The Gospel of James Scott Bullard

James Scott Bullard sings like he’s trying to save his own life.
He plays like he's trying to put out a fire on his guitar.
There’s more soul in his thin-framed body than most of us will ever have.

I have honestly seen full on gospel concerts where I didn’t feel or see this much soul.

I’m not a religious man per say and even though he’s singing songs mostly about sin and leaving the salvation as a side note, it’s like the mighty finger of God has pointed to him and said: “This one is special.”

My wife said it best: "There’s something moving through him, and he’s no longer in control."

It reminds me of the scene in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors” where Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer) is onstage singing and dancing, but the ghost of some old Indian Shaman is dancing beside him, almost carrying him through the performance.”

In truth, it’s like watching a man on fire.
And when confronted with this statement Bullard smirks and simply says: “I am.”
All I could do was smile and walk away like a teeny-bopper who had just met a Jonas Brother, he didn’t know who I was, or that I was eventually going to publish this review and I doubt he even cared.

I witnessed a bit of prophet, storyteller and heartworn anti-hero all wrapped into one.

I get the feeling that the first people who saw Hank Williams, Elvis, or Mick Jagger felt this same way.

I can honestly say that after seeing Bullard’s show, I left as a devout believer.
Godspeed to you Mr. Bullard…When the rest of the music world catches onto the fire I’ve witnessed (and trust me, it won’t be long) you’ll go down in history as the match!



-Freddie “King Rat” Weisman
‘Lightning in a Bottle Publishing’

BIG MOUTH BLUES

James Scott Bullard was in rare form when I phoned him for our interview about the upcoming release of his new record “The Star-Crossed Sessions”…I had read an article recently where Bullard was being rather hard to deal with because the writer wasn’t asking the questions Bullard thought he should, so I set out to do just that, but Mr. Bullard was back on his soapbox about the labeling he’s been receiving, in fact there was no mention of the new record at all.
I guess he just had to get some things off his chest on this particular day, and one thing I’ve learned as a writer is that to get a good story, sometimes it’s better to just shut up and listen; a rule I’m not sure Bullard is familiar with at all…

“It’s not about country music, it’s not about rock music…It’s not even about country-rock music!
And I know I’m gonna piss off the Gram (Parsons) fans who expect me to champion the ‘Cosmic American’ sound he fathered, but it’s not even about that to me!” Bullard declares.

“It’s just about songs man! No labels, no ideals, no pigeonholes.
…And it’s about going against the grain of everything that country or pop music stands for…
People tell me all the time, ‘Dude, I hate country music but I love what you do!’
Well, that’s because I don’t see the borderlines, I don’t see country or rock.
I see that it all came from the same place; some broken-hearted loser at their wits end with life, love, themselves or whatever, with a guitar and a big mouth!”
“…But I also know that that’s the same thing Gram said, and therefore let the pigeonholing commence. I don’t really care anymore, I mean I love Gram Parsons, and it’s flattering to be called the ‘New Gram Parsons’.
Thank God people even acknowledge me at all, but there’s too much responsibility with labels, and I got into the music business to be irresponsible for Christ’s sake!”

“I mean if during my show, I want to go from playing a two-step right into Iggy Pop’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ that should be ok, and you better damn well believe it is!…Because it’s my show!” Demands Bullard.


“The new generation doesn’t get it anymore…Forget all the Taylor Swift's and Kenney Chesney's…Go back about 30 years kids and get your hands on some Waylon, Willie or Johnny Cash. For that matter, go back about 50 years and get some old Hank records…Those guys were the first punks if there ever was a punk movement! …And they did it by saying;
‘Screw the cookie cutter, we’re gonna make ‘em eat pot brownies!
…And Willie was there ready to supply the weed!” Laughs Bullard.

“Band’s like the (Sex) Pistols and The Ramones just gave it a name and a new face, but those other guys started the attitude…no doubt!”

…And that’s the sermon as I got it that day.
Bullard brings to mind the line from The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony”: “I’m a million different people from one day to the next…” Because as I understand from some of my counterparts who have encountered Bullard: That’s just Tuesday for him.
If I had called on Wednesday; I could have gotten a conversation about zombie films. Thursday; the importance of Glenn Danzig. Friday; Charles Bukowski books.

However, there is no denying the talent.
Though Bullard has yet to release any demo’s to the press, which is unusual for him, I’d be willing to bet my kids’ college fund that it will be a masterpiece:

A. Because it’s the first record he’s completed since finding sobriety over 2 years ago.

B. From what I hear, his live shows are the best they’ve ever been and the new songs he’s playing are amazing.

C. James Scott Bullard has yet to let us down.

--Freddie ‘King-Rat’ Weisman
‘Lightning in a Bottle Publishing’


For more info on this artist: www.myspace.com/jamesscottbullard