The middle section of a musical triptych that began with 2009’s We Are Only Riders, The Journey Is Long sees more kindred spirits paying tribute to the underrated works of The Gun Club frontman who died in 1996.
Pierce is a worthy subject for friends and fans alike, his post-punk blues and twisted take on American roots music revisited not so much just through cover versions as with the completion of half-finished songs with contributions from Pierce himself.
The project began when former collaborator Cypress Grove found a cassette containing previously unheard Pierce compositions during a clear-out, and here the likes of Nick Cave & Debbie Harry (Pierce was president of the Blondie fan club), Lydia Lunch, Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell and Jim Jones Revue all line-up to complete the songs.
Proceeds go to the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Foundation to buy musical instruments for under-privileged kids. Well worth investigating, then.
