Mad Cowboy Disease

Herman Jolly | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 30, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fortune Records
• ASIN: B00000HYAG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #719,990 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dark Hillbilly Fantasy, November 23, 1999

By 

Andrew Hansen "tripshaw" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mad Cowboy Disease (Audio CD)

In a far and distant time I knew this guy named Jason who made a very silly movie in which everyone was named Dave but that really isn't relevant to the discussion is it?

Mr. Jolly is full of word play expansions of everyday phrases along the lines of "90 proof aint proof enough for me" and "drunk as a skunk who drank liquor". There's more, of course, but this kind of thinking is central to the verbal component of these songs.

Musically, what you have is a splendid dark western sensibility along the lines of but more detailed and less obvious than Mazzy Star. The songs show an advancing, developing musical mind willing to try compositional techniques usually avoided in popular music. The song "Gin Kicks In" is a series of observations first from a rebellious youth and then his drunken father. The transition/distinction between these two sections is entirely musical - no studio tricks, no silly voices. Jolly changes key from one section to the next via a series of ascending repetitions of the basic "gin kicks" motif. The change is so effortless as to be invisible. Maybe not Bach worthy but the Beatles weren't trying stuff like that at the beginning of their careers. (Assigning them credit for pioneering musical adventurism is to deny 900 years worth of music history.)

Jolly's songs are often funny, sometimes dark, always witty, completely odd, childish (in a good way), sarcastic, experimental, and entertaining. Perhaps I've said too much. But I had to find some way to thank that friend I mentioned earlier for sending me one of these in the mail. I love it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Darkness and Levity, December 9, 2000

By 

Ewan Wadharmi (mage) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Cowboy Disease (Audio CD)

Herman will be plagued by vocal comparisons to J Mascis, J Lennon, and N Young. With this aside, his minimal folk instrumentation and brilliant lyrics can be addressed. This is a thoughtful and clever human we are dealing with. Darkness and levity exist in us to some degree at the same time. Jolly recognizes this and acknowledges both with equal expertise. Futility has two voices here: first represented in sorrow and regret in "Crooked Vein". In which the alcoholic subject describes more undeserved than unrequited love. The more light-hearted "You Crazy" states, "I crammed your cat into the dryer / to try and make you crazy / but you were already crazy." The sparseness of Lady's Hands and Slow Dance invoke Mazzy Star. The former makes beauty of a horrific subject, with homicidal echoing steel. While the later has the innocence of one who views women as muses. Alternately lionizing and vilifying them in turn. "Drunk" finds the singer close to falling asleep at the guitar. His brand of high-pitched singing mistakenly thought to impress women keeps him awake. The hilarious run-on sentence "Gin Kicks In" follows as an instant classic. Lines like "the inventor of the low self-esteem engine" will circulate for years. "Woodshack Willy" proves that Gin is not a fluke, touting, " the countriest western singer I ever saw." "The Dream" cruelly tells the story of an unwanted gift. After these country blues highlights, the remainder falls flat unless you really, really like Rufus Wainright.

- Ewan Wadharmi

5.0 out of 5 stars Sorrow never sounded so good (or funny), November 15, 2000

By 

"mwinger" (Beaverton, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Cowboy Disease (Audio CD)

Oh what a fun record. I was practically hugging myself while I listened to it. Jolly takes what could be a very dark affair and puts a peculiar spin on it that can only be called.... well Jolly. Funny, poignant and always entertaining, this is a great record for when you need a pick me up. Sometimes you can practically hear the wink and knowing grin Jolly puts into his songs. His playing is notable as well. Jolly interweaves complex (Which is not to say challenging. The opposite holds true in fact in fact) musical arrangements to gently lend support to his lyrics. Overall I must say I'm impressed by Mr. Jolly and look forward to hearing more of his releases in the future.

So come on....Take a chance. I did and came up with a gem.