 "Genuine Jayhawks" | 2008-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By grayeyedscorpio2 |
Why did I put off buying this album for so long? Because I feared the music would not be as good without Olson.
Contrary to my fears, this album is a winner. It only grows on me with (near constant) repeated listening.
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| "The best album of 2003... hand's down." | 2007-01-06 |
| - Reviewed By ibh100 |
As the probable swansong of The Jayhawks, this album was a welcome return to the classic form that made them the cult favorites of fans of the elusive Alt-Country genre. Stunning melodies and soaring harmonies... check. Bittersweet melancholy... check. Love, loss, heartbreak... check.
The only dispute I have with the glowing reviews of this album are with the couple that alluded to simplistic lyrics... while Louis certainly never displays the lyrical pyrotechnics of Dylan or early Springsteen, say, his lyrics consistently demostrate a powerful allusive quality that hint at deeper meanings, as in this passage from "Stumbling..."
Everybody's stumbling through the dark.
The men that preceded us here
Left only questions and fear
The vanity formed by beauty lies -
You know it's a crime.
I am grateful to have caught the 'hawks LIVE (opening band was The Thorns, who joined them for an encore of "Blue"!), and I hope that Gary and boys will one day see fit to come out and play some of these songs and the others in their terrific body of work. |
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| "An Instant Classic . . ." | 2007-01-01 |
| - Reviewed By tech1147 |
| I saw the Jayhawks for the first time on the Conan O'Brian show in 2003 touring on the release of Rainyday Music. I was completetly knocked out by their stage presence, musicianship, tight polished sound and excellent song writing. Afterward, I couldn't get the bands addictive and slap happy, harmony vocals or melodies out of my mind. I practically sprinted to the CD shop so that I could hear more. To my delight, there isn't a single weak song on the two CD collection from Rainyday Music. I became an instant fan. I then bought Smile and the Sounds of Lies because I heard they were also great -- they're not catchy or well produced as Rainyday -- but they're excellent. I then listened to some of the "Olsen" era stuff -- as much as I tried I just couldn't get into that sound -- in my opinion the Jayhawks have matured dramatically since Olsen's departure; getting away from trite, sweet, country/folk melencholy to -- in addition to having a more universal appeal -- sounding more creative, deliberate, focused, lyrical and rock edged. The musicianship, guitar playing, vocals and writing improved, gradually but then finally in a big way after Olsen's departure. Rainyday evokes memories of Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Music just doesn't get any better than this. Thanks Gary Luris!! |
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 "Wow. Where was I when this came out?" | 2006-11-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A24XTXYHNIUMOA |
I had not purchased a Jayhawks cd since Hollywood Town Hall. I honestly thought the Jayhawks couldn't be as good with only half the songwriting duo of Louris/Olsen. Then I started hearing great things about Rainy Day. Now that I have it, I can't get it out of my CD player!
The first half is definitely stronger but there is no filler. Even some of the tracks that lag on verses in the second half of the disc are redeemed by the layered instrumentation, great harmonies and catchy choruses (Ethan John's fine production is felt throughout).
This could have been a late 60s Byrds album, and a fine one at that (the verses to "Tailspin" are indeed reminiscent to "My Back Pages") Gary Louris has written a fine batch of song. Just when you think the cd won't close strong, "Tampa to Tulsa" near the end is brings the songwriting quality back to the level where it started.
Gary Louris has been working with original Jayhawk Mark Olsen recently, so hopefully this is not the last we've heard from this band. |
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| "One of their best" | 2006-09-15 |
| - Reviewed By rich99usa |
| This has recently become my new favorite album. There's not a filler song on the album - including the bonus CD. As a longtime Jayhawks fan, this ranks right up there with Hollywood Town Hall as their best. The lyrics are thoughtful, the melodies are catchy and the harmonies, one of their best atrributes, are spot-on. Do yourself a favor and check out this album - you won't be disappointed. I agree with one of the previous posts - the Bonus CD is definitely worth getting. |
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| "The most accurately titled cd ever" | 2004-01-22 |
| - Reviewed By lisa_in_so_cal |
| One of Amazon's most helpful (and fun) features is the "Customers who shopped for this item also shopped for these items" section usually found in the middle of the screen of each item you view. This is an invitation to serendipity! If you are adventurous, you can click and find treasures you would otherwise probably never discover. This is how I found this cd. Having no prior background of The Jayhawks, my review is not a comparison of their previous work, it focuses strictly on this cd. This is a beautiful piece of work. The style is hard to pigeonhole, but I would describe it as a combination of countrified-folk-rock. The songs are lyrically simple/basic, but the instrumentation has such a variety of sonic layers and the melodies are so classic that when combined, they become a feast for your soul. This really is rainy day music. The first time I listened to it was at work and I noted to myself "This would be great rainy day music" and then I realized that was the title! It is also great driving music, particularly when it is late at night and you are driving a minivan full of sleeping kids who are exhausted after a big day at Disneyland. This cd has provided a soundtrack for my contented moments, as well as my sullen moments. It's pleasant and unobtrusive. While I enjoy the cd as a whole, my favorite songs are "Stumbling Through The Dark", "Tailspin", "All the Right Reasons" and "Save it For a Rainy Day". Get the Limited Edition w/Bonus CD if you can! I suspect Ethan Johns' contributions, as "Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by" and instrumentally, are a big factor in the ultimate sound of this cd, so I am now going to skip along that tangent and find other Ethan Johns' productions, as well as devour other The Jayhawks works. All because I was willing to take a gamble with Amazon's recommendations. This cd will be a favorite in my collection for a very long time. |
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| "Their best in many years" | 2003-12-27 |
| - Reviewed By stegosaur_us |
| This is the Jayhawks second best album, behind only Hollywood Town Hall. If you were a fan from the Hollywood Town Hall era and have been less than impressed with the last few albums, take the chance and get this one. If you can still get the version with the bonus disc, do so; it is surprisingly good (unusual for extra alternate and live tracks often found on such "bonus" discs, in my experience). |
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| "For more than just rainy days!" | 2003-11-24 |
| - Reviewed By User: AP2MTVCSKNQL8 |
| I love this disc. I have everything they've ever recorded and this is my favourite. The song "Angelyne", I believe, is the best they've ever done. When I hear it, which is often, it stays in my head all day. Song composition, lyrics, and sound are great throughout the disc. Of course, as a big fan of the Jayhawks, I'd find it difficult to find fault, but I believe this one is more than worth a listen. |
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| "Listenable, but not a classic" | 2003-08-18 |
| - Reviewed By dkmcgraw |
| There was a time, back in the late 80s and early 90s, that the Jayhawks were one of the better alt country bands. Ever since the departure of Mark Olson (around 1997), the band has taken a turn towards more of a mainstream pop sound. Rainy Day Music continues this trend. The songs are listenable, perhaps even catchy, but the songs are not destined to become classics. In my opinion, this CD is pretty good, but not nearly as good as, for example, Hollywood Town Hall. |
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| "Bottomless Cup" | 2003-07-15 |
| - Reviewed By dadew |
| Rainy Day Music is a delightfully wondrous musical opus that is radically different from the last group's effort in Smile. Where Smile was polished-sometimes to the point of being vastly overproduced-Rainy Day Music hearkens back to earlier sounds found in Sound of Lies and Tomorrow the Green Grass. The cd lyrics are typical Jayhawk fare in that they are a cross between Eric Woolfson and Bernie Taupin. In short, Jayhawk lyrics are not vacuous but are very concise with plenty of bite and import. Consider this whimsical verse from "Save it for a Rainy Day": "Pretty little hairdo don't do what it used to
Can't disguise the living
All the miles that you've been through Looking like a train wreck
Wearing too much makeup
The burden that you carry
Is more than one soul could ever bear" As for the feel of the music, consider it a cross between the Beatles' Rubber Soul and early James Taylor. There is a mellowness with a tangible bite to it pervading the entire 14 song set of disk one. (Disk 2 is a collection of rehearsals, live performances, and acoustic versions of songs past and present.) Perhaps "All the Right Reasons" is the best song on the cd. Then again, "Will I See You in Heaven" may be tomorrow's favorite. There are truly no bad songs to be found on this album. To any who have never heard the Jayhawks, consider that the group's last album must have impressed Stephen King since he alludes to works from Smile in Black House and From a Buick 8. For the King of Pop Culture to take a notice, the Jayhawks must be worth noticing. |
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