ArtistInfo

Jay Allen And The Gumdrop Jungle
Dourpuss

Album US 2001 on Abomination Records label
Electronic, Rock and Classical (Alternative Rock, Abstract)

Produced by Jay Allen All Vocals, Instruments, and Programming by Jay Allen Recorded in Jay's Basement, Patchogue, NY Mixed at Sonic Underground, Stony Brook, NY by Jay Allen and John Tabacco SA3 Mastering : John Tabacco CD Design and Graphix by Blake Seals Liner Notes © 2001 by Jay Allen and John Tabacco All Words and Music © 2001 by Jay Allen NOTE: If you are thinking that the composition “Something Not Quite Love” is nothing but a raunchy portrayal of a man and woman engaged in fornication, please take a closer look. The act of sex is actually an allegory for the music industry, the treatment of it’s artists, and the ever elusive dream of success. (The music biz being the greedy whore and the artist getting screwed, abused and sucked dry.) At it’s core, the song has nothing to do with sex at all. “I know that she is evil, but I want her just the same.” Think about it. Conversely, “Psalm of St. Vicious” is a celebration of libidinous and good, but he just can’t seem to resist the temptation of worldly pleasures. There are no metaphorical implications in this song and the lyrics should be taken at face value. Thank you. By the way, I consider this music to be rock & roll, but if you prefer more quirky terminology, try “Elevator Metal”. Cheers, -Jay Dourpuss - The Album When Jay Allen first asked me to write liner notes for this CD I was a bit overwhelmed as to what to write. I mean, I could give a fancy critique/analysis of each tune i.e., the asymmetrical forms some of the songs take, their occasional slippery odd time signatures, unexpected harmonic and melodic twists, the brilliantly calculated placement of gothic sounding unison lines between bass and guitar and of course, lyrics that dare to couple “Jizz” and “Shostakovich” in the same breath. Or I could tell you about my previous experiences working with Jay over the last seven years: how he’s matured musically (honing his unique “Elevator Metal” sound) and how he is always well prepared when coming into the studio. Instead, I’ve decided to write about raisins and how they are relentless flavor demons that can ruin a perfectly good meat loaf. Raisins. By themselves, I can deal with their wrinkled sweetness, but as far as putting them in other food, I begin to lose focus and my taste buds go nuts. You just can’t hide them in a mix. No mistaking a raisin in a perfectly executed loaf of rye bread. Might as well slap my ass and color me yellow matter custard. A raisin can be a real troublemaker. Now at first, I was under the impression that raisins grew on trees, but I was later tricked (thank you Marci Geller and Gian DiMauro) into believing that they were just watermelons that were dried and shrunk. Who knew that?… OK. Maybe I should get to the matter at hand: the CD, “Dourpuss”. Yes, a wonderfully conceived work depicting the personal triumphs and tribulations in Jay’s life. A totally up-to-date statement, due largely to his purchasing of some multi-track home recording equipment. Jay now has the leisure to record as he feels, when he feels like it, without interruptions (except for the occasion “Dog Love” responsibilities). The result: pure Jay Allen at his most uninhibited best! The way a god or some unifying cosmic force intended. Give a listen and open up your musical mind. These songs have a lot of depth and deserve repeated listening. Their uniqueness stems from Jay’s understanding of classical, jazz, musical theater and heavy rock music (not to mention his virtuosity on the six stringed devil.) Yup, it’s all here. The unabashed sounds emanating from the mysterious “Gumdrop Jungle” onto this little plastic disc make for a deeply personal, twisted yet tasty non stop sonic meld that just works! NOT,and I repeat, NOT like when you put those bastardly uncompromising raisins into a mix! -John Tabacco

Musicians

	Jay Allen And The Gumdrop Jungle , album by
	Jay Allen producer, performer, programmed by, mixed by

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