Son of JayJamJah

Album #6: Tomorrow the Green Grass (1995)
The Jayhawks
Genre: Alternative Folk Rock
Dedicated to MB Member: Adidasss


A little bit of Americana\Country rock with the one of the nineties most sincere and original acts. From the captivating opening number “Blue” all the way through the “Ten little Kids” finale this is a fantastic listen. Soft and simple with just enough grandiose to pull off the melodramatic melancholy that makes this album work. It’s like being broken up with by your first girlfriend; so overwhelming in the moment but in retrospect so small in the grand scheme of things. (Redundant) The music conducts itself with just the right amount of seriousness. “Mrs. Williams Guitar” is the only song I find annoying and it’s one of the most well received from the album especially by the hipsters. I like the overwhelmingly sweet country ballad “Two hearts” a whole lot more. That song just exemplifies sorrow; this album is a sad sad album, but you feel better after you listen to it. Even the most testosterone loaded double Xers.

Some of the best songs on this album are the ones that a casual observer would like at as filler. “Over my Shoulder” is a beautiful tune; a song sort of tossed amongst the album nonchalantly but when given a chance is irrespirable in its honesty and openness. The vocal harmonies sort of shaking together is an evocative touch that makes it one of two flawless songs on the album. It’s hard to find a song that someone doesn’t love on this album “Bad Time” feels like a top 40 hit from a decade before or after it was released. “See him on the Street” and “Nothing Left to Borrow” each trade in very contrasting genres but each find a way to convey a very pure and melodic message and each has an uplifting moment that catches you instantly.

As I mentioned earlier there is not a truly bad song on this album; they all have a very specific sound and are excellent individual and collective compositions. Maybe it’s just because I do most of my album reviews under the influence, but lets face it, when I have time to sit at my computer and hack out an album review for absolutely no monetary compensation is exactly the same time I’m going to see to it that I am not 100% sober. Also **** grammar. I don’t know if the Jayhawks have ever really been talked about on here, but I guess that’s my fault as much as anyone’s it took me 1,500 posts to bring em’ up. Adidasss posted about them once before I was hee (Use your search function Newbs **Upper Right**) no one responded, this is your response buddy. This one’s for Croatia. Arbitrary rating: 9.9534\10

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Demonoid

Nice review that seems hard to resist. Anything with a country-ish feel has rarely appealed to me. But, I'm definitely willing to give this a listen. Maybe it won't click immediately, but it's definitely a winner if I could sit through the entire thing.(at least, that's the first step )
I'll get back here after listening to this.

Son of JayJamJah

Album #7: Boston (1976)
Boston
Genre: Rock & Roll
Dedicated to MB Member: Boo Boo


This album is great; It came out summer after my senior year of high school and it’s all we requested from the radio for weeks while we drove around the back roads getting drunk in the back of a Ford pick-up truck. Even smoked grass with the cops listening to “More then a Feeling”. This is ultimate summer time music; energetic, heavy and pure and simple straight forward rock and roll. They never came close after this enigmatic eponymous debut; but Boston still has a place as a quintessential Classic Rock band and this as one the “genres” best works.


I am going to try and keep this brief as it’s time to speed these reviews up. (Got about 10,000 more albums still to review after all) Most of you know the album anyway. “More then a Feeling” is a fantastic opener and one of the best songs with clapping in it ever. The slow build sets the albums powerful, dramatic mood. Brad Delp had the perfect voice to front this band and it’s on full display throughout the opening track as are Tom Scholz violent screaming guitar riffs and fills. Those two were the unquestioned nucleus of the band and drove its success in 1976 and even through just recently with Delp’s unfortunate suicide. The second track “Piece of Mind” is sort of rock out while sticking it to the man stuff that made being stoned and unemployed in the 1970’s fun. So gas is two bucks a gallon and you got to wait hours for it and call only fuel up on odd days, at least we can were tight jeans and tell our bosses to take this job and shove it. Awesome stuff.

The first three tracks of the album are the three best, Foreplay\Longtime is a progressive rock instrumental opener followed by a ballad-like single. Good times people, good times. Smokin’ is four minutes and twenty seconds long hmmm that’s a weird coincidence. “Hitchin’ a Ride” was inspired by that scene at the end of Lou Ferrigno’s Incredible Hulk…just kidding it’s a Green Day cover of course. They also have a song called Rock and Roll Band…get the idea these guys had a little fun. The lyrics include “Love, Music, yeah, yeah, yeah” Again, you’d like to be these guys in 1976. The last song “Let me Take You Home Tonight” is a good song, but so ridiculous when you evaluate lyrically.

“Now Im not like this, Im really kind of shy” – Just as shy as most guys who sing shirtless in front of 25,000 people.

”But I get this feeling whenever you walk by” - That’s called a boner

”I dont wanna down you, I wanna make you high” - Heavy stuff man

”Let me take you home tonight, Mamma now its alright

Let me take you home tonight, Ill show you sweet delight.” - Straight from the heart to be sure.

Anyway great album.

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Guybrush

Nice review! Like so many others, I love Boston's debut .. A true classic rock album!

Right now, I think my favourite song is "Rock and Roll Band", although it changes every now and then. I'll say to anyone who somehow don't already know this album (you should because it's sold 17x platinum), it's about time you get your hands on it.

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Trollheart

I'd definitely agree Boston never reached the heights they did on their debut with subsequent albums --- MTAF was such an iconic track I think we all thought the album was going to be mostly filler. Boy was it not!
But I do think that although they sort of lost their way on "Dont look back", they got back on track years later with "Third stage", which is, I think, an underappreciated classic, almost conceptual in its nature, with most of the songs flowing into each other, so that it's basically one long track. Very ambitious for a band who had by then been largely forgotten, or written off as "that band that did More than a feeling", but I think it really worked.
Standout tracks for me were "Cool the engines", "To be a man", and the two ballads "Hollyann" and "Amanda". Great stuff.
Unfortunately they then blew it with "Walk on", but that's another story.
Sorry to hijack your thread!

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Son of JayJamJah

Not at all, exactly the type of feedback I am looking for.

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4ZZZ

Top album. I have also been listening to the very good Hollywood Town Hall.
I was introduced to The Jayhawks about 3 months back and have not looked back.

TheBig3

I don't know if it will carry well enough.

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Son of JayJamJah

Album #8: Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)
Otis Redding
Genre: Soul
Dedicated to MB Member: Everyone under 20

1. "Ole Man Trouble"
2. "Respect"
3. "A Change Is Gonna Come"
4. "Down in the Valley"
5. "I've Been Loving You Too Long"
6. "Shake"
7. "My Girl"
8. "Wonderful World"
9. "Rock Me Baby"
10. "Satisfaction”
11. "You Don't Miss Your Water"

This is a distinct sound, a seminal piece of the Soul collection and one of my absolute favorites. Featuring just two songs credited to Redding; The first two tracks “Ole Man Trouble” and “Respect”. The rest of the tracks are covers from the likes of Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, B.B. King, The Rolling Stones and more. Each song is reimagined in a characteristic manner that is pure Soul, pure Otis. Putting my personal bias aside (well maybe not) this album contains the best recorded versions of “My Girl”, “Respect”, “Down in the Valley”, “Wonderful World” and “Satisfaction” of which Redding says "I use a lot of words different than the Stones' version. That's because I made them up".

Released just two years before his untimely passing; the then twenty four year old Redding performed with the gusto and fervor of the young man he was and related the anguish and spirit of an old Soul. His dynamic and dexterous demeanor is evident throughout the album as is his maturing yet still raw delivery. The energetic songs feature a more ferocious and raw tone while the slower numbers feel like a tenderer and methodical Redding delicately improvising over the splendor of the songs construct.

Recorded shortly after the death of his Idol, the album is in many ways a tribute to Sam Cooke. Otis covers “Shake” “Wonderful World” and “A Change is Gonna Come” doing each more then justice. The memory of Cooke’s music is what many claimed motivated Redding to do this album. Producer Issac Hayes described Redding as “…in the zone…” during the recording session. The albums final track “You Don’t Miss Your Water” slides of stage closing a near perfect collection.

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Akira

^^ Tis a great album, soul or otherwise.

Definitely Otis' best.

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