Album of the Week - Opinion/Samples

I just bought Rainy Day last week after hearing the Jayhawks on NPR. I have only been listening in my truck where I have been having a ball with it and think others might, as well. Maybe you should have saved it as a road listen. A quick listen on the big rig suggests a typical sibilant mike was used, which I can tame with my eq, thank goodness. Ben, what discs do you recommend from the Jayhawks?

Charlie-I'm a really big fan of Sound Of Lies although most purists enjoy Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass before Olsen left.
These are probably closer in tone to Rany Day Music with their Alt-country sound (but not as like The Byrds) but imho much better written,varied and with a deftness of touch missing from their last album.
Sound Of Lies is both rockier and a bit more out there but the key songs really are excellent and feature really great guitar lines.
This was also a break up album and as such appeared to be written from the heart (Louris was on the verge of divorce from his wife).
I think the new one song's are a bit lame lyrically as well.

RE - The Jayhawks. Danvetc, if you like the CSN(Y) sound of Rainy Day Music, you'd like The Thorns debut (Matthew Sweet - who also appars on RDM; Pete Droge; Sean Mullins). The album nails vocal harmony/instrumentation of CSNY and their wide-open spaces Americana sound. I haven't listened to it that much - but it's pretty impressive as a stylistic recreation. See http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2902676 for samples.

Regiolanthe- your effort to keep this alive is commendable.

Following on the heels of the deafening applause for my first suggestion...

http://www.johnnemethblues.com

No samples, but go buy Jack of Harps anyhow, on my word that it kicks butt. The album starts with John blowing harp in a Little Walter mode, moves to a shuffle, simmers, then boils on a couple of originals, suprises you with a way off-beat Sonny Boy Williamson tune (where john shows his huge vocal range singing male and female parts of the song) and mixes in some great original material like Love Zombie. The album sounds very retro, and there's no overdubbing or BS- the "tricks" are limited to John occasionally singing into his harp mic for effect. It was recorded in John's living room, but you will not care. Trust me.

John is a hell of a nice guy, and has honed his harp skills and vocals playing a ton of live gigs the last 15 years. I've watched him since his band was too young to play in bars. If you ever find his first album, Harmonica Frenzy- buy it-- Some Junior Wells covers, but he makes them his own and adds some great other tunes on that as well. DO NOT buy the album with the blue chicken foot on it- it was a jazz experimental thing John did and it's lousy. He even admits he doesn't like it now.

And in keeping with the thread's original intent, stuff that you can go hear samples of...

http://www.michaelpickett.com/

Michael Pickett is a white guy from Canada, but he has the blues. For real. "Blues Money" and "Conversation with the Blues" are my favorites, his site has samples of these two albums and more. Great harp work, tight arrangements, very listenable. The recording is pretty good - it's not a standout recording, but it's not a lousy recording. This isn't an "audiophile approved recordings of crap music" thread, right? It's about the music.

AOW - Wk 7

Francis Dunnery - Let's Go Do What Happens.

Francis Dunnery is a transplanted Brit, now living on a farm somewhere in Vermont. In his early days, he fronted a Prog Rock band called "It Bites" (which apparently were a UK success); as a solo act, he's known for his guitar skills (backing up Robert Plant and Carlos Santana, among others), and an attachment to Astrology (apparently once wrote an astrology column for Billboard)

Let's Go Do What Happens (1998) is his fourth solo release -

Some things I like about the album -

First - FD has an unabashed sense of spirituality and optimism in humanity that come out in his lyrics. Sort of reminds me of a movie I saw with the kids this weekend - Elf - wide-eyed wonder in a cynical world.

Second - Has some pulsating, guitar-and-drum driven power pop, especially "My Own Reality" which had some radio play, "Sunflowers" "Crazy is a Pitstop", "I-95" (great driving song, like you'd expect), and the closing piece of rebel rock - "Give Up Your Day Job" - lyric excerpt below:

"Children has society got you by the scruff of the neck
Have they got you all pumped up on prozac
Has the government got you thinking that they really care about you
Have you stopped listening to your own inner voice
by watching all that disaster TV
Well I have a message for you, well I have a message for you amen
Tune in, turn on and smash it all up, because nothing really matters
Like you think it does anyway"

The album certainly mellows out a bit - "Perfect Shape" and "Crazy Little Heart of Mine" are mid-tempo jaunty love songs. At its most stripped down ("Home in My Heart" and "Revolution"), it's just the plaintive voice of FD and an acoustic guitar.

Another tune "Riding on the Back" (a song about destiny) is jazz tinged - with flute/flugelhorn/trumpet/trombone/sax and hammond organ. Great stuff.

On a twilight zone personal note - just happened to see that the backing trumpet/fluegelhorn player is Barry Danielian, whom I went to HS with. All-Eastern HS musician then, well-respected NY session man now (lots of work with Tower of Power, Spyro Gyra, and more).