Customer Reviews

My Own Jo Ellen

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of my favorite releases of 2000.

Working completely outside the music establishment that he soured on years earlier as a member of the Jayhawks, Mark Olson and cohorts have released their fourth CD. My Own Jo Ellen is more fully realized than any of the prior Creekdipper efforts, with an expanded rhythm section on most songs and a little more variety in the music. The inclusion of guitar whiz Greg Leisz is a wise choice-he never overwhelms, but always stands out. And any release with fiddler/multi-instrumentalist Mike Russell (a long-time Dipper) should not be overlooked.

What this release lacks in stunning production values and technical acrobatics is easily made up for with Olson's sincerity. There is not a false sentiment or hollow emotion to be found in Olson's songs about his grandmother (the title track), government land grabs (Ben Johnson's Creek), economic downturns (Meeting in Lone Pine) and lost souls who find their way back (Diamond Davey). Walking Through Nevada, Linda Lee, Letter From Africa are all fine examples of 'folk rock'. Only Rainbow Of Your Heart, a moody, slow-paced blues/rocker, seems out of place.

I came to Olson through the Victoria Williams connection. While their styles may be somewhat different, the dynamic that underlies their music is the same. In fact, My Own Jo Ellen is almost my favorite Williams disc. Even though this is not a 'Victoria Williams' CD and her involvement is limited to singing back-up and occasional guitar playing, her spirit pervades this disc.

Accepting that the glory days of the Jayhawks are gone, how can one not hear something lovely in its guile-free beauty on this Mark Olson record? Subtract Olson from the Jayhawks and you get what you get-- mediocre power pop. Put Olson in the desert and you get this delicate cactus blossom. Slightly underpowered? Maybe. But at its best: transcendant.

Mark Olson used to be a member of the Jayhawks, but this is way twangier than anything they ever did. It's also a bit hokier, so you have to have a high tolerance for lyrics about farms and creeks and walking barefoot.

It's a terrific album, particularly the first half. Whatever the style, there are are number of really good tunes here (Meeting in Lone Pine is probably my favorite). Victoria Williams' vocal contributions are blessedly limited. The '90s was a great decade for alt-country, and My Own Jo Ellen (released in 2000) can be ranked among the best of them. But I'll reserve five stars for Hollywood Town Hall.

In these days of corporate drivin music it is brilliant to see someone in the business for the craft rather than the fame attatched. Mark Olson is an outstanding songwriter and storyteller! Ever since his early days with the Jayhawks the song has been the most important thing. If beautiful stories and lyrics over haunting melodies and mellifluous harmonies are your thing then get not only this but everything this man has recorded.

'My own jo ellen' is the first release i've heard from mark since leaving the jayhawks,its a peach.i aint one who normally compares one album to another, but mark being such a major force in the jayhawks its hard not to,if you can imagine 'blue earth'with the production or 'hollywood town hall'wouldnt be too far off the mark.if you are a fan of any of the first four jayhawks albums,you simply can not miss out on this.there is one dud track (that i wont name incase of denting ones subconcious) that does not hold up with the tempo,but on its own is still worth a listen.'walking through nevada'left me with the same feel as 'crowded in the wings'from 'hollywood...' and rosalee wouldnt go out of place on golden smog's 'down on the old mainstream'.suprisingly 'my own jo ellen'has turned out to be as essential as ryan adams 'heartbreaker'.alt country fans should definitely check this out,and also great music lovers.

this is the first time i have heard anything from the ex lead singers of one of the best "alt-country" bands ever. when i put it in my cd player the music and his voice brought back memerios of the hollywood town hall. this album is plain and simple with nice melodies and great lyrics.

If you're like me and you've been playing Radiohead to death lately, you'll love this pure and simple folk rock album that could easily fit into the Jayhawks catalogue somewhere between Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass. My Own Jo Ellen is the Creekdippers fouth and most cohesive and energetic album. They've pulled off a livelier sound without sacrificing any of their trademark homemade quality. Still you can't help but wonder what this record would sound like if an A list producer like T Bone Burnett or Jon Brion were at the helm in the studio. For the first time they bring up not one but two drummers in the mix along with lots of great Jayhawks-style lead electric guitar. This is a welcome relief after their last two, "Pacific Coast Rambler" and "Zola and The Tulip Tree" which were charming but tended to be uneven. My Own Jo Ellen is sort of an electric companion to the band's first self-titled release. Although lead vocals from Victoria Williams are surely missed, all one has to do is pick up her new release "Water To Drink" which features many songs the Creekdippers are doing on their current tour. Many Jayhawks fans have been waiting for Mark Olson's first legitimate solo album. Here it is folks, and as a bonus you get Victoria on back up/harmony vocals. Stand out tracks: all of them!

no overproduction here. This disc is bare bones country(real country---not Nashville crossover crap)for the most part.Mark Olson has one of those "not pretty" singing voices ala Neil Young that I love. I was always a fan of the Jayhawks so when I saw this one I knew I had to try it out---wasn't disappointed at all.

Mark Olson has made four records since he left the Jayhawks. The first three were a direct reaction to the record company distractions that were the reason he left in the first place. To fans of the Jayhawks they sounded a bit sparse at times. But in My Own Jo Ellen he comes half way back to his Jayhawks sound. On the opening track, Someone To Talk With, the lead electric guitar is a pretty decent Gary Louris imitation. Hard drums make a re-apperance on even the sparsest tracks (courtesy of Tomorrow the Green Grass drummer Don Heffington). Though it is not a perfect record, Jayhawks fans should take heart. Now if we could only get him back into a studio with Louris...

edit - 4/19/04 - and we did! Say You'll Be Mine with Gary Louris guesting on December's Child was great, and the Jayhawks have even played the song live!

edit 3/4/05 - and now they are on tour together, doesn't get any better

as soon as i saw this cd placed with the jayhawks albums in my local record store i picked it up, i missed marks voice,it was sooo great with the jayhawks, this album is fairly good, it brings back little memories of the jayhawks and what they use to be