Customer Reviews

A Jackknife to a Swan

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A Jackknife to a Swan marks the Bosstones' return to the ska-core sound that they made their own in the early 90's. This album follows the experimental, Pay Attention which was released in 2000. Like their 3rd wave couterparts Reel Big Fish, A Jackknife to a Swan also marks a lineup change in the Bosstones, trombone player Dennis Brockenborough is replaced by Chris Rhodes formerly of Spring Heeled Jack and even though Lawrence Katz replaced Nate Albert in 2000, Jackknife is the first album with the Bosstones that he played on and helped write. Both players also make their presence known, Chris with his vocals and Lawrence with his searing guitar parts. The new members also enhance the band which features singer Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, drummer Joe Sirois, and sax players Tim 'Johnny Vegas' Burton and Roman Fleysher.
A Jackknife to a Swan: 10/10, one of the best songs on the album, a perfect way to start, it has a really catchy chorus
Mr. Moran: 10/10, written about Sammy the Bull Gravano, the infamous mafia boss, another excellent song, has some really good lyrics, and Lawrence's guitar playing is realy strong on it
You Gotta Go: 9/10, first single, sounds somewhat like their other singles, ie. Impression that I Get, So Sad to Say, but a great song none the less
Everybody's Better: 10/10, after three fast songs this is the midtempo one that slows everything down, it's a great song too, and Chris' vocals on it are awesome
Sugar Free: 10/10, classic Bosstones sound, one of the first songs released from this album on the Atticus compilation, gave a preview of things to come
I Want My City Back: 10/10, an ode to their hometown of Boston, most people consider this song to be filler, but it's actually one of my favorite's on the album, Dicky wrote great lyrics for this song
Chasing the Sun Away: 10/10, another midtempo song, but amazing as well, shows of the horns and has a great singalong chorus
You Can't Win: 8/10, going back to thier ska core roots on this song, very hard, great horns, and background vocals
Old School Off the Bright: 10/10, another one of my favorites on the album, the music is amazing, the horns are top notch and the drums sound great as well, this song is also a great show opener, both times I've seen them they opened with this
The Punch Line: 7/10, this is where the album starts to drag, this isn't a horrible song but it's definately not one of their best, but it's good none the less
Go Big: 2/10, one of the weakest Bosstones songs ever, I think, the lyrics are dumb and the music isn't that good, whenever i hear this song i think one thing........filler
S@*t Outta Luck: 6/10, One of the weaker songs on the album, usually the song i skip when listening straight through, not as bad as Go Big though
7-Ways to Sunday: 4/10, the acoustic song on the album, sounds like they were trying to do something similar to A Little bit Ugly with this one, not that good though
Even though the album drags towards the end, the first 9 songs make it worth it, and even the songs with the low ratings are still worth a listen, for anyone that loves ska especially 3rd wave, you'll appreciate this album

Ok so the Bosstones, what comes to your mind? Boston? Sure. Suits that make them cool onstage? Definitely! A good CD after years of touring, heartbreaking member changes in the band, many fans and hundreds of cities later? Heck yeah! The Tones are just one of my favorite bands. Pay Attention didn't really cut it for me but I still listened to them. Now that JTAS came out this album is my all time favorite Bosstone album. Some fans think the absence of Nate Albert (former guitarist) really ruined their sound. Not true. New guitarist Lawrence Katz does a great job filling in for Nate with his riffs on the album and his ska groove. And the horns as always do a kick ... job of blending in with Katz's guitar to make that Ska-core sound that the Tones are well known for. All the songs on the CD are different in sound, mood, and message. Dicky Barrett's vocals and the rest of the band will have you off your feet. You want to listen to great ska-core sound, blaring horns, loud guitar that can switch to a ska groove within a second and great song writing done by a great singer? By this album. You well earned money will be really well spent.

The first few albums were very raw sounding, with tight brass on top of punk-inspired vocals. However, with the advent of "Let's Face It" the band took a more melodius direction with their vocals, more rock instrumentation, but keeping the brass there, if not further in the background.

This disc is very much in keeping with the sound and feel of "Pay Attention," and is great fun. This sound is what makes the Bosstones one of my all-time favorite ska bands (only thing close is early Fishbone).

1. Jackknife To A Swan- Great start out, almost sounds like they're trying for a radio hit (Knock On Wood-esque) straight out of the gate.

2. Mr. Moran- Another awesome song, fast ska with a great chorus

3. You Gotta Go!- Slightly less impressive, but still a good song.

4. Everybody's Better- My favorite on the album, reminds me of Rascal King, slightly slower, very Reggae, awesome chorus.

5. Sugar Free- First song I might be tempted to call filler, but still not weak by any stretch. Will probably grow on me in time.

6. I Want My City Back- See above.

7. Chasing The Sun Away- Going back to the slightly slower Reggae beat, which is a nice breather from the last two songs. Great vocals in here, with a distinctly Caribbean feel. Nice diversion.

8. You Can't Win- This one didn't do much for me, seems like filler.

9. The Old School Off The Bright- Nice 'bone solo to start things off, fun song to keep the toes tapping.

10. The Punch Line- Reminds me of So Sad to Say very strongly. Slightly more guitar, less brass, but still very consistent sounding. Nice addition, makes the set seem familiar.

11. Go Big- More conventional rock than ska. Didn't really do much for me. Lyrics are a little odd too.

12. S#%t Outta Luck- Back to the typical Bosstone's ska style. Enough profanity to make up for the fact that there's very little through the rest of the album. I could take or leave this one.

13. 7 Ways To Sunday- Closing the album with a very different style, lots of rhythm guitar with a harmonica, with a mix of growling vocals and harmonies. Reminds me of Zombie Wood by Frank Zappa. As odd and out of place as it is, it is a kind of whimsical piece with a good beat, and I suspect it will grow on me.

So there you have it. A couple low points, but nothing I would say kills the momentum. Overall worth the minus of one star, but hey, 5 stars are hard to come by.

As the first album released since their divorce from major label, Mercury Records, "Jackknife to a Swan" is proof that a band's label has an effect on the quality of music released. Unlike "Let's Face it" and "Pay Attention," this album is not over-produced or "glossy" from studion effects. The true style and overall vibe of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones shines through, and this could possibly be one of the greatest albums they've ever produced. And those are stong words, coming from a hardcore fan.
The Bosstones really go back their ska-core roots on Jacknife. Credited with coining the term for the hybrid of ska and hardcore punk back in 1983, the boys unarguably lost their edge on their previous mainstream releases. While those were more pop-oriented and tinged with radio-friendly melodies, Jackknife revisits albums of the past, such as "Don't Know How to Party" and "Question the Answers."
"You Gotta Go" hits you at the very beginning with solid, powerful horn lines and the energy of the guitar just carries you all the way to the end. "Mr. Moran," written about Sammy the Bull (who was arrested with John Gotti), takes you from the beginning with its sheer force. "Everybody's Better" takes it down a notch for a reggae-style song, but still retains the natural energy of the Bosstones (could it be the interludes of screaming?). In any case, the energy of this album remains a constant, which is hardly what anyone could say about the majority of popular music out today.

Wow. The Bosstones are back and free from meddling powers of major-label mayhem. But with "A Jackknife To A Swan", the 'Tones have unleashed mayhem of their own. Mayhem that we can all enjoy! Unlike "Pay Attention", which saw Dicky and the boys branching out from their familiar brand of ska-core, the Bosstones are back with their patented blend of ska, punk, metal, thrash and reggae. After seven albums, two EPs and a live album the Bosstones' sound has only gotten better. So if you're a fan of music - GOOD music - pick up "A Jackknife To A Swan". You will be thrilled, trust me.

Now this is what we Bosstones fans needed. Maybe it's just me, but I was non-plussed by the 'Tones last studio album ("Pay Attention"). But I am happy to report that "Jackknife to a Swan" is a kickin' album. They're back doing ska-core right. This is the old school Bosstones sound we grew up with; sometimes hard, sometimes thrashy, always memorable and meaningful. Tracks 3, 4, 7 and 9 are real standouts, while the rest are classic Bosstones magic. Crank that stereo up to eleven with this one.
Welcome back, Bosstones. We missed you.

This album brings the Bosstones full circle. It captures all the different sounds and styles from all there previous albums but never sounds stale or rehashed. I think it really has what every fan wants from there favorite bands: It contains all the qualities that made you love the music in the first place, and it continues in that vein but in a fresh and exciting way.

Dicky's voice sounds it's gravely best again. The last couple albums tried to soften his growl, but not so much here. The guitar sounds as sharp as a chainsaw when distorted and bright and sunny when clean. The horn section is warm and jumpy in all the right places.

The recording quality sounds great too, similar to "Question the Answers". Maybe there best sounding album of all as far as how it was recorded. I think "Pay Attention" suffered from the dreaded "over produced" sound.

After the third wave came crashing down and ska faded back out of popular consciousness, this album never got the attention it deserves. So if you're a Bosstones fan or just a fan of ska, don't let this one pass you by.

Standout Tracks: A Jackknife To A Swan, Mr. Moran, You Gotta Go!, Everybody's Better, Sugar Free, I Want My City Back, Chasing The Sun Away, The Punchline.

The members:

Dicky Barrett- VOCALS
Kevin Lenear- SAXAPHONE
Joe Sirois- DRUMS
Tim Burton- SAXAPHONE
Dennis Brockenborough- TROMBONE
Nate Albert- GUITAR
Ben Carr- BOSSTONE
Joe Gittleman- BASS

A little history about them, the band formed in 1985 in Florida. They called themselves the Mighty Mighty Bosstones because there was already a band from the 50's called the Bosstones, so they just put `the mighty mighty' in front of it they first appeared on a album called `Smashing up the nation'. They split up for about a year so some of the band members could finish high school, Nate Albert and Joe Gittleman. They recorded there first album called `Devil's night out' on Taang records, a Boston label. Then they released a single for "Where'd You Go?" and the "Wher'd You Go?" EP. In 1992, "More Noise and other disturbances was released. On this album, they used two new horn players. In 1993 they signed with Mercury Records. That year they released "Ska-Core, the Devil and More." They also released "Don't know how to party" which has been their greatest success. In 1994, they released "Question the Answers". In the summer of 1995, they were one of the headlining acts at Lollapalooza. They also hosted MTV's 120 Minutes and performed live. In 1997, they released "Let's Face It" and their first single was "The Impression that I Get".

Personally I only have there first album `Devils Night Out', and this one, 'A Jackknife to a Swan', and I love them both. I would say they are a Ska band hence the saxophones and trombones, but some of the songs are heavy in the guitar sense and Dickys voice is somewhat sounding like Metalica, This works in my opinion as it's a different sound of Ska.

But I will be trying to get more of there stuff.

This is the most well balanced Bosstones CD yet. I was familiar with the Bosstones "hits" like Where'd You Go for a long time before Let's Face It pushed them onto MTV. That CD was catchy if not as hard as most of their music and it made me a huge fan. If they had been able to follow that CD with A Jacknife to a Swan, I am convinced that they would be huge. This CD is great. It's harder that Let's Face It but it has hooks that keep you listening to every song. There is not one "pop punk" band on MTV with a complete CD as strong as this.

1st things first, this cd is incredible. I'm not the biggest 3rd wave ska fan,but this is really good.

2nd thing, i'm sick of hearing how every band [is so bad] and how they couldnt hold a flame to the skatalites. i know the skatalites r phenomenal, but lets face it, theres more ska bands than the skatalites. 3rd wave ska is the here and now, and nay-sayers should wise up. Just cuz "ska-punk" and those alike didnt start ska doesnt mean they [are all that bad].

3rd thing, BUY THIS CD!