spooky vibes

Most people have bad connections with the flute in rock music. Its either some hippie-dude (pictured here) or Jethro Tull. But that is not always the case... Take for example obscure shoegazers Blind Mr Jones. The classic comparison that is most easiest to make and has probably been made time and time again is Ride jamming with a flute. But thats certainly not all there is to them. While most bands layered on the fuzz and noise, BMJ took time to find a much looser space for their meandering flute lines, which certainly helped them stand out from the then crowded field in the early 90s. Also, while the lyrics are the general hazy bliss fare, the basslines are slightly more leaning towards the Gallup/Hook realm.

After two EPs on Cherry Red, they issued their debut, Stereo Musicale in 1992. By 1994's sophmore Tatooine LP they had lost most of their wandering flute adventures (much to the chagrin of some folks) and developed more of their own style, but rest assured it still wasn't very far removed from the core sound of the genre. Cherry Red issued a 'very best of...' compilation of choice cuts from the two albums more recently, which is your best bet for finding these out of print gems aside from the used bins.

Blind Mr. Jones - Spooky Vibes
Blind Mr. Jones - Small Caravan
Blind Mr. Jones - Dolores
Blind Mr. Jones - Mesa