Home | Articles | Reviews 2000 Smile ... A million years ...... petty-like in a good way. Ok .... think the best of what you'd heard of JH's history .... add lush, toss in thick, and, at least on the first few, gimme some guitar freakouts .... and a side of sweet harmonies, grits optional .... I'm hooked set and landed. (np: JH's / break in the clouds .... god-damn eric heywood) There's a song in here for just about all of us, I'm thinkin' ... Alex, give Mr. Wilson a lis'on ... the thing is rife with orchestration, and drum mash-ines ... spritely so tho, Garys upfront, where he belongs, .... I'm a sucker for pop done right .... on first listen, a winner, if you expect Hollywood Town Hall .... loose your expectations ... clear your mind ... let'er sink in like a Abba song you'd deny humming to. ( Zeno ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * As a serious Jhawks fan, I love each album they've put out. I first bought SOL and give it a listen and then didn't again for 3 months. Then when I spun it again, I got hooked big time. As different as it was from TTGG and HTH, I found it equally brilliant. So Smile *finally* came yesterday. A friend at work liked it instantly (he loves the 'classic' Jhawks and thinks SOL is ok). I think it comes down to Gary Louris being a musical genius and Karen, Marc, Kraig and Tim possessing so much talent. Without even checking the credits (I listened while working) the two songs I liked the least were "Queen" and "Wildest Dreams" (I keep thinking of that '80s Moody Blues song), thought I liked parts of "Ohio". It's very poppy, but that doesn't bother me as much. Pop music isn't necessarily bad-it's just the pop music we've been given sucks. I think artists like Gary Louris could make great music in almost any genre. When I got Kelly Willis' What I Deserve , I instantly loved the first the first 2 songs-then I saw that Gary co-wrote them. Overall, I like the richness of the songs, but some might be too thick sounding. On first listen, I couldn't get "Smile", "Break In The Clouds", "Baby, Baby, Baby" and "Broken Harpoon" out of my head. I just hope the CD's very big and the Hawks receive the acclaim they so richly deserve. ( Barry Jorden ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The opening guitar chord on the title song "Smile" is the first and last chord resembling alt-country, Americana, or roots rock on this album. Seemingly a disappointment to the diehard fans but a new door is opened to the people who don't realize they're fans yet. The first listen fooled me with the pop attack but underneath the scattered pop melodies flows a river of heartbreak and misogyny. The difference with this style of pop music is the intimacy of the lyrics. They overcome the urge to dismiss this record as failed attempt. I didn't realize, until the release of this record, the underlying pop themes the Jayhawks have always employed. If anything, the only fault of this record is the impact it will have on my memories of the previous records. Upon listening to "Settled Down Like Rain" (an admitted favorite) I discovered these pop melodies seething between the beautiful lyrics. I can only conclude that this was the conception of the present musical direction. The second spin of the album was mistakenly done after one too many beers. Like drunkenly sleeping with an ex-lover I only remembered the good times and felt comfort in having them with me, if only for the moment. Different impressions were engraved and the dullness of my thoughts fueled past memories. The lyrics were hitting too close to home. "In my mind, in my soul, I never really loved you" from "Life Floats By" caused me to laugh and grimace at the same time. Words that evoke emotion like that will have an impact on the listener creating a memory that will be forever entwined with the song. It is easy to read too much into what a song says but the great partof this record is the pop melodies disguise the turmoil of the content and the listener can be oblivious. For this reviewer the record can be listened to from two different sides. Finally the subterfuge of the first single was decoded upon the third spin of the record on the way to work. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is inexplicably directed at the readers of this review and all the listeners of the new album. I have a suspicion that this subliminal message will hit it's target. The greatest trick the Jayhawks ever pulled was convincing the world that alt-country never existed. ( Bradley Kosel ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ok -listened to the album a few times and here is my take... The song that scared me the most is "Queen". I am open to experimentation but it sounds like thay invited in a session band to record that song-doesn't sound like them at all!! And if I was Gary, I would be pissed about how they distorted his voice for "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me". It's almost as if Ezrin thought that his voice was to unconventiuonal for pop radio so they made it sound like the typical raspy radio dude voice. Love "Ohio". Probably one of my favorite tracks (find it easiest to listen to). "Life Floats By" makes me kind of ill. Maybe it's the subject of the song-I don't really know... I know I have a lot of negatives...then again I have to remind myself that the Jayhawks are a totally aquired taste for me. Even HTH and TTGG took many many listens for me to appreciate them. I'm definitely willing to give this album a try ( Elyse Shapiro ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * As for the CD... I got a real early 70's / late 60's pop feel from it...definitely an "up" album from SOL. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is the "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes" of the millenium...All the tunes have the high level of attention to detail that I like in pop tunes-like all the drum fills, change ups & bridges all sound well thought out... Production wise it's fine. Very intimate on Gary's voice again...I like that. The drum machine loops blend in nicely when the guitars kick in-then you don't notice too much at all. I'd rather grow with the band than re-hash the old days...and I do think the band IS growing...I'm happy for 'em. Thumbs up! ( Jeff ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Maybe this comes from me being a relatively new Jayhawks fan (and thus not completely devoted to the earlier days) but the "pop" sound of the new record which a few (though not many) have been lamenting is exactly what drew me to the Jayhawks. The big, unabashed, achingly melodic sound that weaves throughout the new album combined with (mostly) thoughtful lyrics is more of the same grgeous, sometimes ethereal sounding stuff that I loved before. Whatever the methods, I just think it sounds how *music* should. ( Melissa Jenson ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Finally I've got my copy of Smile...in CDR by the moment, because Sony Spain will give me a real copy next week. I've got to say that I've loved it, but specially because I love the band, know what I mean? From song 1 to 5, the album is excellent. Great opening tune, lovely "A Break In The Clouds" (live has to be killer!), although my favorite one after three listenings is without a doubt "Mr Wilson", followed by "Somewhere..."(I remember I almost hated the first time I heard it...) and "Break...". I think "Broken Harpoon" is a big highlight, and the other ones I've alrady listened to, "I'm Gonna..." and "What Led Me...", are still also personal favorites. The rest of the album, at the moment is just ok. Lots of experimentation, which is good for their minds and maybe hearts too, but the results are far to be a total success. This is definitely a different album from the others, a step forward for the band in their commercial success. I hope Columbia really push the band because if not it makes no real sense in their movement... I guess I'm gonna love this album a lot, but not as much as the others. My score would be 7... ( Marc Picanyol ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight - WNEW New York - 03/26/00 I thought the band sounded tighter and much more enthusiastic than the one time I saw them live in 1998 or the live shows I have heard from '97-'98. More like the boots I've heard. Gary's singing seemed much more confident. The band's harmonies were dead-on the whole show. I think the new keyboard player (Jen) harmonizes even better than Karen did. Tim also sang very well. All the songs were played acoustically. Several had an early Jayhawks feeel to them, specifically: "Break In The Clouds" and "Better Days". Not suprisingly those were my favorite songs played. Honestly, every "new" song they played live was very, very good. The cuts Vin Scelsa played direct from the promo cd didn't intrigue me nearly as much. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" definitely has a commercial pop sound to it, but the real gem is "Better Days." Gary Louris just plain sings his heart out on that song, the harmony and responses are killer too. "I'd Run Away" sounded so perfect. At first I thought Scelsa was playing it off the disc. Tim sang a cover tune (not on Smile ) called "Lost My Drivin' Wheel" and it sounded fantastic as well. All in all a great show which I am listening to daily. The "live" setlist: "Break In The Clouds", "Somewhere In Ohio", "What Led Me To This Town", "Waiting For The Sun", "Mr. Wilson", "Blue", "Trouble", "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", "Better Days", "I'd Run Away", "Lost My Drivin' Wheel". Scelsa also played "Wildest Dreams", "Queen Of The World", and "Life Floats By" from the promo cd. ( Joe Rowland ) I'm listening to the Idiot's Delight again and that song "What Led Me To This Town" is another one I'm falling in love with. Man that Jen sounds great. So far every song is just fantastic. ( Raymond Humphrey ) |