Celebrating twenty-five years of seminal San Francisco rock collective The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s seventh album “Strung Out In Heaven”, released on this day in 1998. The album is named after a lyric from the David Bowie song “Ashes to Ashes”.
Matt Hollywood contributed more to this record due to Anton Newcombe being incapable of writing as many songs as he was addicted to heroin at the time. After releasing a number of well-received recordings on the smaller psychedelia-focused Bomp! Records label, The Brian Jonestown Massacre were signed to a multi-record deal with TVT. It was released in June 1998 and was the band’s first and only recording with the large independent label, TVT Records. The recording didn’t sell as many records as TVT had hoped, and they later mutually dissolved their remaining contractual obligations.
“Wisdom” is a re-recording of the same song that originally appeared on the band’s second album, “Methodrone”. “Dawn” is also a re-recording, with the original version appearing on “Take It from the Man!”. “Spun” is also a re-recording of the same song that appears on the band’s album “Thank God for Mental Illness”. It’s with typical perversity that the Brian Jonestown Massacre makes the leap from the indie ghetto into the majors with their least immediate, most restrained record to date; given time to sink in, however, “Strung Out in Heaven” proves as engaging as their past efforts, with a focus and cohesiveness often lacking from their more visceral work. Settling into a blissfully psychedelic drift, the album opts not for the Stones-inspired raunch of before but for Byrds-like guitars, muffled drums and pulsating Hammond organ lines, all topped off by Anton Newcombe’s half-stoned, half-shamanic vocals; thanks to standout tracks like “Going to Hell,” “Wasting Away” and “Maybe Tomorrow,”.
Listening to this album its hard to understand that it was recorded in 1997/98 it has a sort of timeless sound that could easily been made in 1968 or 1973 for that matter. The songs on this album very much fit together almost as a concept album and as theatre of the mind it work marvellously. You can hear the joy in some bits but mostly you hear the struggle, the struggle of a band who’s talent is greater than the infighting and insanity brought on by hard drug addiction.
Critics praised the album, calling it “their least immediate, most restrained record to date “Strung Out in Heaven” proves as engaging as their past efforts, with a focus and cohesiveness often lacking from their more visceral work”, also calling it “the BJM’s most mature outing yet”. This truly is one of those albums that I can find no fault with.
The Fat Angel Sings 