As is so often the case, talented and visionary musicians are rarely appreciated in their own lifetimes. Sometimes it feels as if certain artists are so far ahead of the curve that time is only just catching up. A prime example would be Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs, an ensemble who fused roadhouse blues with punk rock attitude and left a lasting impression on all those who witnessed their visceral attack. Releasing just one album during their original tenure, 1987’s Pigus Drunkus Maximus succinctly bottled the band’s frenetic live show but suffered from poor distribution and never made the impact it should. Now getting the long overdue and loving reissue it so thoroughly deserves, Pigus Drunkus Maximus will set Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs’ legacy in stone.
Due to Pigus Drunkus Maximus being out of print for so long a kind of mythical status has built up around it, meaning that this reissue comes heavily laden with expectation. While many have heard about this record, few have actually heard it and that means the bar is set exceptionally high for opening track ‘Dance With Your Baby’, but Top Jimmy and band rise to the challenge admirably. It’s a musical explosion that sends shards of sonics shattering in every direction, like ticker tape raining at a presidential parade. It’s the kind of music that’s guaranteed to garner a response from the listener (at least any one with a pulse) and will have all but the frail and infirm up and strutting their stuff. In 1981, Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs took up residency at the Cathay de Grande nightspot, playing the notoriously difficult Monday night slot, yet they magically turned it into a sparkly Saturday night and on the strength of ‘Dance With Your Baby’ its easy to see why. There’s something so very life affirming about the band’s sound that makes you forget external troubles and turns your focus solely on the music. If this is your first acquaintance with The Rhythm Pigs then you’ll be won over within the first few seconds, the band’s effervescence being highly addictive. Much of the album’s power comes from Steve Berlin’s (saxophone/percussion) production; as with the band’s live show Pigus Drunkus Maximus gets up close and personal with vocalist Top Jimmy (James Paul Koneck) sounding particularly gnarled, his hard living lifestyle giving him an authoritative whisky croak that delivers words full of drunken wisdom.
Of the eleven tracks included on this album, only three are Rhythm Pigs originals (all composed by guitarist Carlos Ayala), yet that it is weighed so heavily in favour of cover versions doesn’t detract from its power, quite the opposite, in fact. There’s a reason why Jimi Hendrix tunes are rarely covered, it takes a brave collective to approach his songs, but Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs tackle ‘Spanish Castle Magic’ head on and wrestle ownership by stamping their own personality on proceedings (which is surely the only way to cover a song) and like all the covers on this record, they are beaten into the band’s own shape through a combination of hard hitting blues and irresistible rhythms.
Favoured by musicians as diverse as The Blasters, David Lee Roth, Tom Waits and X, Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs have always enjoyed cult status amongst those in the know, but it seems that with this loving reissue (complete with unseen photographs and various ephemera) the world is finally ready for the best kept secret that is Pigus Drunkus Maximus.
- Pigus Drunkus Maximus is released via Blind Owl Records on 16th January 2026.
Track List:
- Dance With Your Baby
- 11 Months And 29 Days
- Homework
- Obviously Five Believers
- Hole In My Pocket
- Spanish Castle Magic
- Do The Do
- Framed
- Workin’ Man Blues
- Backroom Blues
- Ballad Of A Thin Man
