Giving Up the Ghost

Jackie Greene

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 1, 2008)
• Original Release Date: April 1, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: 429 Records
• ASIN: B0013FYT9Y
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,814 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

It s possible, but hardly common, for a singer-songwriter to sound echoes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Gram Parsons, Elvis Costello and Paul Westerberg, all of which Jackie Greene does on his fifth album.

The hard part, which Greene seems to pull off so effortlessly, is triggering those echoes without sacrificing an authentic voice of his own. That may be one meaning of the album's title: Greene seems comfortable acknowledging the ghosts of pop music past, perhaps because he's in thrall to none of them.

In "Uphill Mountain" alone, he references colorfully named characters such as Peeping Tom and Madame Rose, name-checks Elmore James and John Henry and tosses off such bons mots as "You got to take just what you are given/'Cause luck only matters with the cards and the women," staking his claim as a peer, not a shadow.

The San Francisco-based musician opens the album advising the listener, "California is the place to be, but I should warn you about the things I've seen." He proceeds to reel off one fascinating, detail-rich tale or morality play after another. Somehow, as literate as his lyrics can read, they never sound academic, rarely self-conscious: "I don't pretend to make the world feel better / I don't live on the moon," he sings in "I Don't Live in a Dream." No brag, just fact.

He's a skilled multi-instrumentalist and has been a virtual one-man band on previous albums, but this time he's assembled a crack team of Americana/roots music specialists to support him, among them Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Steve Berlin, drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Davey Farragher and steel guitarist par excellence Greg Leisz.

Greene's songs span the basest impulses of lust and revenge to the noblest spiritual aspirations -- everything that defines what it means to be human. And nary a ghost in sight. (***1/2) --Los Angeles Times

Product Description

Named The Prince of Americana by the New York Times, Jackie Greene is steeped in country, blues, jazz, rock and folk traditions, defying easy categorization. Performing live with a guitar and a harmonica rack, Greene has accelerated past initial cries of the new Dylan and has managed to forge a unique musical vision. With four distinctive albums under his belt, Giving Up The Ghost is an energetic showcase of folk, blues and rock that Greene has taken to another level. Produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), Giving Up the Ghost also features collaborations with Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan), Mic Gillette (Tower of Power), Dave Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello) and others. The first single from Giving Up The Ghost is "Shaken" and is poised to do just that. Shake things up a bit just where Jackie likes them.

Jackie Greene Photos

More from Jackie Greene

American Myth

Sweet Somewhere Bound

Gone Wanderin

Broken Hearts Dusty Roads (2004)

Dig Years 2001-2005

Rusty Nails

Positively 12th and K: A Bob Dylan Tribute Live

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jackie Greene Should Be Headed For Greatness, April 23, 2008

By	Philip R. Heath (Hurst, TX United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Jackie Greene has produced an outstanding CD in Giving Up the Ghost. The styles range from bluesy rock to ballads. Some songs, such as Shaken, are somber and mournful, while others, such as Don't Let the Devil Take Your Mind, are full of catchy hooks that won't let go. The songwriting is superb, while Greene's mellow, but strong baritone is one of the best to come along in a while. Greene has been compared to Bob Dylan, but I think this is only partially fair. While this may be true from a songwriting standpoint, I think that Greene has a much better voice. He never slips into the unintelligible, purely nasal delivery for which Dylan is famous. Greene also does a good job of giving a variety of emotion to his 12 tracks to keep them from all sounding the same - whether it is the earnestness of Prayer for Spanish Harlem to the playful, upbeat delivery on Like a Ball and Chain. Finally there is enough variety in the instrumentation of these twelve songs to keep things fresh. Whether you like organ and vibes or trumpets and saxophones, you will find something layered on top of the traditional guitars, bass, and drums. Jackie Greene might be relatively unknown now, but don't expect this to continue until his next CD.

Download this: Don't Let the Devil Take Your Mind

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning and Brilliant, April 1, 2008

By	rocklover (California) - See all my reviews

This is, by far, Jackie's most accomplished and stunning release to date. The pairing of musicians with Producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), shows a maturity and purposeful direction I have not heard on his other releases. There's a wonderful honesty in Jackie's lyrics, and his vocals can go from sweet and low down to raw in your face rock. I highly recommend this release to all as you'll want to jump on this wagon now.......you're watching the next bright star about to shine through.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it! Love it!, April 1, 2008

By	Anna - See all my reviews

Just caught Jackie Greene a few months ago when he played with Phil Lesh and was so utterly amazed by him! This album has to be his best yet! Starting with Shaken and rolling all the way to Ghosts of Promised Lands, every track is awesome! Play it right through cause you won't want to miss a beat!