Customer Reviews

Johnny Comes Marching Home

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

 

 

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.

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.

... 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.

After three albums playing rhythm guitar for the Dictators, Scott Kempner put together the Del-Lords in 1982. Their 1984 debut, Frontier Days, was a bracing shot of straight rock `n' roll in a year that found such music mostly being steamrolled by MTV. This 1986 follow-up brought Neil Geraldo on board as producer, and he brought some of the `80s sounds he created on albums with his wife, Pat Benetar. The guitar harmonics, big drums and backing vocals are slicker and more badly dated than Lou Whitney's work on the debut album, but the band's rock `n' roll heart is still plain to hear.

As on the debut Kempner had more on his mind than cars and girls, though he considered those as well, and he seems to be more up-beat than on the previous album. The opening "Heaven" declares belief in the here and now, and the thumping "St. Jake" (the only track with guitarist Eric Ambel singing lead vocal) provides a rousing ode to the magical powers of radio. Kempner celebrates the basic elements of rock `n' roll, bashing out steroidal rockabilly on "True Love" and galloping rock on "Everlovin'." When he drops into his lower register, such as with "Love Lies Dying," he sounds a bit like Iggy Pop.

The social context of Johnny Comes Marching Home includes the churning instrumental "Drug Deal" and the distraught "Against My Will" suggests all was not morning-in-America in 1986. American Beat's CD reissue adds hilarious new liner notes from Kempner, and five bonus tracks that include three new titles (including the Jan & Dean styled "Some Summer" and creepy, country-tinged "Obsessed with Mary") and alternate takes of "St. Jake" and "True Love." Geraldo's production is louder and punchier than Whitney's work on the debut, but the `80s studio sound detracts from an otherwise excellent set of songs and performances. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

"Johnny Comes Marching Home" is available on CD for first time. Finally! This is terrific record that belongs in any serious music fan's collection. Pat Benatar's producer/guitarist/husband Neil Geraldo handles the production chores and the result is a somewhat slick, but nevertheless, compelling album whose strength lies in the wonderful songs. The band is in fine form here, with a powerful rhythm section driving the music. Although the album is uniformly rock solid, five cuts stand out above the rest. "Soldier's Home" and "Against My Will" are 60's style folk rockers complete with a Byrdsy style jangly guitars. "Love Lies Dying", "Dream Come True" and "Everlovin" are driving rockers that beg to be heard over and over. The bonus cuts are positive additions to the album, as well.
Hopefully, this release will foster a new group of Del Lords fans. This is a band that is very worthy of any and all recognition that comes there, even if it's twenty years too late.

I have been waiting for this re-issue on CD for ages. Transports me right back to the Mid-80's. Picked it up because I liked the cover, went to a listening post - and was blown away by the opener 'Heaven' with its twanging guitars and abundance of energy. Had to have it then, had to had this CD too. Another highlight is 'No Waitress No More' - still one of the 5 greatest high-octane Rock'N'Roll songs ever written. I personally think the sound on the CD is not as bad as some people have said. Sure it's not that great, but if you turn up your stereo quite a bit more than usual it's totally ok. And the musical qualities make this a must-have anyway in my opinion.

The Del-Lords might have been gunning for a place in a Miami Vice episode by titling an instrumental Drug Deal, but you would never know by listening to it. Drug Deal rocks at a galloping pace, loaded with Link Wray guitars and punishing drums. Most of the bands circulating on the airwaves in 1986 would have killed to sound so hot. The reviewers above may complain about production sheen, but to my ears, this is no Pat Benatar record. This is tough N.Y.C. rock and roll. Some of the thrillers here are Heaven, Soldiers Home, Love Lies Dying, and the stomping True Love, which belongs on every party mix you will make from here on in. Two songs raise Johnny to genius level. The first is Everloving, which pulls off the neat trick of expressing unguarded love and affection, while rocking relentlessly...just dig the drums motorvating this song over the horizon. (Misspelling intentional.) The second is No Waitress No More, which finds the Lords adding punk speed to a Sun country groove. Nearly two dozen years have gone by, and I can not get this song out of my bloodstream. The writers lean a bit harder on cliche than on their previous record, but that is just a quibble. What a thrill to see a great rock and roll record find its way back into the marketplace.

I would love to write a nice review but seeing as I ordered this cd back in may and have yet to receive it, it would be very hard to do so. I just want my F***ing cd. Its coming up on 3 months sinced ordered, and they continue not ship.