(Not) David Ragsdale, (not) David & Goliath! Jenifer Convertible rehearsal tape, ca 2000
PERSONNEL
Lenny Zenith: guitar, vocals
James Pertusi: bass, vocals
Jim Santo: vocals, guitar
Eddie Siino: vocals, drums
TRACK LISTING
Anger
Blue Time
I Made A Mistake
You Hurt My Feelings
Jackie Collins #9
Flicker
Coffee
Anger (Half Speed)
Drive (Wanna Drag dub excerpt)
Car Song (Wanna Drag)
Taystee Cake (Wanna Drag)
LOL! Belying appearances, this naked tape is not the 1997 solo LP by Kansas violinist David Ragsdale! Nah, it’s a rather good late-period rehearsal recording of my ’90s band, Jenifer Convertible.
“Anger” is about a shitty period in my life, but it’s one of the songs I’m most proud of writing; here’s a proper recording, with Lenny singing instead of me for some dumb reason.
“Blue Time” is a true collab between me and Lenny Zenith, inspired by calm pre-dawn moments in the crazed weeks following the birth of my first child in 1997 (here’s a live performance video).
The vicious “I Made A Mistake” was written by our drummer, the late Eddie Siino; along with “Anger”, we recorded it for our posthumous, mixed-after-the-breakup EP, Fumes. Who’s twisting the pan knob? Where was this recorded?
“You Hurt My Feelings” is a fucking great song. Classic JC. Why didn’t we record it properly? WTF knows? I mean, “Jackie Collins #9” made it onto Fumes, and while it’s very much in the vein of our “popular” 1995 single, “Speedracer“, I wouldn’t count it among our best. (Sorry, LZ!)
On the other hand, Zenith’s “Flicker” was and is a taut and sexy banger. Wish we’d pursued this sound.
Regrettably and inexplicably, we only get the tail end of Jamie Pertusi’s excellent song “Coffee” on this tape…and…I do not know what the fuck I am hearing now…it’s half-speed. Could it be David Ragsdale? Haha! Awesome, whatever it is…what the fuck…oh, it’s “Anger” at half speed. OK?
That momentary lapse of reason is followed by a bit of “Drive”, from our Wharton Tiers-produced LP Wanna Drag, but it’s all dubbed out for reasons forgotten. Then, two more songs from the same LP: “Car Song” and “Taystee Cake”, which, fine?
Anyway.
JenCon was just months away from falling apart at this time, for a variety of stupid reasons, but fuck man, we really were at the height of our powers!