Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Reckless Country Soul

On a whim, I just downloaded a couple of Jason and the Scorchers songs from iTunes, including this astounding Dylan cover.



I hadn't heard this stuff in a while, and I must confess to being blown away all over again. Seriously, there are times I think these guys weren't just the best American band of the 80s (for their stage act alone) but that perhaps they were the Great American Band period.
at

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous5/27/2008 9:02 PM

    I saw them at the Paradise on Comm Ave in Boston in ~1987. The sax player in our band dragged us there. I remember a pair of walls of Marshall stacks. 2x4 at least, more likely 2x6 or x8, on both sides of the stage. Not bad for a country band.

    ReplyDelete
  2. TuneLovinJacket5/27/2008 9:04 PM

    In 83 I saw Jason and the boys open for REM at the Agora Ballroom in ATL. The final encore of the night had both bands on stage doing the most amazing version of Rave On. I was standing at Warner and Pete's monitor. Quite possibly the best 4 minutes of live music I've ever witnessed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5/27/2008 9:05 PM

    Ok Steve, play more and convince me. I'm open to getting into them!


    ROT(Plumber)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5/27/2008 9:07 PM

    Reminds me more then a little of the Tony Gilkyson version of X.

    ROTP(lumber)

    ReplyDelete
  5. steve simels5/27/2008 10:28 PM

    ROTP:

    Here's one of their originals, "Golden Ball and Chain."
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=EDMqB8NhtOA

    and their shit hot cover of "19th Nervous Breakdown."
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=w22v6wkTeSM&feature=related

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ali5/27/2008 10:50 PM

    I've never heard of them before. 80s new wave mullets, eye liner and country twang. I like it.

    Thanks for the link.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Who Am Us Anyway?5/27/2008 11:44 PM

    Yes 19th Nervous Breakdown is on their album Still Standing while Sweet Marie is on Fervor -- both CDs are absolutely worth owning (or downloading) in their entirety.

    I've never seen them live but their shows sure are legendary -- I've known two smart people in two different lives tell me that they were absolutely the best they ever saw.

    ReplyDelete
  8. steve simels5/28/2008 12:27 AM

    Live show was like the Who if they'd been alt-country. Hugely loud and very satisfying. Guitar player was flash beyond belief -- twirled it a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous5/28/2008 12:34 AM

    Hey, I been in front of that bar. Nashville.

    Ever heard Tim O'Brien's record -
    Red On Blond?

    Pretty cool bluegrassy versions of Dylan.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous5/28/2008 7:36 AM

    Steve -

    They're playing a festival in PA toward the end of summer - I have no idea how close that is to NYC, but might be well worth checking out:

    http://www.jaha.org/FolkFest/performers.html

    (I last saw 'em about 10 years ago at Mama Kin in Boston, and they well, rocked...)
    -bill buckner

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous5/28/2008 8:24 PM

    Very underrated band. They do a good version of Hello Walls too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous5/31/2008 1:08 PM

    I saw Jason and the band at the 40 Watt Club in Athens GA in '85? '86? Anyway, totally awesome and =fun= show, as I recall. Crowded, hot, loud, energetic - the kind of show where you are basically removed from the real world into a world where every single soul there shares the feeling that the music is what matters. This one and the Replacements in the same venue were clearly the best small venue shows I ever saw.

    ReplyDelete