Gun Club's
Death Party EP was issued in 1983 between the mixing and mastering disaster that was
Miami, the band's second album, and the nearly sublime
Las Vegas Story. The recording also features a new and extremely short-lived lineup that featured guitarist
Jim Duckworth (
Panther Burns), drummer
Dee Pop (
Bush Tetras), a friend of his on bass named
Jimmy Joe Uliana, and
Pierce's then girlfriend
Linda "Texacala" Jones on backing vocals. The five tracks could have been outtakes from
Miami, powerful, dark
rock of disillusionment, drug abuse, and warped sexuality. The playing here is somewhat pedestrian though certainly able. The pathos on
the Gun Club's best records is missing here, but the quality of the songwriting makes up for it some. Certainly fans will want this. [In 2004,
Sympathy for the Record Industry reissued the EP on compact disc with seven bonus tracks from a live performance on
Radio Geneva. What's notable about it is
Pierce's between-song banter, which is entertaining, snotty, and obviously intoxicated, and he plays piano on every tune. This gig is also the first recorded performance of bassist
Patricia Morrison (aka
Pat Bag from the L.A.
punk quartet
the Bags) with the band. (She would remain for years before leaving to join
the Sisters of Mercy.) The material from the radio gig contains three tunes from
Death Party, covers of
"Run Through the Jungle" the old
roots rock nugget
"Heebie Jeebies," and
Lewis Allan's
"Strange Fruit," as well as a scorching rendition of
"Fire of Love."] ~ Thom Jurek
