Is "My Own Jo Ellen" Olson's best solo album?

[Brown Jenkin]

I'm thinking so.

[J.P.]

Although a brilliant album, "Jo " is Not a solo album.
I'd say his best solo is Salvation Blues.

J.P.

[JoMama]

Originally Posted by J.P.

Salvation Blues.

J.P.

+1
many colored kite is amazing too, and very distinctively different--I'd say closer to 'December's Child' and "My Own Jo" in style. These records most certainly get better with time, and make the ones leading up to them reveal their charms in a new way. How amazing is that?

[Brown Jenkin]

My Own Jo Ellen has so many great moments.

[LildeviladyK]

Hell yeah, to me it's all amazing. I simply can't stop listening to just about anything he has ever written. I've found new highlights in Political Manifest recently that didn't grab me the first time I heard them.

I keep going back in my mind to how it seems to me like "Beehive" is a type of summit in his writing. He's done some vocal exercises, took that songwriting class, and I've noticed a difference.

As for Gary, I keep going back to how I feel that "Dying On The Vine" is his summit in song writing. I finally got the chance to tell him that recently.

Not that anything that either of them has done before or after is of any lesser quality. I just mean in terms of the way the message gets across and the effect on the listener.....extremely unique to me anyway. Others may feel differently, but that's how music is - different things to different people, and that's what makes it what it is and why we need music like this in our lives.

[DavidKraai]

Yes, I love this album! It is one of my favorites of all time... timeless and very deep.

[The Leonard Bass]

By far my favorite Olson record!

[Brown Jenkin]

Yeah I've been listening to his solo stuff lately, and this just seems the best to me. They are all quite good (except for Mystic Theater, which seems so flat).

Some would say The Salvation Blues, but Mark seems a touch stifled there,as beautiful as it is. Which is why I think Ellen takes the crown. It feels timeless to me, and the production is quite good. I really "feel" the characters.

[fortuleo]

Mark's solo output is still underrated in my opinion. Of course the first three Creekdippers albums are uneven (especially the second one) but they contain some incredibly deep and powerful music. Custom Detroit Railroad is still one of my favorite songs ever, by anyone. The compilation "Creekdipping for the first time" takes most of the best tracks of those three albums and is beautifully sequenced. To me, that would be one of his best "solo" releases, but it's not a proper album. I agree that Salvation Blues is superb, but not as "lively" as Joe Ellen and December's Child, which are my two favorites. I think I'd go for December child, because of its gospel flavor and great piano bouncing, and because Say You'll Be Mine will always be such a joy to hear. Those two guys meeting again and managing to create such beautiful music between lunch and tea, it just baffles me. Political Manifest and Many Colored Kites are both superb and consistent. I agree Mystic Theater is his weakest album, but it still contains a few unbelievable songs.

[jebstuart]

As long as Vic is not singing too loud any M. Olson song is great. Hard to believe that My own Jo Ellen was over ten years ago now. Still sounds great. I would love to get this one on vinyl some day.

[JayB]

Salvation Blues for me too.

[JoMama]

Originally Posted by jebstuart

I would love to get this one on vinyl some day.

Good luck... Some guy at Mark's show in KC offered me $300 for mine, I got it from Germany long ago. Hunt around...

By the by, there are two pressings of Salvation Blues on Vinyl, one has the extra songs "Copper Coin" and "Your Time Will Come" on it that were on the European CD edition...

[jebstuart]

Originally Posted by JoMama

Good luck... Some guy at Mark's show in KC offered me $300 for mine, I got it from Germany long ago. Hunt around...

By the by, there are two pressings of Salvation Blues on Vinyl, one has the extra songs "Copper Coin" and "Your Time Will Come" on it that were on the European CD edition...

Wow! 300 bucks...Maybe someday. I do have the Sal. Blues on vinyl with the extra songs. It is a gem of a record. Great album cover too. I have a nice poster from then framed up and signed by Mark. Is Many Colored Kite worth getting? I have yet to listen to this one.

[JoMama]

Originally Posted by jebstuart

Wow! 300 bucks...Maybe someday. I do have the Sal. Blues on vinyl with the extra songs. It is a gem of a record. Great album cover too. I have a nice poster from then framed up and signed by Mark. Is Many Colored Kite worth getting? I have yet to listen to this one.

Mark's style continues to evolve and Many Colored Kite sounds like it could have come after December's Child in that he's coming off as a songwriter with folk leanings. I played the heck out of it when it came out and have recently been enjoying it again. There are some terrific YouTube videos posted by our own LiladyK from some of his shows.

[Brown Jenkin]

I'm starting to wonder if "My Own Jo Ellen" isn't just the best thing to come out of the Jayhawks camp, period. It has the cohesive style of TTGG and HTH, where everything just sounds like it was supposed to be there, a certain "inevitable flow", if you will.