Slaughter Joe - I'll Follow You Down

by Anthony Strutt

published: 25 / 4 / 2010

Label: Edition 59 Records
Format: CD

Excellent reissue of 60s-influenced and feedback-friendly EP from Slaughter Joe, the project of Joe Foster, the co-founder of Creation Records

Review

Slaughter Joe was one of the monikers of Joe Foster, one of the co-founders of Creation Records and who subsequently went on in the early 1990s to run Creation subsiduary and reissue label Rev-Ola records. 'I'll Follow You Down' is a 3 inch CD reissue of a 1985 Slaughter Joe vinyl only single. The single was issued on 7 and 12 inch originally and the 12 inch version had a catalogue number of Creation 019T. The 3 inch is like all the records on Edition 59 Records limited to just 59 copies, whereas the original single was limited to a thousand copies as were all early Creation releases. This CD version features all four of the tracks which appeared on the 12 inch release. Joe Foster also released records under the name of The Legend again on Creation Records. 'I'll Follow You Down' is lo-fi fuzzy feedback heaven. It is reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain and also in its 60's groove has an element of the Velvet Underground. It is heavy in Dylan-like mouth organ as well. Its musicianship is limited, but that is its charm. 'Napalm Girl', which was the B side of the 7 inch, again recalls the Jesus and Mary Chain at the time of 'Psychocandy'. A lot of the bands at this time were playing feedback-infused fuzzed-up sounds and many of them were on Creation, leading a rebellion at the time against the big hair and big pop sounds of the day. 'Surely Some of Slaughter Blues' recollects early Bob Dylan. Promo pictures of Joe at the time also showed him looking like the young Dylan. It has a Decca era Rolling Stones rhythm and is backed by feedback eating away in the background. 'Fall Apart' features more white noise and an angry vocal. Weresn't we angry back then? We need some of that anger and Joe and Creation's attitude today to breathe back some passion into the indie of today, rather that let it continue to carron as the easy listening scene it has turned into. A great EP.