Here’s an LP that always sounds to me like a sweltering hot muggy day in the sort of bits of New York that even the hippest hipsters haven’t discovered yet, Luscious Jackson Natural Ingredients.
I live in my open mind
and I'll die in my open mind
Released back in those far away innocent times of 1994 on Grand Royal Records when their friends and label owners Beastie Boys were the coolest thing in the entire world, Natural Ingredients was a total wow. Building on the cool indie of In Search Of Manny the LP was a wonderfully groovy mélange of sounds, blurring genres and tracks in just the sort of indefinable way I rather like.
The opener and best cut on the LP is ‘City Song’, which just swaggers past you being all sexy and sophisticated in ways you find yourself thinking about long afterwards. It’s built around a rather fab Gladys Knight & The Pips sample and I have yet to find anyone male or female who are not slightly overcome by Gaby Glaser’s swelteringly cool vocals; the ‘Hey bike messenger’ line had me wanting to become one for a while. Plus any song that references my fave cop movie cannot fail*.
Next up is ‘Deep Shag’ a song title to make all British peeps giggle** but is actually a very astute song about being happily infantilised and reduced in a relationship. It’s a uniquely feminine viewpoint and one that has always intrigued me. The clever, minimal beat here, overlaid by subtle melodies is great.
This time around Natural Ingredients reveals a few hidden treasures to my tired old ears, ‘Angel’ with Jill’s fabulous country-tinged vocals is such a pleasure (and just a really neat song!), and I will always love the group for the chorus to ‘Strongman’, ‘it takes a strong man to stand by a strong woman’^ which I found myself humming all the way to work on Tuesday.
Elsewhere I love ‘Energy Sucker’ with its jammed-up sound and the chorus ‘Hey energy sucker! I’m a goddess, not your mother’ and some gleefully deadpan almost-rapping. The disco-tastic ‘Here’ is a real barn-burner too. I mean come on, links to one of my fave films ever and a roller disco video?!! What the fuck else do you need in life?! and let us just take another moment to realise what a superb drummer Kate Schellenbach is.
It is fair to say that Natural Ingredients tails off a notch on the second side but there are still a few excellent tracks on there. I have a real thing for the dense rhythm and smothering harmonies of ‘Free Your Mind’ and the Dave Navarro-esque guitar lilt and perfect poise of ‘Rollin’. ‘Surprise’ gives us just that with a hint of Eastern discord too, adding to the overall texture and palette of the album.
I had forgotten just how damned good and inventive Natural Ingredients was, to my shame. For me it was very much Luscious Jackson’s peak, I never warmed to their slightly more polished, grownup later incarnation; which probably says more about me than them.
The album also reminds me very much of Beastie Boys own exciting eclecticism, but with a very distinct feminine spin; very much putting the disco into discovery. I struggle to think of another female band making music anything like this at the moment, as light and groovy as Natural Ingredients.
I saw Luscious Jackson three times around this era, as support or on their own and in person they were as warm and engaging as their music, very. I was really sorry to read that keyboardist Vivian Trimble had died last year, I missed that news at the time, I remember just how into it she used to seem on stage. RIP.
Now get on the floor and dance some more …
Not having a pot to piss in when Natural Ingredients was released back in 1994 I made do with a copy taped off a friend, replacing it with a blue vinyl US import copy in 2002. The sound is great and it really is a little time capsule for me back into ’94.
1239 Down.
* Serpico he’s still around
screwed up police ya might get found
city crime’s for city cops
you’ve got to know the streets you rock
**much to Americans’ bafflement; they mentioned this on stage In Leeds when I saw them on the tour for Natural Ingredients.
^another live highlight.
Don’t know the band at all, in fact I thought it was some rapper’s name, maybe one of the Jackson clan.
You know, I can picture you at a retro roller-disco, Joe.
Thanks Bruce. That picture should include me spectacularly prat-falling every 15 seconds and having my hands run over by 9 year-olds to the tune of Axel F.
You totally got me on this one. The first cut is going to lead to more listens. Definitely. Perfect for some summer turns.1537 the Man of Surprises. “Hot muggy day”. Yup.
Thanks a lot CB, turning folks onto new stuff is where I get my kicks. I loved this lot unreservedly.
I’m doing a month, or so, of female artists, just because.
I have music of the same vibe but not quite like this.
I noticed the female touch. Dont forget Florence Jenkins
Sounds like I should give this a go! I only really know ‘Fever In Fever Out’ which I’m guessing is one you class as polished and grown up? The one time I saw them at a festival they were really good despite horrible sound. They definitely had that vibe of being cool and really enthusiastic at the same time. I remember Kate Schellenbach coming out from the kit to sing one tune and just out-cooling everyone else in the tent. Should listen back a bit more, really!
Oh definitely, particularly if you have any fondness for Beastie Boys of that era, it’s a very good sister piece to the likes of Ill Communication. The debut EP is really worth a listen too.
Shoulda been much bigger (though maybe that was a blessing in disguise…). Always loved her voice.
I agree totally Matt. I really loved them.
The slightly gaudy cover art always put me off this one.
Why, you!!!!!