Kevin Blechdom / Eugene Chadbourne - The Chaddom Blechbourne Experience




A very long time ago, I was much younger than I am now. I was lucky enough to have been so fucked up by the "adults in the room" that I was elevated into the orbits of others who had no other option but to celebrate the dys in function. The Fall's Witch Trials at 13, Motorhead's Ace tour at the Apollo at 14 ... and then the Iron Fist tour fuelled on cider and mushrooms. Not forgetting trying to get your head around Trout Mask and Freak Out (by choice) when you are fifteen. On reflection, not a bad call for escape-route and it set me in good stead during the fuck you wars.

However, nothing really compares to the first time the needle hits the opening groove of a Shockabilly LP when you didn't even know that they existed! The brain recalibration takes years to recover from because nothing could possibly remain the same. It's like some poor fucker who has spent his time with his family endorsing him being touched up by the hand of god realising that Day Tripper was the only way to the truth. Well it is. Plain and simple! Well that truth anyway.

Here, Kevin is actually Kristin Erickson who records different work in her own right. This live recording is full on duelling banjos ahoy with covers of The Beach Boys and Pink Floyd that need to be heard to be believed ... in a good way.

For no particular reason, I'm feeling reflective. I spent nearly all of my formative years being smacked around the place and sleeping rough. Now, through life choices, I'm sitting here in a house that serves as a sanctuary for stray and "rescued" cats. I also get to sit here saying to whoever is out there "you really need to hear Eugene and Kristen covering Astronomy Domine" as a way to get the entire thing heard ... there is so much genius here!

Life sometimes turns out to be quite good and most often it's better than the alternative.

A CD released on Les Disques Victo in 2008 "recorded live at the 2007 24e Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. Includes traditional and contemporary medleys with banjo, piano and voice."

hate from the hills

8 comments:

Anonymous,  30 March 2023 at 07:35  

Thanks for your work!

Ivangov

FlaccusMUC 30 March 2023 at 11:25  

Thanks a lot. Excellent one!
Speaking of excellent: Almost exactly thirteen years ago (that's an anniversary!) you wrote, "You need Jazzfinger in your life." I suppose you were right and I would be very happy to follow your order if the links were still working. If some of those could be re-upped, that would be very welcome.

Anonymous,  30 March 2023 at 13:00  

Indeed better than the alternative and thank you for this!

oceane 30 March 2023 at 16:25  

Thank you for this, unknown to me, opus from the prolific Eugene Chadbourne.

BT 30 March 2023 at 19:22  

Thank-you very much!

badgerstump 30 March 2023 at 20:23  

Ich bin ein Jazzfinger?

FlaccusMUC 30 March 2023 at 20:26  

Ja, das bist du. (I hope so ...)

Chardman 4 April 2023 at 00:51  

My introduction to the world of Eugene Chadbourne was hearing Shockabilly's The Secret Of The Cooler on the radio late at night. I immediately sought out the record and had become a fan for life, also including Eugene's solo work.
And I've had the fortune to have met him. He's a swell guy!