Jayhawks two-disc anthology out July 7 (with rarities!)
Posted on May 6th, 2009 – 3:50 PMBy Chris Riemenschneider
The timing of the Jayhawks first hometown reunion show (w/ Mark Olson) is no coincidence: They will also be at the Basilica Block Party on July 10 promoting new product. Sony/Columbia announced today the details of “Music From the North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology,” a two-disc collection arriving July 7 with 20 of their best-known songs on one side and 20 more outtakes, rarities, demos, etc., on the second CD. As you can see by the tracklisting, the songs are culled from all eras of the bands, which is pretty remarkable considering the different labels. Here’s the lineup:
DISC ONE: Two Angels / Ain’t No End / Waiting for the Sun / Martin’s Song / Clouds / Settled Down Like Rain / Blue / I’d Run Away / Over My Shoulder / Miss Williams’ Guitar / Trouble / Big Star / The Man Who Loved Life / Smile / I’m Gonna Make You Love Me / What Led Me To This Town / Tailspin / All the Right Reasons / Save It For a Rainy Day / Angelyne
DISC TWO: Falling Star (from Bunkhouse Album, 1986) / Old Woman From the Red Clay (alt version) / That’s the Bag I’m In (KFAI recording) / Won’t Be Coming Home (early demo) / Stone Cold Mess (HTH outtake) / Mission on 2nd (demo) / Lights (from Sweet Relief album, a classic!) / Darling Today (Blown Away soundtrack) / Break My Mind / Get the Load Out (both “Bad Time” B-sides) / Poor Little Fish (alt version) / Someone Will (Live from Woman’s Club) / Cure for This (this and all the rest are from the band’s rehearsal studio, 1999-2001)/ I Can Make It on My Own / Rotterdam / Follow Me / In the Canyon / Tailspin (alt version) / I Think I’ve Had Enough (Louris home tape) / Help Me Forget
I’d say the first disc is a pretty good overview. I can think of several songs I’d have tried to squeeze on (Red Firecracker, Sister Cry, Crowded in the Wings, Nothing Left to Borrow, Sound of Lies, Somewhere in Ohio), but then I can’t really find any tracks I’d take off to make room for them, except Smile. What do the rest of you think?
6 Responses to "Jayhawks two-disc anthology out July 7 (with rarities!)"
I’d take off “The Man Who Loved Life,”Tailspin”, and “Big Star”
I’d replace them with “Baltimore Sun”, “Ten Little Kids”, and “A Break in the Clouds”. Speaking of “A Break..Clouds”. Although it was released on Smile in 2000, I remember them playing that song back in 1990 at the Cabooze, when it was called “Cool, Cool, Water.”
I always thought the album “Smile” was unfairly panned, while “Sound of Lies” may have been over-rated slightly.
I think some long time fans didn’t like Smile because it was a definite shift from alt-country to Brian Wilson-esqe pop. “Sound of Lies” always depressed me. I suppose I’d be depressed too if the co-leader of my band left. It’s still a good record, but I think many critics got it wrong when they place “Sound of Lies” ahead of “Smile”.
“Smile” is one of my favorite “Summertime” records.
I agree. “Smile” is unfairly maligned. “Smile”, the song, is a power-pop masterpiece, and several of the songs (”What Led Me To This Town”, “A Break In The Clouds” and “Somewhere In Ohio” fit in nicely with the types of songs from the first two American albums.
I do like “Tailspin” a lot, though. It’s always hit me as funny that as much as Gary has gone out of his way to say how much he doesn’t like the Eagles, that he had an actual Eagle on that song (Bernie Leadon on banjo).
This is great news! I can’t wait for this set, as well as the reissues of the albums!
As far as Sound of Lies goes, I’ve usually found that people who weren’t around as fans for that album’s original release consider it to be overrated. It’s not gospel, but it’s typically true.
In truth, the SOL tour was one of their best tours post-Olson, with some really inventive covers and reworkings of their own catalog (if you’ve never heard the “Ziggy Stardust version” of Waiting for the Sun, you might want to run down a bootleg somewhere).
But, in the end, we can bat around what we would’ve thrown on there and what we would’ve kept off, when, honestly, it’s not for us to decide. Olson, Louris, and the archivists have chosen a good representative setlist and we get to enjoy it. So, why don’t we all just shut up and buy it when it comes out.
I guess the fact that I stated I saw the Jayhawks in 1990, would indicate that I’m one of those late-comers who wasn’t “around as fans for that album’s (SOL) original release”. You may want to re-read, I said SOL was a good record, but Smile, in my opinion, is better. I’ve seen the Jayhawks since 1989 and love all of their records and have seen every tour. I don’t remember SOL tour standing out, but that’s only my opinion, I may be right or wrong.
Shut up? The writer of this article, asked readers to comment on what songs they would include and what not and WE did.
[…] is the track listing for Music From The North Country, with comments from Chris Riemenschneider of the Star […]
The MAIN point for all true Jayhawks fans is not what’s on/off the Anthology, but to be nothing but ectstatic/nuts over the release of the bonus disc & dvd! Keep it comin!
