Customer Reviews

Still Standing

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

 

 

First, "lost and Found" is not "offensivley forth-rate", but a masterpiece. Thus it stands to reason that the follow-up to that great effort would be hard to duplicate. "Still Standing" is a solid effort from a great band, made in the shadow of the pressure to follow a great record and the myriad of drug problems that plagued the band during this time. "Golden Ball & Chain" is one of the scorchers best tunes with all eight others falling just a little off the mark. I'm glad this is finally being re-released on cd, if you like the scorchers it's worth your money.

A lot of hard core Scorchers fans have been waiting forever for Still Standing to be re-released. Cd copys of the original are very hard to find. The extra cuts are always something to look forward to. So anyway I pop the cd in the player, start getting into Golden Ball & Chain and it's sounds like something's missing. I go back and listen again, and the guitar solo is gone!... As a Scorchers fan from almost the very beginning and a musician, that guitar solo is one of those solos that made me want to play guitar. Jason & The Scorchers are one of those bands that never really "made it" as far as mainstream music goes and this record was released, I'm sure, to please the long time devoted fans who bought the vynil or cassette versions before cds were common. So for the record company to
edit out that solo is a big disservice and a major letdown to any Scorchers fan. I think Capitol should pull the cd's and re-re-release it with the solo back in the song where it should be or refund peoples' money. What a dissappointment.

Finally, finally this classic Jason and The Nashville Scorchers album is available again on CD (out 'o print copies of the CD have been fetching big dollars on ebay for years). This is one of my favorite Jason CD's - and the best of their later releases. The bonus tracks are kind of a throw away, if'n you ask me, but that don't take nuthin' away from the greatness of "My Heart Still Stands," "Shotgun Blues" and "Ghost Town," among others.

Relive the glory days of the short-lived cow punk movement (these guys are not really cow punk but somehow they got lumped in with bands like Blood on the Saddle, Tex & the Horseheads, and Rank & File, to name a few) and buy this CD. This music stills sounds fresh as the morning dew on Jason's pig farm even after all these years.

I sympathize with the "No guitar solo" reviewer, & understand why someone so personally influenced by J & S would be so disappointed with this re-release. But I come from a more objective perspective, having never heard "Still Standing" before now. I was turned on to the group two decades ago by "Fervor," and discovering this piece of their journey now is like a great goldmine. "Still Standing" is full of wonderful songs, and best of all, that fiery, unique J & S sound. So don't pass it up. Not only a glimpse into the band's evolution, but a glimpse into a period of sonic joy, exuberance, and "fervor" that otherwise will never be recaptured.

It's really a shame that this album didn't get any airplay and really remains an obscure effort. This is IMO the best J&S album out there, and is in my personal top 50 of all time. Get the original version, not the remastered version, because the version of "Golden Ball and Chain" is much better. The remastered version is missing some guitar (why?).




1. Golden Ball and Chain - Rockin' song - one of the best on the album
2. Crashin' Down - Fast but ballady - great country rock
3. Shotgun Blues - kicks some serious A**
4. Good Things Come to Those Who Wait - a slower ballad, very pretty song
5. My Heart Still Stands With You - good song, but probably my least favorite
6. 19th Nervous Breakdown - cover of the Stones classic, great version
7. Ocean of Doubt - The best slow song J&S have ever done in my opinion. Worth the price of admission
8. Ghost Town - Another fast a** kicker
9. Take Me to Your Promised Land - an ok tune, but always struck me as filler


So, you get 7 GREAT tracks out of 9, the other 2 are still better than just about anything else that was released at the time. So, do yourself a favor, and pick this up! Get the original version.

Very solid nine song LP in a dark period
for great Alternative-County-Christian-
Metal band from NashVegas, Tn. Jason
solo is a treat as well. Pick up on this,
Thunder and Fire, Essential J& S and ALL
Jason solo LPs!