THE GUN CLUB-FIRE OF LOVE

So I did it.  I closed my eyes, and ran my fingers along the thin spines of Mihkel's records until something made me stop and pull one out.  This is it.  The Gun Club.  Who the fuck are they?  Another band I hadn't heard of until recently, and something I would have flipped thorough and passed by in the stack of records at the second hand store, never thinking of giving it a chance.  This is probably where the musically trained will stop reading, as they would know any review worth reading is penned by a reviewer who is familiar with such bands.  But you see my intention here is to learn for myself, so I can share this knowledge with my sweetie.  So if you continue to read, please excuse my ignorance.  I know now this band was one of the first to create the distinct sounds of "tribal psychobilly," and this record is considered the first of "post punk roots."  These are terms I have taken from allmusic.com, as they did not exist in my vocabulary until now.
This may be one of the only PINK, YAY one of my favourites, records on these shelves, with kiwi green accents, and three black and white images on the front.  All three are black males, one is a boy dressed in woman's clothes, carrying a human skull and pickaxe, all while wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar.  What the fuck.  At this point I have no idea what to expect.  I turn it over and notice it is an Italian pressing that was printed the year I was born.  Interesting to see what people were listening to in 1981.
Ok, so I put it on, turn it up really loud and slide into the hot bath I had prepared.  You see, before this record, me listening to music, meant I was doing something else.  It was an accompaniment to whatever I happened to be doing at that moment: driving the bus or doing dishes or cooking or cleaning or dancing or drinking you get the point.  But my intention here is to really listen.  So I relax and focus.
What strikes me first is the vocalist, he has a higher register for a man, and a casual, talking way of delivering vocals that reminds me of someone telling a story with a rhythm, similar to country music.  He also has a way of floating through scales that is reminiscent of yodeling.  I know I am going out on a limb here, but just listen to "Cool Drink of Water," and maybe you will see what I mean.  WOW interesting.  Some research on the net leads me to wikipedia where I find out his name is Jeffery Lee Pierce, and before founding this band in 1980, he was the head of Blondie's fan club.  The name "The Gun Club," was actually suggested by Black Flags lead singer.
  Listening more closely, I realize I love the guitar playing, as it sounds so rich.  Now I have an extremely untrained ear obviously, but this Mihkel has mentioned, as he said he enjoys "the drenched reverb" of the guitar, this is thanks to Ward Dotson, who has some pretty awesome riffs.  This is all new to me, I mean I hear Mihkel mentioning these things all the time, but I feel I can actually hear it here and pick it out.  I am listening for slide guitar, as I know Pierce plays this.  I hear it well In Jack on Fire.  The bass keeps me looking at the door to see if someone is coming up the steps, I don't know if this is the bassist or the bass drum.
Our 2 year old would LOVE to dance to this record, especially "She is Like Heroin to Me," and I would be right there with him.  It is a great record, and I will definitely be visiting some of their later albums.