Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Days Are Here, February 20, 2000
By A Customer
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes have been a staple in my house since they released their first LP over two decades ago, and Better Days insures that the tradition continues. The weariness and despair in John Lyon's voice is a perfect match for the mature insight of Steven Van Zandt's writing and production. Life, love and loss blend with the soulful horns the Jukes are noted for, to make a CD that stands up to repeated play. Listen to "Daddy drank real hard late at night/ He'd say without love life's a long fight," from "All I Needed Was You." Lyon's vocals are showcased in "The Right To Walk Away", pleading his case yet understanding that sometimes love isn't enough to stay together. And anyone who's sat in a bar near closing time can relate to the fear of loneliness in "All The Way Home," a gem written by Bruce Springsteen, and my personal favorite on the CD. Much has been made of the appearance by Bon Jovi and Springsteen, but the contribution of E Streeter's Gary Tallent, Max Weinberg and Van Zandt add a depth and richness to the music. Hard-driving songs like "Coming Back" and the title track show that the Jukes can still rock with the best, while the slower numbers make your heart ache with despair. This is a great disc, probably second only to Hearts of Stone. Do yourself a favor and add this to your collection.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Springsteen with a soul attitude, May 28, 2000
I can count the number of credible blue-eye soul singers on one hand - Southside Johnny being one. I doubt that he ever gave a second thought to the fact that he's not black. Southside Johnny has more soul in his little finder than Mariah Carey has in her entire being.Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes may as well be called Southside Johnny and the E-Street Band. The Jukes are Max Weinberg, Garry Talent and Little Steven (AKA `Miami' Steve, AKA Steven Van Zandt). Even The Boss drops by to jam. With the Asbury Jukes, Better Days can't help but sound similar to Bruce Springsteen. It does. Springsteen with a soul attitude. `Coming Home,' `All I Need Is You,' `It's Been A Long Time' and `The Right To Walk Away' are Motown treasures. And a touch of Delta Blues is added on `Better Days.' The raunchy lead guitar work of Little Steven permeates every composition. I'd match Little Steven against Keith Richard any day (`Ride The Night Away' stands tall against the Stone's `Start Me Up'). Better Days rocks with liberated soulfulness. Hot pick: `All Night Long' will light up your world. If it doesn't, I'm afraid that you have taken on room temperature.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of my all-time favorites, November 1, 2004
I love this album from start to finish. It has all the great elements of blues-based rock & roll.... great back beat, horns, harmonica, strong guitar, & great hard-drivin' vocals. The lyrics are well though out and not just thrown in as an after-thought. I have 4 kids (15-5), they love it too. I have used this album to teach them what good rock is supposed to sound like. It is tough these days, (a lot of crap out there)...we play it everytime we cross the Walt Whitman Bridge and head to the shore. If you like Southside, I would think you already own this...if you never heard Southside before, it is a great intro to an underappreacited band that had held on to its roots. The best of the Garden State.
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