Jesus Was Born in a Mobile Home, a cassette release from the fall of 1984, represents Spike in Vain’s first attempt at a second album. Recorded shortly after the release of Disease Is Relative in January 1984, the original group returned to The Island and laid down tracks for nine songs, with a focus on the band’s earliest material. Most of these songs were written before those that appeared on the debut album, so the tape functions as a prequel to the debut even though it was recorded afterwards. Some of the tracks have a more traditional hardcore approach than the first album, but there is still the trademark coloring outside the lines for which the group is known. And of course it’s mostly quite dark, with the majority of songs addressing death or paralyzing fear.
Not long after recording basic tracks, drummer Bruce Allen announced his plans to cut ties and focus on his own group. It was decided to quickly finish the recordings anyway, release them on cassette, and try again later when another drummer was found. Since one of the songs was rejected and the rest only added up to 20 minutes, it was decided to include additional random material to fill out the tape. But what glorious “filler” that turned out to be! There’s the very first performance of “Ugly and Damaged” from the band’s first gig in early 1983. And “Love Isn’t Hollow” from a 1981 rehearsal tape featuring Bruce completely shredding on guitar, the only known recording of this embryonic version of the band. Rounded out with rousing live takes of the Stooges’ “Real Cool Time” and a newer song, “Deathstyle,” what seemed like random extras at the time of release now seem like prescient grave-robbing. They would’ve been lost by now had they not been issued back then.