James Chance and the Contortions
The Flesh Is Weak

James Chance is the equivalent of Jazz-Punk-Funk contamination in the late '70s New York No Wave scene.
At that time, there was quite a buzz: Many were forming art noise groups and no one cared if you had studied, much less if you were in tune. The important thing was to express yourself somehow and do it especially artistically, in other words, very anti-artistically...
With this album, James Chance attempts to essentially recreate that burning musical intensity: The schizophrenic improbable union between Albert Ayler and James Brown played by a white musician, a blasphemy that has never existed anywhere else since.
He partly succeeds, but many years have passed, and there's now a different sound impact from the time of -Contort Yourself.
A unique artist, decidedly underrated.