Stay Golden Smog: Best of Golden Smog (Jewl)

Golden Smog | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Rykodisc
• ASIN: B001DPC40U
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,756 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

In the late '80s, Minneapolis was home to a tightly knit music scene that claimed its fair share of groups on college and alternative radio playlists. When they weren't playing in their own bands, singer Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run) and guitarists Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) Gary Louris (the Jayhawks) and Marc Perlman (the Jayhawks) got together as Golden Smog to play with friends and have a good time. The band recorded a pair of albums for Rykodisc in the early '90s, featuring Uncle Tupelo/Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and drummers Noah Levy (Honeydogs) and Jody Stephens (Big Star). Rhino brings together the essential tracks from both of those early releases for STAY GOLDEN, SMOG: THE BEST OF GOLDEN SMOG. This 18-song collection also features an alternate version of the fan favorite ("Until You Came Along") and an unreleased Brian Wilson cover ("Love And Mercy.")

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This band is nearly perfect, October 18, 2008

By 

Matthew Sahlgren "Matt Sahlgren" (Kalamazoo, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stay Golden Smog: Best of Golden Smog (Jewl) (Audio CD)

While I found their last release somewhat lacking, this collection represents some of the best Golden Smog thus far. If you've never heard `em, get this, it's a great introduction. If you can imagine a cocktail of Wilco, Big Star, Soul Asylum, The Jayhawks, The Byrds...well, that's essentially what this is. For fans of Rickenbacher guitars, lush harmonies, and great songwriting. Golden Smog, and their other component bands, represent a logical progression of what had been called "folk-rock" 30 years ago. If you have any reservations check them out on Pandora.com radio. This is essential stuff.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breathe Deeply and Enjoy the Smog, November 16, 2008

By 

Robert Walsh - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stay Golden, Smog: The Best Of Golden Smog - The Ryko Years (MP3 Download)

This is a decent sampler of a truly great band, and it's only the blaring ommisions that make this a four star album for me.

First of all, fans of the JAYHAWKS (specifically Hollywood Town Hall), UNCLE TUPELO (Anodyne), or WILCO (Being There)- you may not have heard of Golden Smog, but you're gonna love 'em. Certain tracks on this album- Glad & Sorry, Won't Be Coming Home, Radio King, Until You Came Along- are as good as anything on any of the aforementioned albums, and I say this even though these albums are three of my favorite all time. The group is like some sort of music capsule that fell, perfectly preserved and without ever having had any airtime, out of the 70's in an alternative universe. The songs are perfectly fresh, but it's easy to imagine having heard them a million times on the radio.

That being said, for the price, you're better off picking up Down by the Old Mainstream and Weird Tales.

I can almost forgive the ommision of Yesterday Cried, which somehow benefits from the echo of the Beatles' Yesterday that you can't help hearing in the background (hey, great artists steal outright...), and how that transitions into the very Idiot Wind-esque intro to Glad & Sorry on Down by the Old Mainstream. I guess I can overlook including the jokey and quickly tiresome Pecan Pie and He's A Dick instead of Where He Walked and Keys, which are also kind of jokey but far superior. But hey- no Friend? No Fear of Falling? These are flat out two of the best songs anyone anywhere has ever recorded, and any best of without them seems hugely incomplete.

As far as the later Smog- since I'm on the subject- definitely check out Louris singing Bowie's Starman on Blood on the Slacks. He manages to inject so much pathos and humanity into the song that he own it about three verses into it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best live band !, September 25, 2008

By 

T. Robinson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stay Golden Smog: Best of Golden Smog (Jewl) (Audio CD)

I have all 5 Golden Smog Cds and seen them 3 time at the Paradice Rock club in Boston . This is such a well rounded group with everyone adding there share to the band .. It could have been a 2 CD set . Guys you realy need to put out a live CD . All and all if you never heard this band the songs on this CD will make you want more