Johnny Comes Marching Home

Del-Lords | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 26, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: AMERICAN BEAT
• ASIN: B0021TVYF8
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,145 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Heaven

2. Love Lies Dying

3. Drug Deal

4. Soldier's Home

5. Saint Jake

6. Dream Come True

7. True Love

8. Everlovin'

9. Against My Will

10. No Waitress No More

11. BONUS TRACKS: Some Summer

12. Obsessed With Mary

13. Mickey Paid For What Mickey Done

14. Saint Jake

15. True Love

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Greats songs and performance, thin production, June 2, 2009

By 

Mansfield Dude - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Johnny Comes Marching Home (Audio CD)

I pre-ordered all three Del Lords CD releases, but was most interested in this one. I've been listening to a cassette mix of the first three albums for many years, and have always been disappointed with the thin production on the Johnny album, which came dangerously close to the first Romantics album (which has virtually no bass). Were those in the mixing room just oblivious or did they go for a thin sound? Unfortunately the CD release didn't do anything to correct the low end, thus you have to mess up your equalization settings when listening to get a balanced sound. Oddly the first 3 bonus tracks have better low end.

The good news is the songs and performance are excellent! The original first 9 songs are all classics, with number 10 Waitress a gimmicky song in the vein of Frontier Day's I Play The Drums. These songs are just straight ahead roots rock, with great melodies and harmonies. The drumming on Everlovin' never ceases to amaze. The guitar work is stellar, with great interplay between Scott and Eric. Makes you want to then listen to the Yayhoos, Jason and the Scorchers, or the Georgia Satellites.

I was lucky enough to see this band live a few times, including once at the Rat in Boston back around the time the first album came out. I'm hoping a reunion tour follows these CD releases.

The liner notes are entertaining and informative. The 5 bonus tracks are good, much better than those appearing on a lot of re-releases these days (think Cheap Trick's In Color) with the first 3 "new songs" fitting right in. Some Summer has a Beach Boys type feel to it. The bonus True Love track is less aggressive than the core track, with a slower lagging beat that works well.

I gave this 4 stars, just couldn't go for 5 with the production.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Long Overdue on CD, July 12, 2009

By 

Laura Ann "New York Music Junkie" (Westbury, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Johnny Comes Marching Home (Audio CD)

The Del-Lords represent so much of my late teen and early 20's life that finally having this album on CD twenty plus years later means a lot. Scott Kempner's songs are so wonderful on this record and Eric Ambel's vocals on "Saint Jake" are proof that Eric "Roscoe" Ambel was very under rated as a singer and guitarist.

"Love Lies Dying and" "Soldiers Home" are the standout tracks and I would like to tell Scott Kempner that he truly incarnates the best of Bruce Springsteen. This albums production always bothered me, having seen the Del-Lords live countless times in New York back in the day and knowing how much harder they could rock. The CD does not do much to help that but at the end of the day this is a great album and the Del-Lords were a great band that broke up much to soon. If you have never listened to the Del-Lords you should. Thanks to Infinity for re issuing, but i wish this label would do a better job on their packaging. Taking a picture of the back cover of the LP to use as the back cover of the CD is kind of cheap for a band that was so righteously awesome.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars i'm in a hurry.....(sorry)..., September 25, 2010

By 

rob slevin "rob" (southern ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Johnny Comes Marching Home (Audio CD)

... but have this on vinyl since it was released. I love it more every year .Wonderful uplifting,rockin' album. The other reviewer seems like a guy who's never happy ?, lots of accurate praise, and then 3 (no 1/2's mate)stars !?!.
Geraldo also produced the brilliant follow up, Based On A True Story , so the guys must have liked his production.I have noticed down the years that no-one ever talks about Neil's work,without mentioning the fact that he was married to the awful Pat Benetar, and straight away the criticism begins ...what the hell does one thing have to do with the other ???.Stupid,in a word.
Ooops,gone on a rant /tangent,i apologise.Now i'm late.
This is a great record, too often one has to choose between a great rockin' band or great inventive lyrics.
Here ya get both. Buy it i say.