williammiller said about 5 years ago or at 10:23PM on Monday, February 26 2007 in music
As I get older the more this band seems like a fine wine. All the albums have aged well.
The classic country period of Blue Earth, Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass still sound magical, and mystical, this far away sound of the lonely mid-west.
And the later poppier records - Sound Of Lies, Smile and Rainy Day Music - pissed off the country fans but full of such great pop in a classic sense. Closer to Crowded House than Gram Parsons but still filled with moments of great beauty.
Of all the bands that 'almost made it', it seems the Jayhawks would almost make it with every record. Mark and Gary are back together, maybe we'll get another Jayhawks record one day.
But go on, appreciate with me.
raises hand
I like em.
Strangely enough....Ethan Johns produced the new Crowded House record.
love em.
lot of depth to those songs. and they're a band that were somehow so much greater than that whole "alt-country" thing
I know what you mean, william. I always come back to these guys. 'Crowded in the Wings' from Hollywood Town Hall is just perfect.
I love Rainy Day Music the best.
But Blue is one of my favourite songs ever I think.
Im gunna put that record on now.
> Ethan Johns produced the new Crowded House record.
The Ryan Adams guy? Shit. I hate that guy.
> 'Crowded in the Wings' from Hollywood Town Hall is just perfect.
Yes. Easily my favourite song of their's. gonna put it on now.
What singers. Some of the greatest singing I've ever bought on record.
I used to bid quite regularly for Green Grass on vinyl. I should track it down.
Feeling the Jayhawks love right now. As soon as the Oscars end (which may well be in 90 years at this rate), I'll be joining you fine gents with either Hollywood Town Hall or Tomorrow the Green Grass.
> Ethan Johns produced the new Crowded House record.
The Ryan Adams guy? Shit. I hate that guy.
I like him. Some people think he's personalityless, but I like it in that kind of slick kinda way. His vocals are always great. Even as far back as the first Brendan Benson record on 1996, he knew how to get a good vocal sound. Not so good at drums though.
But yeah, Rainy day music...here come Big Matthew's BVs
count me in too. as soon as i read this thread i had a hankering to hear "tomorrow the green grass"
I was playing the hell out of Smile a few weeks ago. Actually, just the first 5 tracks or so. Can't believe I neglected it for so long. Pop hooks aplenty.
Yeah, Smile. A problematic record. It's their Summerteeth.
So many great tracks...Smile, Make You Love Me, Somewhere In Ohio, Life Floats By
But it's ballads...A Break In the Clouds and Broken Harpoon. Two of the best Jayhawks songs in the catalogue.
i still have to get a copy of hollywood town hall. i remember jason reynolds used to play 'waiting for the sun' all the time on his show. he was quite ahead of his time in that respect. he was right into those country bands way back when...
yeah I had a friend who loved Uncle Tupelo and the Jayhawks back in the day. I borrowed all her old No Depression magazines. Found lots of great stuff.
You know, You Am I almost brought the Jayhawks out for the Dress Me Slowly tour. If only...
The counting crows brought em out in 94.
That wouldve been Rad.
I really love Rainy Day Music.
reminds me of C, S, N (and sometimes Y)
yes, i have one uncle tupelo album, can't remember what it's called but it's a good one. a song about marshall stacks on it.... and 'the long cut'
oh my god, how great that would have been! sigh.
You know, You Am I almost brought the Jayhawks out for the Dress Me Slowly tour. If only...
Didn't they almost bring out Westerberg once as well?
you have 'Anodyne', shygirl.
Correct me if I'm wrong but did You Am I and the Jayhawks have George Drakoulious in common?
thankyou josejones :)
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I can confirm that the new record is a real bore.
....but would love a tour if they're going to play the old stuff!
heard about them touring on RRR the other day
one of them was interviewed at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and he said they'd be here for Bluesfest
Thanks mrmagoo. That will be third time part or all of the Jayhawks have visited our shores in 3/4 years. Not bad since they had never ventured our way prior to 2007.
Touring with Bluesfest!!!!
saw them in Nashville last month and can confirm that the new material live is a bit of a bore. However, they played a heap of tunes from Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass which was great! They even played ''Tampa To Tulsa''!! best tune.
Any news on sideshows yet?
I've given their new record a few spins now, and the first half is really quite strong. Hide You Colors is a good opener, but was never going to arrest you in the same fashion as Waiting For The Sun or Blue.
The second half is less distinguishable, particularly when you have the deluxe edition which extends the number of tracks to 14. I should really stop it after track 12 and re-consider it on that basis.
Despite the return of the Louris-Olson harmonies, overall, the album is too polished and piano-driven to obtain the classic Jayhawks feel. I felt the more upbeat tracks could've benefited with a looser delivery, more distortion, etc, which would've helped to retrieve that. Instead, it felt more akin to Ready For The Flood backed by a full band.
I like it. But I can't help but view Louris and Olson - as I do any songwriter with a solo career - with a degree of suspicion that they've saved some of their better material for their singular pursuits.
Thanks Dan_Crad for your 2 cents however this is not the return of Louris-Olsen. ''Ready for the Flood'' two years ago was the return of the two of them. I also saw them live in Melbourne at the time. If we wish to get technical there was a live album called Live at Eddies Attic also released in 09 which had both of them on harmonies. I believe they have now been playing together live for 5 or 6 years....but yes there are a couple of former Jayhawks members who have returned for this album.
Any news on side shows?
new album is grwoing on me, growing on me, growing on me. But man, they repeat themsleves a lot, a lot, a lot...
Mark - I have Ready For The Flood, that's why I mentioned it in the same post. I was also at the first of those two Louris-Olsen Melbourne shows and own a copy of Eddie's Attic.
My point being, that this is the return of Louris-Olsen in the Jayhawks format. Sheesh...
Any further news on sideshows?
Not coming. Booooo.....
Booooo.
Damn damn damn.
Why you cunts? Why?
I reckon they have read too many Aussies like Mule, Monkeyman, Tiger Tiger and Dan- Crad bagging their latest album so they said stuff you we we still to the US and Europe. :)
fair go, mark!
I think that is exactly what happened.
aw come on, was only saying it was boring - which is more an objective truth than an opinion really