When Son of Sam I Am first hit the public consciousness, Too Much Joy seemed to have the world at their feet. Critics loved the album, fans flocked to their shows, and they worked their asses off. They were the next big thing. They were what everyone had been waiting for. It was meant to be. Except it wasn’t. Sadly, the big time didn’t beckon, and what they became instead was a jobbing band. A great one. Still, most people would kill to be in that position, and I’m guessing even achieving that was more than their formative punk- and hip-hop-loving suburban kid’s imagination could have ever dreamed of. Over the years, they have released a stream of excellent music to loyal fans, a tradition they continue today.
However, given that 35 years have passed since that album was released, the wise decision has been made to give it a second run, and “My Past Lives” has gone out ahead of that release to get us back in the mood.
Essentially an imaginary list of all the past lives they have lived, from the high up to the not so mighty, the working man and the charismatic leader, and everything in between, put to raw and raucous punk-infused chords, shout-sung backing vocals, searing guitars, pounding drums, and groovy, funk-fuelled basslines.
Sitting somewhere between spoken rap and punky indie, it reminds us of the numerous sonic worlds that were colliding back in the late eighties when the band first set out for fame and fortune. And it is that clever blend of sounds and scenes that keeps the song so untarnished by time; it is as hard to pigeonhole in the post-genre music world of today as it was back in 1990.
The reissue, now known as Son of Sam I Am (Tommy’s Version), is out on October 31st and is now 35 tracks long, packed with extra tracks and additional content.
