The WESLEY WILLIS FIASCO (USA)

Spooky
disharmonious
conflicthellride
-CD
1995 (Urban Legend)





"People all over the world know about the legend, the rock superstar that is Wesley Willis. Some may say he is the most prolific artist of our time. But one thing most people don't know is that Wesley Willis once had an amazing rock god worthy band, called the Fiasco." - MartianChurch


"His songs were simultaneously disturbing, hilarious, blunt, and intoxicating. Wesley's sheer excitement and unaffected honesty about every cultural phenomenon, defined his music as truly individual, and truly punk rock." - Alternative Tentacles

"In the year of 1990 up 'til 1996, I had 12,852 hell bus rides on the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) bus." - Wesley Willis


"Once Wesley Willis was simply a member of Chicago's legions of homeless, albeit a rather unique and imposing one -- a six-and-a-half foot, 350-pound black man with a brow-to-chin knife scar and severe paranoid schizophrenia who rode the bus a lot and earned a little money selling his colorful line drawings of the city. In the early '90s Willis began writing songs and before long, pre-Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan collaborator Dale Meiners took him in, helped him exhibit his art, and introduced him to such local indie rock luminaries as Corgan, Urge Overkill's Nash Kato and Steve Albini. Soon Meiners and Willis were playing music together in the aptly titled heavy metal group The Wesley Willis Fiasco." - Jesse Ashlock



"Chicago has produced many great things: The Bulls, wind, and the Bulls. But nothing has been more culturally important and groundbreaking than Wesley Willis, a 300-pound schizophrenic black man who is quite possibly the greatest 300-pound schizophrenic black man who ever lived.

Born in 1963, and dead in 2003 from leukemia, Wesley Willis, like the Ramones, proved that talent wasn't necessarily important when it came to making rock music as long as you had moxie by the booty loads - and a keyboard that never said "that's enough, Wesley!"

But with over 1,000 songs in his archive and a cult following of "Harold and Maude" proportions, Wesley still doesn't get the epic respect that Elvis Presley does.

That's indecent. Especially because Wesley did more for music than that hunka hunka burning turd ever did.

Here's why. Back, way back - before Wesley, before even dinosaurs - people were content with songs with "meaning." Songs that really touched the inner hair follicles of their souls. Wesley changed all that.

Instead of making sense like most musicians did, Wesley just started saying nonsense, paving the way for other groups like Pearl Jam and the Beastie Boys.

He did this over heavy guitar riffs and dramatic drum solos - and my Lord, it was riveting.



With genre-bending songs such as "Jesus is the Answer," "Stop The Violence" and "Casper The Homosexual Friendly Ghost," Wesley was already making a name for himself. That name being Wesley Willis." - Rich Knight

Wesley Willis - Vocals
Dale Meiners - guitar
Pat Barnard - guitar
Dave Nooks - bass guitar
Brendan Murphy - drums

TRACKLIST:
1. Get On The Bus
2. I'm Doing It Well On The Side Of The REA
3. Pop That Pussy
4. Casper The Homosexual Friendly Ghost
5. I Can't Drive
6. He's Doing Time In Jail
7. Bar Is Closed, The
8. Jesus Is The Answer
9. Blood, Guts & Fire Trucks
10. She Loves Me Truly
11. Drink That Whiskey
12. Steve Albini
13. Steve Albini (reprise)
14. I'm Sorry That I Got Fat

Download Part1 Part2 (you'll need both)