EDGAR ‘JONES’ JONES turned more than a few heads with his incredible ‘Soothing Music For Stray Cats’ album last year, earning plaudits from the likes of Noel Gallagher and getting shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize along the way.
But then it’s no less than Edgar deserves really. He’s been tipped for great things with his cult Scouse beat combos The Stairs and The Big Kids during the 1990s and early Noughties and has continued to mine a seam of fine individual creativity despite the slings and arrows of commercial indifference.
And this re-recording of one of ‘Soothing Music…”s key tracks serves notice that Edgar’s determined to remain in contention no matter what. As you may already know if you’ve tasted the waters with the album. ‘More than You’ve Ever Had’ owes more to the muddy waters of the Mississippi delta than the cleaned-up shores of the Mersey, and – harried along by amazing barrelhouse piano, a gloriously sweet doo-wop lilt and a vocal from Edgar that sounds more akin to Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland than any of the current indie white boys – it remains a killer tune when isolated from its’ parent album.
Now aligned with his regular backing band The Joneses (who else?) Edgar is determined to turn the creative screw too, and the brace of B-sides are the equal of anything on the album. ‘We Should Get Together’ is potent and blues-y, with a terrific, gutbucket vocal which sounds like it’s just stepped out of a Chess Records recording while being aided and abetted by Ray Charles-style ramblin’ piano and the kind of sax that would make Bobby Keyes proud. It’s a real joyful rough house and no mistake.
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Closing tune ‘Ain’t No Use In Cryin’ Now’ is the real epic, though. Clocking in at a generous seven minutes, it initially finds the Roy Budd-style jazz bassline swingin’ sweet and low, before the Joneses build it up patiently via a sweet and loaded Edgar vocal and lots of restrained playing. It goes all double-speed and jazzy at around the halfway mark and then the tension doubles thanks to a (wait for it) Sandy Nelson-style drum solo before the band bring it on for the massive final minute-long crescendo. Wow!
Edgar ‘Jones’ Jones then. Still resolutely out of step and more terrific than ever. For once, the only option appears to be keeping up with The Joneses.
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