Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Controversial Negro” 1997. Matador Records. Promotional Only release, live performance from Nov. 25, 1996 at Tucson’s Hotel Congress. This vinyl was distributed via a promo contest for college radio stations in ‘97 and involved answering a number of trivia
questions about JSBX. Winning stations were sent about 20 copies along with some boxes of Rice-a-Roni. I secured this copy because I’m friends with a program director at Milwaukee’s WMSE (Milwaukee School of Engineering’s radio station) and he enlisted my help with the trivia questions, the only one of which we could remember was “Who plays bass in the band?” (trick question of course).

According to Pop Catastrope’s website, the title for this album comes from the Public Enemy song “Burn Hollywood Burn” from their 1990 album “Fear of a Black Planet.” Towards the end of the track someone asks Flava Flav the following question: “Now we’re considering you for a part in our new production, how do you feel about playing a controversial negro?” The artwork used on the promotional album along with the title Controversial Negro was originally intended for “Now I Got Worry.” An article from Vox states “Jon Spencer is playing with fire. He’s gleefully taunting the inverse-racists of so-called liberal America with incendiary images. He is, after all, a graduate of semiotics (the brand of linguistics concerned with signs and symbols), so he knows exactly what he’s doing. Controversial Negro works on two distinct levels: firstly it’s a timely reminder to the journalistic ‘squares’ of far simpler times, when Jagger and his Rolling Stones (now untouchable old-guard stalwarts) were similarly decried for ‘bastardizing the blues’; secondly, it’s a forceful visual communiqué that the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion staunchly refuse to be intimidated into artistic compromise.” So knowing that, I’m not sure how to interpret the run-off groove scratchings which include on Side 1 “Amerikkka’s Most Racist” and on Side 2 “Cut the rockstar bullshit.”

The live performance is tight, crisp and frantic, but missing is the visual crazed energy of hardworking frontman Spencer, whose best line ever is from “Can’t Stop” (second track on Side 1) where he barks “Throw your hands in the air and kiss my ass ‘cause your girlfriend still loves me.” Yep.