Singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeffrey Lee Pierce (1958 - 1996) was an LA Punk rocker with a romantic take on American cultural heritage. Tommy Johnson, Howlin 'Wolf, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley and William Faulkner went hand in hand with Black Flag, The Cramps and Blondie (of whom he ran a fan club) in his experience world and all got a place in The Gun Club, the band which he founded in 1980.
Punk rock would never sound the same again after the release of their debut Fire Of Love, a year later. This record can be heard as a dark ritual of runaway punk-rockabilly, dirty blues played on slide guitars, voodoo, seamy romance, southern goth and sex. The group sounds fierce in a swirling performance of Robert Johnson's Preaching The Blues, but Pierce reveals himself mainly as an original songwriter and lyricist in songs such as Fire Spirit and Sex Beat. Immortal is the opening line 'You looked just like an Elvis from hell' by For The Love Of Ivy and that's exactly how Pierce sounds: tough and possessed, crying like a cross between Elvis and Jim Morrison. Fire Of Love (which according to Jack White should be taught as a bible in schools) is the first of a canon of four strong The Gun Club albums and a classic debut. (MR) tough and possessed crying like a cross between Elvis and Jim Morrison. Fire Of Love (which according to Jack White should be taught as a bible in schools) is the first of a canon of four strong The Gun Club albums and a classic debut. (MR) tough and possessed crying like a cross between Elvis and Jim Morrison. Fire Of Love (which according to Jack White should be taught as a bible in schools) is the first of a canon of four strong The Gun Club albums and a classic debut. (MR)more
