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Just like the first verse from a holy book, the opening scene of a movie or the first flirt before a long relationship, you can tell all you need to know from the momentum and flare that comes in the beginning. A band’s virginal record is no different. When looking back on Drive Like Jehu, it seems you can learn all you need from the first song, Caress, on the band’s self-titled debut.
Caress comes through the speakers with a distorted guitar riff — completely alone. It’s fast and all over the place, as if finding a home for the buried melody isn’t concern. Without warning, the rest of the band jumps in, the unmistakable screeching howl of singer/guitarist Rick Froberg follows. The change from lonely guitar to frantic blast is sudden and in no way expected, like an orgy turned into a bloody, naked brawl. The rest of the song never lets up, and that fast, homeless riff builds its own amidst all the chaos. This is what made Drive Like Jehu. The two albums to come from the band felt like a continuation of this first song.
In 1990, Rick Froberg and John Ries (a.k.a. Speedo), when fronting the greased-back rock outfit of Rocket From The Crypt, decided it was time for the two of them to play together again. They had a run in a previous band called Pitchfork. Drive Like Jehu also had one of the most solid rhythm sections in the history of garage rock/small-press punk records: Bassist Mike Kennedy and Mark Trombino.
Drive Like Jehu was a beast of its own design — an unmistakable one that screamed “destroy” with each note. The beast took no gasps for air, either. Sure, there were a handful of slower feedback-induced parts, but they just sounded like Sonic Youth hyped up drugs mixed in bathtubs. Only people who see God when taking LSD (and physics) can explain how this sound ended up on a major label at any point.
Since the guys quit playing together (Drive Like Jehu never officially broke up), they’ve been given the title of math rock’s creators, even been called the fathers of emo-core… whatever that is. With such fond titles, you can imagine there’ve been numerous cries for rebirth, but the band has had no plans for such a thing. Speedo and Rick Froberg have since worked together in the recently-broken-up Hot Snakes. Mark Trombino is known as a magician of knobs, producing timeless records for Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World. Mike Kennedy is some kind of chemist.
I often sit back wanting, to join those masses of people who cherish the idea of Drive Like Jehu playing their fast, unpredictable rock concoction again. But then, I think about why they stopped playing. I think they stopped playing because they did what they set out to do: Destroy everything we all knew about punk, garage rock and noise played fast without a care in the world.
Photo from the San Diego Reader.
Written by Matt DeBenedictis
In most rock contexts, at least one guitar also functions as a member of the rhythm section. I don’t know why music journalists don’t seem to understand this.
“Do You Compute? I Think You Do!”
I don’t think I will ever get enough of Drive Like Jehu. They were both on time and before their time.
Drive Like Jehu has been the soundtrack to my summer this year. I don’t really think I’ve been listening to anything else really.
In my opinion, they are one of the best bands and certainly one of the best things about the 90’s. I wish I could have saw them live.
That was a pretty pointless nitpick. Traditionally I’d say the rhythm section denotes the bass player and drummer. There were plenty of moments when the Jehu guitarists were doing their own thing and the bass and drums held it together, thus functioning as the rhythm section.
i’m with steven on this. drive like jehu was formative for me.
Please don’t sue me, but I discoverd Drive Like Jehu from Napster. Then bought their albums. OMG.
napster….. showing your age there
No, Brett, traditionally, the rhythm section has its roots in the Baroque era basso continuo. The basso continuo consisted of instruments capable of playing chords (harpsichord, organ, lute, etc) and bass instruments (cello, double bass, bassoon, etc). Going forward some 300 years to jazz, the rhythm section would consist of any combination of piano, organ, bass, guitar, and drums as distinct from melody playing instruments such as a trumpet or violin. This is essentially the same concept as the basso continuo, having chordal instruments and bass instruments. The purpose of the rhythm section is to provide the harmonic and rhythmic structure for the music. While a single line, as one might have with a bass instrument, can certainly imply a particular harmonic progression, it still provides an incomplete harmonic picture. An instrument that can play chords, such as a guitar, is a simple means by which to fill in the rest of the harmonic information. In a rock setting, generally, all of the instruments will function as a rhythm section with vocals providing the melody. While it’s certainly true that a guitar can function as a melodic instrument does not change the fact that the primary function of the guitar, Drive Like Jehu being no exception, is as a member of the rhythm section.
This band did for me what Rites of Spring and Fugazi didn’t seem to.
Also, the only thing I got from Napster was a bunch of live Weezer covers by Deftones.
the 1/3 with some science there.
actually, he’s right on the money. however, i don’t think “traditionally” meant “in the annuls of all musical history.”
probably something closer to “the general consensus has been among our peers for some time that…”
and if you want to get really nitpicky, the viola de gamba would have been a more likely component of the basso continuo than the other stringed instruments during the actual baroque period.
um… yeah I guess I meant “traditionally” as in what Sean Cannon said. I guess I got schooled there. My argument about that being a pointless nitpick still stands though… A great little reminder by our friend Matt to the unstoppable force that was Drive Like Jehu and the 1/3rd has to get all smarty pants. Have you never defaulted to a generalization before?
BTW, Matt… In a recent interview/DJ session with Rob da Bank, Mogwai played a Hot Snakes tune on BBC Radio 1 the other night.