Josefus
Dead Man

An awful skull in the foreground occupies the entire cover of the album: "Dead Man" couldn't be clearer than that. 1970 marks the debut of Black Sabbath with their self-titled album, to which a certain style of music owes practically everything, and to which in a certain sense, this work by Josefus, an American band contemporary to them, can be associated.

If we dig a little deeper into history, we realize that an earlier version of the album was already released in '69 in the USA under the title "Get Off My Case," a title undoubtedly of lesser impact and more flirtatious with a musical genre popular in those years in the States. The following year, with a change of label (and some tracks), Josefus released their LP "Dead Man," a work that mixes blues, south rock, hard rock and at times even reaches psychedelia (without going overboard with endless trills and far from spacey atmospheres). The tracks are paced and marked by rather raw guitar riffs (never as heavy as Iommi & Co) and by a peculiar and warm voice that doesn't spare high notes and yells every now and then. The sound is dense and mushy (it reminds me of "A New Day Yesterday" by Jethro Tull, but without frills - and with the benefit of the doubt) and, while on one hand it highlights the dirty and rock soul from overseas, on the other it can result in the long run a somewhat flat and repetitive sound. Perhaps the most obvious flaw of the album lies precisely in this lack of truly significant peaks, that is, many good tracks, some excellent, but perhaps not one that stands out above all and compels a repeated listen. In short, there’s no real chart-topping single, “the” classic.

Among the tracks, in truth, as mentioned, all similar to one another, noteworthy are “Crazy Man” (a classic opener that anticipates everything else), “Gimmie Shelter” (with a rolling stone influence), the short but excellent “Situation” (enriched by the harmonica sound), and the concluding title track “Dead Man” (a long ride characterized by now slow, now pressing rhythms).

The ascent of Josefus fades shortly after: in the same year, the album “Josefus” (a more southern record with less somber atmospheres) is released, a good LP that, however, adds nothing substantial to "Dead Man," revealing a creative difficulty that prevents the band from making a mark in the mainstream.

Despite all its limitations, Josefus deserve more than a listen, and they should be credited for the innovative character of their proposal (after which they unjustly stopped) and the more than good quality of their music, appreciated by lovers of blues, rock, and perhaps Hard and Heavy.

Today, it is possible to find the two albums, "Josefus" and "Dead Man," on double CD, which essentially compiles the entire discography (excluding live performances). The two unjustly cut tracks, originating from "Get Off My Case," have been reinserted, including the eponymous song, a memorable and heartfelt ballad that, in my opinion, is the best track on the entire album.