Headless Fowl by Big John Bates
Americana-UK Review: Vancouver-based Big John Bates’ seems to have more in common with a slasher movie than with the Old Weird Southern Gothic we know and love – these aren’t ghosts and vampires plodding around the swamps, but something pretty gruesome. Probably with a machete. A big machete.
Setting the tone is the instrumental opener “Amerkin” … it moves from mournful bass with subdued drums and spectral guitar to a powerhouse of railroad drumming and blood curdling yells. Musically it’s a blend of Jack White style blues, Calliope organ, thumping drums and banshee wails. It’s hypnotic and intriguing but be careful – the left hand may be beckoning – but the hand hidden behind the back is holding that knife, Jack.
It may only last a whisker over eighteen minutes but they are eighteen unforgettable minutes – raw and knowing and powerful and half-joking – and all worth hearing.
Tracklist
| 1. | Amerkin | 2:13 |
| 2. | Fields on Fire | 3:25 |
| 3. | Wide Open Blues | 3:01 |
| 4. | Taste the Barrel | 3:24 |
| 5. | Break the Ghost | 3:11 |
| 6. | Headless Fowl | 3:18 |
Credits
Upright Bass, Cello & Voice by Brandy Bones
Guitars, Dobros & Voice by Big John Bates
Percussion by Timothy Hagberg
Mixed and Mastered by Robert Ferbrache
Recorded by Todd Simko
Cover Art: Brandy Bones
Back cover photo: Voodoo Bill
Piano & Accordion: Glen "Cobra" Wilson
Other instruments: Todd Simko
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Psychobilly, Garage Rock and Punk Blues are a few of the labels that have been attached to Big John Bates. John began his career as co-founder of Canadian thrash metal legends Annihilator and never stopped. Coming out of second-wave psychobilly scene BJB carved out a rep in Europe and across North America with a big Gretsch, a gruff baritone and an infamous live show.