Kind of mind-blowing that we had to wait until now to get a live album representing all that Jim Jones has done over the past 40 years. I remember picking up ‘Come Down Heavy’ by Thee Hypnotics when it was released, and it stood out in my record (cassette) collection at the time. I lost track of Jim Jones after Thee Hypnotics went their separate ways. It wasn’t until a friend suggested the Jim Jones Revue that I put two and two together. Hearing ‘The Princess and the Frog’ for the first time was one of those moments in life that I have never forgotten; I frantically tried to hit the button to hear the song again. We have undergone some changes over the years to get to the Jim Jones All Stars, who are an awesome collective of musicians with a dynamite discography at their disposal. It would take a triple album to really represent everything; what we have here, though, is a terrific live album featuring 15 songs recorded at different shows between 2023 and 2025.
In a just world, these shows would be taking place in arenas, but I am not sure arenas could contain these gritty, bluesy, rocking songs. This music is designed for dimly lit venues where the sweat and condensation is bubbling up on the wall and bodies are packed together tightly as everyone is angling to see the stage. Each song on the album is a highlight, with Jones acting as the ringmaster for this extravaganza. ‘Troglodyte’ surges out of the speakers with an unrestrained sense of urgency. The sax cuts perfectly through the mix. The sudden transition to ‘Lover’s Prayer’ feels a little jerky since the songs are coming from separate shows, but the slow tempo allows the piano to shine before going into the rocking ‘Rock n Roll Psychosis.’
I am not going to go through all the songs here individually, but there are no misses in the set. ‘Gimme the Grease’ shines in the live setting and really highlights the quality of the album, as these songs feel more natural and alive in the live setting. My old favourite ‘The Princess and the Frog’ leaps out of the speaker and rips the listener’s head clean off. The sax solo makes a perfect song somehow even more perfect. I have been a proponent for a long time that every rock band needs a piano player and sax player. This album would probably be all I need to submit as testimony. ‘Shakedown’ feels like a James Bond theme if the movie was made independently with a noir style approach.
If you had any doubt about picking up this album, those should now be gone. This is a master class in delivering killer live performances of great songs. I hope one day I can catch these guys on my side of the pond. Get the album! Go see the show! Your heart will thank you.
‘Get Down- Get With It’ will be released October 24th.
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Author: Gerald Stansbury
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