Along with
Lydia Lunch,
James Chance was one of the key figures in the no wave movement of the late '70s in New York. Armed with an alto sax and a disjointed funk band that knew exactly what they were getting into,
Chance combined a disco beat, Ornette Coleman's Prime Time,
James Brown's funk, and
Stooges-era
Iggy Pop theatrics that few have ever come close to matching. It wasn't odd that members of his paying audience would occasionally get assaulted by
Chance if they weren't up and dancing. Unlike
G.G. Allin,
Chance never flung feces to get his point across, he went straight for the throat.
Irresistible Impulse is an amazing triple-disc, 49-song box set covering
Chance's entire career. It includes all four of his full-length albums, three on the Ze label (Buy the Contortions, Off White, and Flaming Demonics) and his 1982 release on
Chris Stein's Animal Records, Sax Maniac. Also included are extremely rare tracks from Theme From Grutzi Elvis, Melt Yourself Down,
Soul Exorcism, the unreleased Judy Taylor Sessions, one messed-up Christmas carol, "Christmas With Satan," and a 32-page booklet to boot.
James Chance is definitely an acquired taste, but make no mistake, this set of danceable sleaze will leave its mark on the novice and have the ardent fan frothing. ~ Al Campbell