***Rush Hour is the third album of Wesley's released by Alternative Tentacles. Most of you no doubt recall Volume's 1 & 2 in our Greatest Hits series released in 1996 and 1999 respectively. Wesley recorded Rush Hour in 1993, and like the majority of his recordings, was never released. We already have used 5 tracks from the album in our "greatest hits" series. Jello realized that there were so many "greatest hits" candidates on Rush Hour, why not release the whole thing. Since being diagnosed schizophrenic in 1989 Wesley Willis has recorded around 100 albums. Writing, performing, and recording serve as therapy helping Wes quiet the voices in his head. Before he was a man about town in his native Chicago and could get into shows and write about bands, Wesley relied mainly on his own fertile imagination. Wesley Willis has been compared to Franz Kafka, Brian Wilson, Jad Fair, and Wild Man Fischer among others. And, not unlike other great songwriters, his songs have been described as: disturbing, hilarious, unique, raw, intoxicating, and honest. 2 of his albums were released on American Recordings. Rush Hour is surely one of his most eclectic albums: Wes uses alternating tempos; spooky intros; fake live sounds; and, as always, plenty of lyrical originality. This is Wesley at his most consistently abstract and stunningly original. (Note: to make it fit on one LP, we're omitting 5 songs: the same songs that are also on Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2.) Rock Over London...Rock on...
CD $13.00
01/19/2008
MP3 $9.90
01/19/2008
***The third volume in Alternative Tentacles' WESLEY WILLIS Greatest Hits series, comes sadly just after Wesley's death at age forty. Culled from the dozens of self-released CDs Wesley released over the years, the album features twenty-five gems of spellbinding rock'n'roll from a truly unique performer. Enhanced-CD features a Willis video montage, artwork, photos, sound samples, and liner notes.
CD $9.50
10/21/2003
***A second collection of personally insightful and hi-larious songs from this overly-prolific, schizophrenic Chicago cult-fave compiled by his biggest fan, Jello Biafra. Culled from over 700 songs spread across Wesley's 30 self-released CDs it would appear there's plenty left for additional compilations. Scream, Dracula, scream, cuz there's liner notes by Biafra, and covers of songs by Duran Duran and Pure Prairie League. Could we get a little less vocals in the head monitors, please?
CD $13.00
05/04/1999
MP3 $9.90
05/04/1999
LP $9.75
06/21/2004
CD $13.00
06/21/2004
MP3 $9.90
06/21/1996