THE THREE JOHNS: Live In Chicago

The Three Johns

Live In Chicago

© 2004 Last Time Round (881626100226)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

Legendary UK agit-punks at their live peak.

notes

The first time I set foot in Chicago I climbed out of the cab outside the Metro on Clark Street and saw this big Viking lad dragging his snake out of a big white truck. That was Timothy R. Powell one half of the dazzling Last Time Round Record consortium and owner of the Metro Mobile recording operation. Unbeknownst to us Johnnies he was setting up to record our first ever show in Chicago half way through our first ever tour of the States. It was the summer of 1985 and even littler did I know that this strange city would one day be my home. Terry Nelson, a college DJ on WZRD in Chicago, who hung out with the Mekons in Brixton for a few months back in 83, organized the gig through the late, great and sadly missed Ruth Polski, our agent in NYC. We'd been zig-zagging back and forth across the country on those multi-voucher airline tickets that sent us stumbling into the same bar in Detroit airport every afternoon no matter where we'd played the night before. We traveled light with two battered guitars, Hugo the drum machine in his heavy metal silver ammo box and Tommy from the Mekons doing our sound. It was
a great, weird, event-packed tour that peaked just right that particularly bonkers night in Chicago with us Three on about the toppest form we ever really summoned up so thank Neptune the buggers taped it!

Timothy baked the tapes, cranked up the volume & added a few tracks that had to be left off the original vinyl SO here you have it: The Three Johns Live In Chicago!

- Jon Langford, Chicago, 2004

From: Robert Christgau, Christgau's Record Guide: The
80's, New York, Pantheon Books

The Three Johns: Live in Chicago (Last Time Round
'86).
Indies cater to collectors, and collectors will buy any old shit. Yet this verbatim show isn't just specialist product. The impolite patter includes a clarion call for international socialism, and the cover versions are droll if a tad conceptual - T. Rex as the Eagles, 'Like a Virgin. There's half a carload of new songs from a writing machine that's already filled two LPs and two EPs since 1985. And if the remakes aren't revelations, most of them are copped from album one, which is now third in line at the checkout counter. B +

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • Live in Chicago
    author: William Adams

    Got a few Three Johns on vinyl haven't heard for ages looked all over web for CD's of them, thanks CD BABY for a blast from the past.

  • Bigger and Better!!
    author: raebies

    Had this on dodgy, warped vinyl years ago - not everything sounds better on CD, but this does - and there's room for extra tracks!! Bargain! A great reminder of one of the best and under rated post-punk bands!!!

  • A blast from the past!
    author: Jez Needham

    Nostalgia ain't what it used to be, but thank god for the Compact disc. Saves me going up into the loft to dust down the vinyl. The Three Johns are even better than I remembered first time around. Full of power, politics and good humour. A great reminder of the alternative 80's!

  • author: Heronry

    Very happy to come across this. The recording is top quality and the band are on fire, top of their game.

  • Those were the days
    author: Kiwi Steve

    A great performance - blazing versions of the early songs, a hint of what was to come and vintage Johns banter. This shows they were far more than just a footnote to the Mekons story. Superb rock'n'roll, politics, Madonna - and they were funny. There are still dogs to be kicked out, so let's have the rest of the catalogue on CD please.

  • Oh Dear
    author: glasgaedave

    Suddenly realised how old I'm getting. Still, even the kids like this one which goes to show that goooood music endures.

  • author: Julian

    Having Missed out on seeing The Three Johns Ireally enjoyed the set and the inbetween song banter particularly as I grew up in a town South Yorkshire that was blitzed by Thacher and her evil policies. Great Songs/Great Politics

  • author: welshbhoy

    I havent heard this yet but imho I know its gonna be great loved this band saw them so many times at the time of the uk miners strike what a great find for me

  • we are the three johns oh yes
    author: john slimin

    wow, could not believe i found this on CD.Saw the Johns about ten times in and around London and they NEVER dissappointed.This is a classic example of their live stage show . highly recommended.I would be very interested in more live cds or reissues.I know there was a live recording of Reading After dark club taken from the mixing desk doing the rounds many years ago.

  • Buying Back Memories
    author: Joe Mason

    I sold a good chunk of my vinyl a couple of years ago. Great to see this great document of the Three Johns back in print!

  • Great taste of a great band...Re-release the rest of the catalog!
    author: JC Rudy

    A great live album of a band whose criminally overlooked mix of politico-gothic-punk-country with laughs has no better venue. Langford and company create a mood of rage and insurgence made all the more effective through a self-depricating wicked humor in song and banter. Unfortunately, much of the anger fueling these tracks resonates again in today's nightmare world scene. But MAN did they rock! Mosh pit musta been a blast on this day! And all that with a drum machine!!

email

Please log in to email this artist.