The Jesus Lizard - Goat

Touch and Go

The Jesus Lizard's second album was released on this day in 1991. The post-hardcore classic packs riff after riff and comfortably stands alone as one of the finest albums the post-hardcore scene and the 90's has to offer.

Bat-shit crazy guitars courtesy of Duane Denison are met with an even wilder frontman in David Yow to set the scene for a larger than life alternative record from legendary underground label Touch and Go. Touch and Go had quite the roster. Bands like Slint, Big Black and The Butthole Surfers all graced their floors at one stage or another. Steve Albini of the aforementioned Big Black shows up on production duties which in turn explains why the drums are as lively and immense as they are. 'Mouth Breather' is supposedly inspired by Albini as he referred to Britt Walford, the drummer of Slint, as a bit of a mouth breather, or in other words not the sharpest tool in the box.

It doesn't get much better than Monkey Trick. The waterfallesque guitars drip malevolence. That bassline belongs up there with the best of them, you cant talk about this album without mentioning the rhythm section. The partnership between David wm. Sims and Mac McNeilly is as solid as it gets. Raucous and continually thrusting forwards, the pair lay the ground for the other band members to walk on. Their constant need to move something renders this album the perfect soundtrack for a get up and go sort of day.

A spring in your step or a kick in the gut awaits you. Get up or give in.

March 15th, 1991.