Jim Shepard, Heavy Action (ever/never, 2019)
Of the spectrum of human experiences that get told through art, I find awkwardness to be the most interesting. Itâs way more common than heartache, yet we seem to understand it less.
Thatâs the secret ingredient in this collection of odds and ends by the enigmatic Ohio underground legend, the late Jim Shepard. Heavy Action compiles never-before-heard material from live shows and private recording sessions, but also voicemails, interviews and snippets of home experiments (and a whole 12â is dedicated to tributes to Shepard by close friends and collaborators - which sounds lame but I assure you itâs great).
The vein Shepard tapped in was so overflowing with self expression, art was constantly pouring out of him: sound collages, folk ballads, hardcore ragers, poetryâeverything was committed to tape and spread tumultously, in disregard of the laws of music business. His band V-3, arguably the pinnacle of his production, shines on this record with a bunch of impressive, noisy and powerful live cuts that provide a stark contrast from his sweet and angsty solo output. He dreamt of becoming a cult figure, like Lou Reed in the early 70s. But a special awkwardness spurts from his lyrics: he couldnât project a persona like Lou did.
Thatâs why I donât just listen to Jim Shepard - even though nobody in their right mind could deny the beauty of songs like âOne Percent of Nothingâ, âCome Carry Me Downâ or âForever Lowmanâ (especially of a live version so visceral like the one included here) - I empathize with the guy. I smile benevolently at âStar Powerâ. I feel him pouring his soul out playing Bob Dylanâs âBaby Blueâ. I cry at Charles Cicirellaâs poem about his death. I get nostalgic reading Tom Laxâs captivating liner notes.
So, this triple record is really worth buying for several reasons: the music is top notch, the curation is seamless, the photos are beautiful and the booklet is an unmissable slice of underground music history. And most importantly youâll make a friend. Heâs a bit of a jerk and youâll need to keep his ego in check, but you wonât regret meeting Jim.
Click here to listen to Heavy Action on Bandcamp.
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