''The Jayhawks'' is the debut album by
the Jayhawks
The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, their country rock sound was influentia ...
, released in 1986. It is also known as the ''Bunkhouse Tapes''.
The 1986 pressing was limited to 2,000 copies.
History
Out of print for many years, the album was digitally remastered from reel-to-reel and reissued by
Lost Highway Records
Lost Highway Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. Formed by Luke Lewis in 2000, Lost Highway Records operates as a country music label, based out of Nashville, but the label also issues music by alternative rock and alternativ ...
on May 18, 2010. The re-release features an eleven-page booklet designed by Mark Olson.
"Falling Star" is available on ''
Music from the North Country – The Jayhawks Anthology
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all human societies. Definitions of musi ...
''.
Reception
In his review for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, Mark Deming contrasts the early Jayhawks sound with their later work and noted "though it captures some strong and confident performances from a fine band, it's clear they were still a few years away from finding the sound that would make ''Blue Earth'' and ''Hollywood Town Hall'' some of the most memorable music to come from the first wave of alt-country."
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' wrote that "the songs sometimes bland out, but Mark Olson and Gary Louris’ vocal harmonies still shine." ''
Trouser Press
''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'' wrote that "the band stakes out its derivative style with so much spirit that it almost sounds original."
Track listing
All songs by Mark Olson, except 1, 2 and 4 by Gary Louris and Mark Olson.
# "Falling Star"
# "Tried and True Love"
# "Let the Critics Wonder"
# "Let the Last Night be the Longest (Lonesome Morning)"
# "Behind Bars"
# "Cherry Pie"
# "The Liquor Store Came First"
# "People in This Place on Every Side"
# "Misery Tavern"
# "(I'm Not in) Prison"
# "King of Kings"
# "Good Long Time"
# "Six Pack on the Dashboard"
Personnel
*
Mark Olson – vocals, guitar
*
Gary Louris
Gary Michael Louris (born March 10, 1955) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band the Jayhawks and their principal songwriter and vocalist a ...
– vocals, guitar
*Marc Perlman – bass
*Norm Rogers – drums
;Additional musicians:
*Cal Hand – pedal steel guitar
*Charlie Pine – piano (on "King of Kings")
*Produced by Charlie Pine
References
External links
Jayhawks fan site discography.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jayhawks, The
1986 debut albums
The Jayhawks albums