Album Review: Liquid Jesus, "Pour In The Sky"

From the opening track Intro which has opera singers' ethereal voices floating over a hypnotic chant and digeridoos, it is obvious LIQUID JESUS is not your typical LA glam-styled offering.

They are a band who have absorbed a tremendous variety of sounds and influences from the late '60s and '70s and mixed it in with a sprinkling of the college/ alternative weirdness that bands like JANE'S ADDICTION paved the way for. Not that LIQUID JESUS sound like JANE'S ADDICTION, although both bands started their careers on Triple X Records.

LIQUID JESUS fuse a blend of blues, rock, jazz, gospel, and old hippy style country folk with a knock-em-down, free-wheeling sound. They have borrowed heavily from rock heroes LED ZEPPELIN and JIMI HENDRIX, and even a tint of the ALLMAN BROTHERS' rocking jam style is evident. They have taken the wailing guitars, soulful vocals, and groove feel, and have added '90s flair and effects.

The band has used a lot of extra sounds and musical instruments for the record. In Sacrifice a harmonica blasts out the first few notes to lend it a country flavour. In Better Of Worse bird sounds and flutes are evident. In fact the hippyish beginnings almost let me imagine Melanie was going to burst forth into song. Fortunately the vocalist Buck has a voice that can wrap itself around this sort of stuff easily.

The stylish piano meanderings on No Secret, Better of Worse, Faith To Believe, and Feelings Flower are all courtesy of BRUCE HORNSBY, who just happens to employ LIQUID JESUS drummer John Molo in his own group. By all accounts LIQUID JESUS are a great band live and their producer Michael Beinhorn, working along with Todd Rigione the guitarist, have managed to capture a feeling of that spontaneity here.

Pour In The Sky is really a rock tribute to the best of the bands who dominated the ’60s and ’70s rock world. It is done very well. The band has made the sound their own. But, in many respects , I would have to say this is not extremely original. It is a very interesting and listenable slice however.
Grade B

Marion Garden
Riff Raff
October 1991

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