Customer Reviews

Rainy Day Music

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

They say that most artists have one great record in them and that they tread water from then on in, trying to recapture that elusive 'something'. I remember hearing Hollywood Town Hall, buried under my first job, playing in bad bar bands and thinking things mattered more than they did. I also remember listening to the opening riffs of waiting for the sun, the fuzz pedal illuminating a staccato drawl and being hit by how pure the harmony was and how easy they made it sound. The Jayhawks were my big secret - living in the UK they hardly got mass media attention - and they were where I went to escape. Songs that made you feel something.
The first bars of Stumbling through the Dark, the simple chord progression, the layers of instrumentation building up until the drums kick in then the voices holding it all together, harmony and counter harmony. And the one thing that rings out is the simplicity of it all. A great production, open and clear allows the instruments to come through separate but together.
All the reviews I've read rely on other bands as markers. It sounds like the Burrito's, it sounds like the Eagles, and it's the Byrds, CSNY revisited. It's all of these but more importantly it's the Jayhawks. That's not to say references can't be made. Marc Perlman's bass lines could have come straight from John Wesley Harding era Dylan. The guitar on SarahJane out Keefs Keith Richards. One Man's problem has a Stones swagger to it. Don't let the world get in your way draws heavily on Bowie but takes Major Tom to a bar and gets him drunk on good whiskey and makes him empty his heart.
But when people have to use comparisons drawn from the past, it's because they don't sing songs like these anymore. And these are songs - not samples or compressed theft from others with more talent. They'll get into your head and into your heart and you'll carry them with you gladly. These are songs of hotel rooms, early mournings, last and lost chances, faces and names gone but not forgotten. And the beauty of them is that they aren't so specific to mean one thing to one person only. They'll end up being reference points on your rainy days. Hollywood Town Hall will always be my sentimental favourite Jayhawks album. Trouble my favourite song. But Rainy Day Music has memory in it that you'll make your own. This isn't the sound of a band treading water. They're walking on it. Superb.

Producer Ethan Johns (of Ryan Adams fame) described the Jayhawks song structures as American roots music with British melodies. I think he hit it on the head. The influences heard on 'Rainy Day Music' range from Gram Parsons to the Kinks, CSN&Y to the Beatles, the Beach Boys to Faces . But in the end the sound is undeniably unique. Even though influence is evident, there is nothing recycled or banal about this music. It is pure, stripped down goodness. Gary Louris and gang have left behind the glossy, out of place production of 'Smile' and the psychedelic experimentation that floated through 'Sound of Lies' allowing the new songs to speak for themselves. In this bare form the tunes seem deceptively simple, yet with repeat listens the intricacy of Louris' writing reveals itself proving that this album will only age better with time. By cutting away the excess 'Rainy Day Music' offers up sparse, honey soaked ditties dealing with love, loss, and being lost. The great achievment here is that they make loneliness and longing so damn beautiful. The harmonies that have become associated with the Jayhawks' sound are here but more subtle. Songs such as All the Right Reasons, Save it for a Rainy Day and Angelyne are among the best this band has ever produced. Drummer Tim O'Reagan's gem Tampa to Tulsa is more aching and intimate on the demo version as is Louris' gorgeous ballad All the Right Reasons. And what better way to end this collection than with Gary playing Waiting for the Sun all by his lonesome.

There will be those who still say the Jayhawks aren't the same without Mark Olson. Well, yes, this is a different incarnation of the Jayhawks. One, in my opinion, just as glorious as when Olson was co-fronting the band. Gary Louris has had the bravery to march forward into new territory, to constantly challenge himself and his bandmates by respecting the past but never trying to relive it. With 'Rainy Day Music' the Jayhawks continue to evolve. I can't wait to see what's next.

From the chiming first chords introducing Mark Louris' soaring falsetto on "Stumbling Through the Dark (Lost Highway)," it's clear the sixth effort from the slimmed-down Jayhawks will chart a return to their roots as folk rockers in the tradition of The Byrds. "Smile," their 2000 release, found them moving into polished pop/rock with the should-have-been radio hit, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me." But it also created an identity crisis for longtime fans weaned on "Hollywood Town Hall" and "Tomorrow the Green Grass.

"Rainy Day Music" brings them back home. Soaring harmonies are everywhere. So are nice touches of banjo, pedal steel, mandolin and keyboards. Just what you'd expect from a Jayhawks disc. The first half of the record compares favorably to the best of the group's work with "Tailspin," "Save It For a Rainy Day" and "Angelyne" taking their place alongside tasty oldies like "Waiting for the Sun" and "I'd Run Away." "All the Right Reasons" might be the best ballad the band has produced in half a decade.

Reverberations of the sheen of "Smile" show up in two Beatles'-flavored cuts, "The Eyes of Sarah Jane" and "Don't Let the World Get in Your Way," while "Madman" recalls '80s CSN (which may be good or bad, depending upon your perspective). There are a couple of duds on the disc's latter half.

In the main, though, "Rainy Day Music" is a promising return to form. I slipped it into the player leaving D.C. on a road trip recently and when the album finished, I hit play again -- and then again for a third time. It's that kind of disc.

Rainy Day Music once again proves that the Jayhawks are the best alt-country act recording today. For those of you, like me, who love the Beatles, the Byrds, Simon and Garfunkle, CSNY, Dylan etc, Rainy Day Music is a light in the dark. Forever the Green Grass was my previous favorite album, and this is probably better. It showcases what the Jayhawks do best--perfect harmonies, clever acoustical guitar, and meaningful lyrics.
It is so rare any more to find a CD that has even a couple of good songs. When you put this one in and hit play, the first half of the album will amaze you. One great song after another. Yes, some of the songs in the second half do drag, but it's still good. Give it a try and you will find new music that you will be hard pressed to take out of your stereo. A masterpiece from an excellent band.

It's been a long time since I heard a song on the radio that made me want to rush out and buy the CD. Then, on an alt-rock station in Northern California, I heard the Jayhawks' "Save It For a Rainy Day," and said to myself, "I must have this!" I bought the CD, and although "Save It For a Rainy Day" is still my favorite song on it, I was delighted to hear that the rest of the CD was of the same quality. The jangly, country-tinged guitars and lovely melodies make this CD compulsive listening, as does Gary Louris' pure, sweet troubadour's voice. A must for anyone who likes rock music the way they used to make it!

They say that most artists have one great record in them and that they tread water from then on in, trying to recapture that elusive 'something'. I remember hearing Hollywood Town Hall, buried under my first job, playing in bad bar bands and thinking things mattered more than they did. I also remember listening to the opening riffs of waiting for the sun, the fuzz pedal illuminating a staccato drawl and being hit by how pure the harmony was and how easy they made it sound. The Jayhawks were my big secret - living in the UK they hardly got mass media attention - and they were where I went to escape. Songs that made you feel something.
The first bars of Stumbling through the Dark, the simple chord progression, the layers of instrumentation building up until the drums kick in then the voices holding it all together, harmony and counter harmony. And the one thing that rings out is the simplicity of it all. A great production, open and clear allows the instruments to come through separate but together.
All the reviews I've read rely on other bands as markers. It sounds like the Burrito's, it sounds like the Eagles, and it's the Byrds, CSNY revisited. It's all of these but more importantly it's the Jayhawks. That's not to say references can't be made. Marc Perlman's bass lines could have come straight from John Wesley Harding era Dylan. The guitar on SarahJane out Keefs Keith Richards. One Man's problem has a Stones swagger to it. Don't let the world get in your way draws heavily on Bowie but takes Major Tom to a bar and gets him drunk on good whiskey and makes him empty his heart.
But when people have to use comparisons drawn from the past, it's because they don't sing songs like these anymore. And these are songs - not samples or compressed theft from others with more talent. They'll get into your head and into your heart and you'll carry them with you gladly. These are songs of hotel rooms, early mournings, last and lost chances, faces and names gone but not forgotten. And the beauty of them is that they aren't so specific to mean one thing to one person only. They'll end up being reference points on your rainy days. Hollywood Town Hall will always be my sentimental favourite Jayhawks album. Trouble my favourite song. But Rainy Day Music has memory in it that you'll make your own. This isn't the sound of a band treading water. They're walking on it. Superb.

One of Amazon's most helpful (and fun) features is the "Customers who shopped for this item also shopped for these items" section usually found in the middle of the screen of each item you view. This is an invitation to serendipity! If you are adventurous, you can click and find treasures you would otherwise probably never discover. This is how I found this cd.

Having no prior background of The Jayhawks, my review is not a comparison of their previous work, it focuses strictly on this cd. This is a beautiful piece of work. The style is hard to pigeonhole, but I would describe it as a combination of countrified-folk-rock. The songs are lyrically simple/basic, but the instrumentation has such a variety of sonic layers and the melodies are so classic that when combined, they become a feast for your soul. This really is rainy day music. The first time I listened to it was at work and I noted to myself "This would be great rainy day music" and then I realized that was the title! It is also great driving music, particularly when it is late at night and you are driving a minivan full of sleeping kids who are exhausted after a big day at Disneyland. This cd has provided a soundtrack for my contented moments, as well as my sullen moments. It's pleasant and unobtrusive. While I enjoy the cd as a whole, my favorite songs are "Stumbling Through The Dark", "Tailspin", "All the Right Reasons" and "Save it For a Rainy Day". Get the Limited Edition w/Bonus CD if you can!

I suspect Ethan Johns' contributions, as "Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by" and instrumentally, are a big factor in the ultimate sound of this cd, so I am now going to skip along that tangent and find other Ethan Johns' productions, as well as devour other The Jayhawks works. All because I was willing to take a gamble with Amazon's recommendations. This cd will be a favorite in my collection for a very long time.

Once again Louris and company come through with a great album, with his vocals, guitar, and writing leading the way for this amazing, yet underappreciated band.
Rainy Day music will be an instant favorite for those who loved Tomorrow the Green Grass and Hollywood Town Hall. Despite what some reviews have said, this album is pretty fantastic from start to finish. While there are a couple songs that fall short (particularly those written by someone other than Louris), there are very few albums these days that come so close to filling up an entire album with such addictive melodies.

This album proves yet again that the Jayhawks might just be the best band around that most people have never heard of. For me, this is a welcome return to top form as I thought Smile was very disappointing. For newcomers to the band, don't stop with this record, as this band has been doing it for years. Listen to this album, but make sure to check out Sound of Lies, Tomorrrow the Green Grass, and Hollywood Town Hall as well. Few bands have produced more great music over the last 15 years.

Once again Louris and company come through with a great album, with his vocals, guitar, and writing leading the way for this amazing, yet underappreciated band.
Rainy Day music will be an instant favorite for those who loved Tomorrow the Green Grass and Hollywood Town Hall. Despite what some reviews have said, this album is pretty fantastic from start to finish. While there are a couple songs that fall short (particularly those written by someone other than Louris), there are very few albums these days that come so close to filling up an entire album with such addictive melodies.

This album proves yet again that the Jayhawks might just be the best band around that most people have never heard of. For me, this is a welcome return to top form as I thought Smile was very disappointing. For newcomers to the band, don't stop with this record, as this band has been doing it for years. Listen to this album, but make sure to check out Sound of Lies, Tomorrrow the Green Grass, and Hollywood Town Hall as well. Few bands have produced more great music over the last 15 years.

The Jayhawks have had so many different lineups and sounds over the years that it almost seems like different bands struggling to amalgamate.

This lineup/sound does hearken back to the "Tomorrow the Green Grass" era, which is a great thing, but may prove a little confusing to people who got onto the Jayhawks train with their excellent releases "Sound of Lies" or "Smile." All these albums are terrific, of course, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Jayhawks strike a balance between the lush sounds of "Smile" and the spare folk-rock of "Rainy Day Music."

That said, "Rainy Day Music" is an excellent album -- "Tailspin" being the true standout. But "Stumbling Through the Dark," along with "Eyes of Sarajane" and "Angelyne" are as good as any songs the Jayhawks have ever recorded, simply transcendant folk/rock/pop in the best CSNY, Byrds, Eagles, Emmylou Harris traditions. Even in comparison to those greats, and with hints of brit-pop sounds like Travis thrown in the mix, the Jayhawks do have a unique and wonderful sound, primarily through the songcraftsmanship and singing of Gary Louris, a true talent.

With one of the finest voices in rock today, the Jayhawks can do very little wrong as long as Louris remains at the forefront. The second half of the album does trail off -- "Don't Let the World Get in Your Way" plods unmemorably and cops a faux-Beatles feel that seems out of place; "You Look so Young" is a rare Louris misstep, and sounds like a handful of other (better) Jayhawks tunes; "Will I see you in Heaven" is also missing something, though maybe it is simply out of place, not able to operate as the de-facto album closer.

Regardless of quibbles, every track on the album is listenable, and most are classics. Simply put, the Jayhawks are better than most of the bands working today, and certainly make their own road musically, which is laudable. I hope they find a sonic balance between this release and "Smile" one day (I confess to imagining what "Angelyne" and "Tailspin" would sound like with an electric guitar and a piano), but if they keep putting out excellent albums like "Rainy Day Music," they'll certainly continue standing head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd.