Wirral’s Jegsy Dodd still has a lot to say with new album Loquacious, Loquacious, Loquacious

Feb 4 2009 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

IN A new album from Jegsy Dodd and the Original Sinners, Wirral poet Jegsy returns to form with his intelligent and humorous observations of life.

The album continues where he left off after Wake Up and Smell the Offy, but this time it’s a more powerful production, funny and thought provoking and often just downright surreal.

Jegsy and the band manage to combine disco, reggae, rock, jazz and electro beats.

Jegsy Dodd first came to public attention back in 1985, when the late John Peel picked out his demo and invited him to record a BBC session.

Peel then made the suggestion that Jegsy should put together a band and record an album.

Thus Jegsy Dodd and the Sons of Harry Cross were born. They signed to the Probe Plus label (home of Half Man Half Biscuit) and within weeks they were in the studio to record Winebars & Werewolves, which was released in 1986.

The band toured the UK and Europe, with most shows selling out in hours, releasing album number two Jewel in the Flat Cap before calling it a day.

In 2004, Jegsy had a chance meeting with ex-Sons of Harry Cross bassist Staunch in a Wirral off-licence. They agreed to get together again to record some new material as Jegsy had been writing poetry again.

The plan was simple - get some new tracks together for a few mates to listen to “for a bit of a laugh”. Somehow, they ended up on the desk for Radio 1’s Rob da Bank who played it on his One Music Show.

As the switchboard became jammed, the band were once again invited to play a live session at Maida Vale.

When the album Wake Up and Smell the Offy was released in 2005, the Radio 1 airplay support was huge and showed once again that after 15 years, Jegsy’s poetic skills in writing form were better than ever.

The single Grumpy Old Men even went on to become Radio 1’s Festive 50 Number 1 in 2005, beating the likes of Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys.

New album Loquacious Loquacious Loquacious looks set to follow in 05’s footsteps as Jegsy is clearly still bursting with intellectual comment and savage wit. You only need look as far as the sleeve to see tracks like Sir Les and the Blue Peter Garden Incident and A DJ Shaved My Wife.