Hollywood Town Hall

Jayhawks

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 11, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 15, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000009QPO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #157,309 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
The Jayhawks' breakthrough album is a roots rock classic. "Like folk music, but really loud," is how guitarist Gary Louris liked to describe the Jayhawks, but the reality is more complex--try the country-rock sound of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Neil Young, or the Band married to white-boy soul, bar band rawness, and a slight alternative edge. Hollywood Town Hall is a masterpiece of American songwriting, blending irresistible melodies, ringing guitars, and Louris and Olson's gorgeous harmonies with moody, imagery-rich lyrics. Best cuts: "Waiting for the Sun," "Take Me with You (When You Go)."

Product Description
Out of print in the U.S.! 1992 release, the third album overall, by the Americana-Pop/Roots-Rock outfit led by Mark Olson and Gary Louris. 10 tracks. Warner. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Effortless and Well Balanced, September 2, 2000

By	dev1 (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

My first impression of Hollywood Town Hall was "Well, that was nice." Then I set the album aside. Some things get better with age. Over the years I've played it frequent, each time discovering something fresh. What impresses me most is that Hollywood Town Hall sounds both effortless and balanced. Instead of getting together a saying "Hey, let's do a country album" or "Let's do a rock album," these guys just got together and did what came natural. And natural means skillful songwriting, masterful playing and savory harmonies. The vocal harmonies remind me of a cross between the Everly Brothers and the country duo the O'Kanes: neither country, not hillbilly, nor rock, but certainly earnest.

The CD glistens with an uncommon balance. The fuzz guitars (Waiting For The Sun, Take Me With You When You Go), screaming guitars (Wichita) and melodic bass guitar are blended into an ear-catching, but soothing mix of folk, country and rock. Gary Louris' fingering technique is clever: he makes an electric guitar sound like a pedal-steel (Two Angels). Through and through, Nicky Hopkins (Rolling Stones) provides the tasteful and understated keyboard work. The group and the album defy categorization. At low to moderate listening levels, the album is calm and peaceful. Turn-up the volume and Hollywood Town Hall rocks. I don't know what to call it except glorious.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cornerstone of any folk rock collection, December 18, 1999

By	craig v. (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Do you count 'After the Gold Rush', 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' and 'Ragged Glory by Neil Young' among your all-time favorite albums? Then you must run and get this album immediately. The first track, 'Waiting for the Sun' showcases the Jayhawks perfect harmonies and Gary Louris's heart stopping melodic leads. Like the Eagles album 'Desperado' every song on this album flows seamlessly from one to the next. The haunting 'Nevada California' captures the stark beauty and emptiness one experiences driving up thru the high dessert between Reno NV and Lake Tahoe CA. Y2K is about two weeks away, I think I'll pick up an extra copy of 'Hollywood Town Hall'. Five stars doesn't do this masterpiece justice.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Depression!, January 25, 2005

By	lbcguy (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hollywood Town Hall (Audio CD)

1992's "Hollywood Town Hall" is an alt-rock classic. Every song on this album is a gem. Technically the Jayhawks' third album (after their eponymous debut, also known as the "Bunkhouse Album," [1986] and "Blue Earth" [1989]), HTH is the culmination of the band's early sound. Olson and Louris weren't fighting yet-- they were still having fun making their guitars jangle and their fuzz boxes buzz. (Think Roger McGuinn meets the Jesus and Mary Chain... on ecstacy...) And their vocal harmonies are just plain gorgeous. The lyrics are poetic and obscure, always a tad wistful, but the music is clear and bright-- in short, this is why the early-mid-90's alt-country movement has sometimes been called "no depression." They keep the earthy, folky roots of the music intact, but add gritty rock and honeyed pop overtones for a sound that's both familiar and new. (Well, that just sounds pretentious... but it's true!) Anyway, HTH's sound and mood are so consistent and seamless that it's hard to choose standout tracks, but my favorites are "Waiting for the Sun," "Crowded in the Wings," "Take Me With You (When You Go)," "Settled Down Like Rain," "Nevada, California," and "Martin's Song."

[Historical note: the term "no depression" was probably first applied to alt-country in homage to the 1990 Uncle Tupelo album of that name, which was, in turn, a tip o' the hat to the Carter Family's depression era song, "No Depression in Heaven."]