Mojo Nixon has paid his dues. For more than 10 years, he has been releasing albums that garnered him plenty of popular acclaim and some good critical notice, but not the greatest record sales. He has also built up a pretty hefty fan base, particularly in college radio stations where his music has met with the most airplay.
His early albums with Skid Roper and without (self titled, Frenzy, Get Out Of My Way!, and Bo-Day-Shus!!!) depict a portrait of a man at war with popular culture while living day to day in the confines of an MTV reality. It's no accident that his song "Stuffin' Martha's Muffin" is all about that Neutrogena pitchwoman herself, MTV alumnus Martha Quinn. Mojo has had one eye (heh heh) cocked (double heh heh), casting a baleful glance at the idiosyncracies of living in the U.S.A.
His lyrics have always mixed up the clever with the absurd, and his sense of satire is always in attendance. He has sung about tabloid topics ("The Amazing Bigfoot Diet", "Elvis Is Everywhere", etc.), government ("I Ain't Gonna Piss In No Jar", etc.) and of course, Christmas (the must-own album, Horny Holidays). Mojo has spread the word as well, playing dates in the far corners of the world and right here in that BBQ you had last summer in the backyard. He is a man of the people who knows that the best way to say something is the direct way. Thus, he has told us that "Don Henley Must Die", something we probably already knew in our hearts, but which we were no less the wiser from hearing it from the prophet's lips.
What remains? After dozens of records that skewered the stupidity of McDonald's and the presidency, what should the Man do for an encore? Why, release the rarities of course! As 1997 dawned, Mojo Nixon released the hounds on an unsuspecting populace, and Gadzooks!!! was born. The latest CD is subtitled "The Homemade Bootleg", and it comprises unreleased stuff, compilation tracks, and some amazing album leftovers. It starts off Mojo enough, with the truck-driving classic "UFO's, Big Rigs, & BBQ", recorded with the World Famous Blue Jays. Next up is a modern-day classic, "Bring Me The Head of David Geffen" ('Why David Geffen? Because he brought back Aerosmith and the Eagles, that's why!'). Oh my, seldom has vitriol sounded so sweet. Third on the album is "I Like Marijuana" from the compilation a few years back called Marijuana's Greatest Hits Revisited. The rest of the album continues on in fine Mojo Nixon tradition, with a funky vibe that sometimes includes an accordion. Included on the album is even Mojo's earliest song recorded, "Death Row Blues", and plenty of songs about liquor. Hearing is believing.
So now Mojo Nixon has done it all. He's given us an album of holiday classics and radical interpretations, he's made several albums that defined college radio in the 80's and 90's, he's vented his spleen on every subject that's near and dear to a trailer family's life, and he has released his rarest gems for public consumption. Should we want more? Can he possibly have anymore to say? Hell yes! Here's a hearty slap on the back for Mojo, and a wish for many more albums and live dates to come. His songs go down smoother than "two toads fornicating in a bucket of mucous membrane", and they say something to boot. Elvis may be everywhere, but Mr. Nixon is the real King of rock'n'roll.
