubled Pentecostal upbringing, White's narratives are surreal and crazed, shot through with disturbing spiritual imagery and backwoods dementia; a strangely beautiful record, Wrong-Eyed Jesus! is a fine introduction to a uniquely twisted talent.

Track listing1. Book Of Angels
2. Burn The River Dry
3. Still Waters
4. When Jesus Gets A Brand New Name
5. Sleepy Town
6. Perfect Day To Chase Tornados
7. Wordmule
8. Stabbed In The Heart
9. Angel Land
10. Heaven Of My Heart
11. Road That Leads To Heaven

DetailsNumber of CDs:1Producer:Paul RabjohnsRecording type:StudioDistributor:Republic Of Music/Universal Music
Album notesPersonnel: Jim White (vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards, percussion); Ralph Carney (vocals, saxophone, clarinet, slide clarinet, trombone, musical saw); David Pilch (vocals, acoustic & electric basses); Danny Frankel (vocals, drums, percussion); Victoria Williams (vocals); Bill Elm (guitar, pedal steel); Paul Rabjohns (guitar, keyboards, percussion); Joe Henry (guitar, background vocals); Martin Tillman (cello); Eddie Baytos (accordion).

Editorial reviews...We're talkin' backwoods, God-strewn post country....WRONG-EYED JESUS is...a thing of intimate beauty, wrapped in translucent layers of pedal steel, slide guitar, and hi-fi versions of low-fi sounds.
Melody Maker  (07/05/1997)

...cool, moody music with half-whispered vocals and jazzy guitar and organ effects....his music needs a lot more humor, energy and straight-forward songs to transform his twisted personal vision into something more universal.
Option  (07/01/1997)

3 stars out of 5 - ...While still slightly unfocussed, the central thrust and uncompromising mix of quirky sounds still appeal but will ensure that it remains a firm but obscure favorite.
Q  (07/01/2000)

3 stars out of 5 - ...While still slightly unfocussed, the central thrust and uncompromising mix of quirky sounds still appeal but will ensure that it remains a firm but obscure favorite.Melody Maker (7/5/97, p.50) - ...We're talkin' backwoods, God-strewn post country....WRONG-EYED JESUS is...a thing of intimate beauty, wrapped in translucent layers of pedal steel, slide guitar, and hi-fi versions of low-fi sounds. Option (7-8/97, p.139) - ...cool, moody music with half-whispered vocals and jazzy guitar and organ effects....his music needs a lot more humor, energy and straight-forward songs to transform his twisted personal vision into something more universal.
Q  (07/01/2000)



Searching for the wrong-eyed Jesus

 
1.	Everything Was Stories - Harry Crews
2. Still Waters - Jim White
3. My Sister's Tiny Hands - The Handsome Family
4. Crossbones Style - Cat Power
5. Last Kind Words, The - David Johansen/Larry Saltzman
6. World That Never Heals, The - Jim White
7. Wayfaring Stranger - David Eugene Edwards
8. Small Town
9. Black Soul Choir - 16 Horsepower
10. LIttle Maggie - Lee Sexton
11. First There Was - Johnny Dowd
12. Coo Coo Bird - Clarence Ashley/Doc Watson
13. Amazing Grace - Melissa Swingle
14. Christmas Day - Jim White
15. Essential Truth - Jim White

This is the soundtrack to the BBC documentary film  â??Searching for the wrong-eyed Jesusâ?? (available on TPB). A fascinating film. Jim Whiteâ??s personal take on the Deep South.

Website: http://www.searchingforthewrongeyedjesus.com/

A captivating and compelling road trip through the creative spirit of the South featuring Countryâ?? singer Jim White and his beaten-up Chevy Impala drifting past churches, trailer parks, prisons, truck stops, biker bars and coalmines to a superb musical soundtrack. Jim's roadside encounters with musical mavericks like the Handsome Family, Johnny Dowd, David Eugene Edwards, ex New York Doll David Johansen and Melissa Swingle add to the atmosphere with their live performances. Plus there's old time banjo player Lee Sexton; rockabilly mountain gospel choirs and novelist Harry Crews telling grisly stories down a dirt track. Everybody has a story in some form, invariably of sudden death, sin or redemption - yet all are transformed by the characteristic grim humour and natural eloquence of the Southern imagination. As David Byrne put it after watching its musical tour of another planet. Beautiful dark and weird stuff. DVD Extras include great commentaries from Douglas and White, as well as extra songs and stories from 16 Horsepower, Melissa Swingle, Lee Sexton and Harry Crews. Plus David Johansen tells all about the original southern folk archive merchant Harry Smith which significantly enhances what's already a fabulous package.