Customer Reviews

Mr Bojangles

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

 

 

This is early Jerry Jeff (1968), part country/bluegrass, part rock and part folk, from back in the days when musical experiments across genres were newsworthy and important. The sound is stripped down and intimate, as if the band were performing in your living room. Today's recordings lack this relaxed spontaneity. Jerry Jeff's songwriting is as good as he ever got, his singing is gimmick-free and straight-up, and the band, led by bluegrasser David Bromberg, has an appealingly loose, rolling sound. The drummer Bill LaVorgna gets credit for a lot of the punch offered by this music, with his off-tempo whacks at the canvas, especially on "The Ballad of the Hulk". The mood shifts from song to song, including gorgeous ballads and up-tempo country rockers.

There are two standout songs, the world-famous "Mr. Bojangles" and "The Ballad of the Hulk." "Bojangles" is the only truly well-known song Jerry ever wrote, but his own version - the best - is not one of those more often played. Only Sammy Davis Jr. did another version really worth listening to. The song actually appears twice on the CD - in it's album version (without strings) and the single version (with). Jerry himself disparages the strings, but I think they are done nicely and it's great to be able to choose to hear one or the other. "The Ballad of the Hulk" (based on the comic strip character The Incredible Hulk") is no ballad. It is an humorous-angry epic of social commentary, set to rollicking drums, fast acoustic picking and a snappy organ - 7 minutes long and well worth a careful listen. The line about a "twisted priest advising me how to raise a home and family" rings a bell given today's (and I do mean TODAY's) headlines.

Any fan of Jerry Jeff Walker should have this, and even those who don't care for the "outlaw" Texas troubador he has been since the 70s might find this appealing - even compelling music.

This is a great listen. Bojangles and My Old Man are favorites. I saw Jerry Jeff some yrs back at a small club. Just him and 3 guitars. Near the end of the show, I asked Jerry Jeff for "My Old Man" he put down his Ovation Electric and picked up his D28 saying "This is the right one that one." He started singing the song and I could see it was a very personal song for him. He filled to the brim of his hat with raw soul and got through it. After the last note he set the guitar back on it's stand dipped his head and said "Train Time" and he was gone. One of the greatest performances I ever saw.

You can definately tell, in listening to this album and more recent ones, how Walker's voice has matured and his music progressed. The CD contains many early Jerry Jeff essintials, including the original Little Bird, I Makes Money Money dont Make Me, and my favorite, Maybe Mexico. A number of the songs reflect Walker's discontent with his place in life as a young musician--this is Jerry Jeff Walker's music before he found his click singing songs about Texas.

I have bought many CDs over the years, haven't you ?

How few are there that contain songs, one after the other, that you do not delete when you copy for your personal disc collection? To carry with you in the car on road trips, to play at home as you nap under your electric blanket while the rain falls, to share with a special friend stoned with you on scotch, and to remind you of the essance of that artist, or group.

This is a CD that has no songs to delete, though some of you more picky bastards might cut, maybe, one. It is spectacular. Some of these songs appear in his later CDs, but never as good as here. Great voice, great styling, great soul. Great songs.

This man is one of those who never made it BIG, but as you listen to this recording, you'll never know why.

This was the only record I was able to listen to while working in a darkroom one summer because the owner of the other records available kept them locked up. I own the record but haven't listened to it in years because, hey, it's a record and I don't have a record player. Getting the songs to download to my iPod was great. I especially like the upbeat songs. Fragments of them have filled that "I can't remember the rest of the words" fragment of my brain for more than 30 years. I'm enjoying being able to sing the entire song again. I started to do a list of which songs I particularly like, but it got too long. Broken Toys is as close as I come on the album to having a song I don't like. It doesn't give me the sense of good times past or too come that most of the songs do. For example, Little Bird, one of my favorites is nostalgia for a past love. It allows me to think about past loves with a smile for how much I loved them instead of the pathos that attended being young and in love. As I said, just an all time favorite record.

Great soulful tender voice.
These are the songs that show his true talent.
As a singer, player and composer.
My Old Man...Little Bird....can listen to them over and over.
David Bromberg's guitar is excellent.
These songs stand the test of time.

I am very pleased with this purchase. I have the original vinyl album, but it is nearly unplayable now. The CD is my new favorite!

I took music cultures of the world, and let me tell you, jerry john bob joe walker is the greatest stuff I've ever listened to. Tight riffs, strong pumps, brahma bull vocals- This CD has it all! It be the Phatbomb!

I took music cultures of the world, and let me tell you, jerry john bob joe walker is the greatest stuff I've ever listened to. Tight riffs, strong pumps, brahma bull vocals- This CD has it all! It be the Phatbomb!