The Observer • Augustana College • Rock Island, IL • Friday, Sept. 23,1994 SOUNDING BOARD In Love winter. me fans ot his music. with ali of the new and different cover art gives some idea of the Jazz Passengers "You Got Lucky" may have bands out there. consequences of such openness. BMG Distribution Grade: B+ been an appropriate phrase to de- Yellow No. 5 was recorded at a Naked bodies strapped in barbed — Jessica Hinderliter scribe Petty's career, but they blitzkrieg weekend session, and wire grace the CDs liner notes. The Jazz Passengers' latest re- weren't very lucky when they engineered to perfection by drum- The nine-song álbum (a bit short lease, In Love is now on the street. You Got Lucky made this álbum. There were good mer Tony Lash. by recent standards) opens with the In Love is the sixth disc to be A Tribute to Tom Petty songs and bad songs, but more bad The best thing about the music title track. "Dance Naked" begins released by this group who had its Backyard Records than good. If you really want to is the beat. From the opening track, with the command, "I want you to beginnings as members of John hear Tom Petty music, I suggest "Wake," to the closing number, dance naked, so I can see you." Lurie's Lounge Lizards. They re- First of ali, I have to admit, I am you buy his original albums. Júnior Mint — a bonified crowd With that done, the possibility of leased their not the biggest fan of tribute al- pleaser from tour past. lies and secrets is gone. Grade: C- first disc, flro- bums. Some of them are decent, Of ali the songs, I liked "The That stripped down, naked qual- kenNight/Red but in many cases, are much, much —Jim Sikma Corner Seat" best. It's fast-paced, ity plays out in almost ali aspects L i g h t worse than the originais. This ál- with bloodboiling rhythm which of the álbum. Mellencampdoesn't (Crepescule bum, You got Lucky, has its good Yellow No. 5 incites emotions, (usually violence believe in spending a lot of time in Records) in and bad Heatmiser if you're in a mosh pit.) It's got the studio, so most of the songs are 1987. They points. Frontier Records melodic twists and tums and plenty second or third takes following a followed that up with an álbum in AU of the of hooks to drag you along and cold reading. Instrumentation is 1988 entitled, Deranged and De- bands on this Heatmiser was formed in 1991 keep you listening. also basic, with a combo of per- composed (Crepescule Records). CD are fairly by guitarist Elliot Smith and Neil "Idler" is another of my favor- cussion, bass and guitar. In ali he The Jazz Passengers then waited obscure, so I Gust who met while attending col- ites. It has a nice simple meoldy creates the sense of a live álbum until 1990 to put out Implement really didn't lege in Massachusetts. with an excellent bass track. without the hassle of going on tour. Yourself (New World Records). know what to expect. Each of the The band is originally from I liked ali of the songs except While Dance Naked doesn't The last three albums have ali been 12 bands were able to choose their Portland, Or- for one, "Fortune 500," and thafs represem any drastic musical on the Knitting Factory Works favorite Petty track and do what- egon. not bad considering a lot of bands changes for Mellencamp, it would label: in 1991, Liveat the Knitting ever they wanted with it. The bands The name die after having only one popular be hard to find anyone who can Factory; 1993, Plain oldJoe; and come from ali over the country — they chose for song. beat him at his own game. His in 1994, In Love. from Seattle to Washington, DC, their band vocais on this álbum, especially in Grade: A- They have gradually evolved to Minneapolis to San Diego. shows their "Another Sunny Day 12/25," are into a respected group of musicians The álbum starts well with the creativity. — Tim Dixon rich with just a hint of that ciga- at the forefront of jazz and experi- They named themselves after a rette rasp that makes him sound band Everclear and its version of Dance Naked mental music. This is The Jazz "American Girl." This version was character in the Christmas special, like the redneck next door. John Mellencamp Passengers' first attempt at an ali— fairly upbeat, and was really al- "The Year Without Santa Claus." What's missing here is the bi- Mercury Records vocal álbum. They did experiment most as good, if not better than the I believe they chose well in the ography song, like "Jack and with vocais on a few of their other original. name Heatmiser, for indeed if cer- Diane," which allowed him to tell albums, but not to any significam Next, Engine Kid did "Break- tain songs are played at high vol- Well, it must be time to clean a simple story about simple people. degree. The vocais on this álbum down." Maybe it' s just me, but they umes, you can feel the heat being out the Observer music vault.... What Mellencamp does instead are done mainly by others outside really didn't do a good job. drawn from your body. No, really But amid the clutter of albums is to take on the personas of people the group with some help from None of the next few tracks were 1'mjust kidding. released over the summer months, we have come to know in our lives: Jazz Passenger members Curtis really worth noting, except maybe Though their lyrics are quite are while students were basking on feuding brothers, confused chil- Fowlkes and E.J. Rodriguez. Truck Stop Love with their rendi- quite chilling, there seems to be beaches and dren, and, in the case of the álbum' s At first, listening to the disc, it tion of "Listen to Her Heart." They some kind of hidden meaning be- stuffing re- one single, "Wild Nights," people seemed to be a tad bit unusual, one put a different spin on the track hind them. I would judge that the sumes, John who work the streets. might call it funky. But after a and actually ended up with one of songwriter either had a hard life or Mellencamp In the case of "Another Sunny second and third listening, The the best covers. is trying to cater to people who are (aka Johnny Day," it's the guy standing by the Jazz Passengers really started to The darkest part of the CD was in dire straits. Like I wassaying, Cougar, aka road with the "Will work for food grow on me. I found that as you're a really deep, low version of "In- the lyrics are interesting and prob- John Cougar, sign." It' s the day after Christmas, listening to the music, you really sider" by the Seattle band called ably won't be fully understood aka John Cou- the time when optimism ebbs, and have to keep an open mind and let Silkworm. until after they' ve been listened to gar Mellencamp) released Dance in a voice of desperation your mind wander with the music. Actually, the best tracks were many times. Maybe that was their Naked, a quiet little álbum that Mellencamp sings, "I don't want The Jazz Passengers really present from a pair of Chicago bands. Nec- intention. won't make anyone forget Scare- to live angry, I don't want to live a unique style like nothing I've tarine did "Even the Losers," and Their music sounds like a cross crow, but which will get listeners scared. I don't need no prophets ever heard before. Loud Lucy borrowed the lead between heavy metal and rave. to humming, and maybe even crying 'Brother beware.' Just put Some of the tracks on the disc singer of Veruca Salt, Louise Post, More or less, they sound almost dancing. some work in my hands and give really stand out. For instance, for the best track, "Stop Draggin' exactly like Smashing Pumpkins. Dance Naked closely follows in me a dollar to spare." "Swim to Me" is a deep and emo- My Heart Around." Loud Lucy did Don't get me wrong. I think the footsteps oíLonesome Jubilee Originally I didn' t think I would tional song with lyrics that almost a really emotional rendition of the most of their songs are well-writ- and Big Daddy, albums that like this álbum, simply because it pierce your soul. "Syncretism" is famous Petty/Stevie Nicks duet. ten and composed, but I wish they stripped away pretension and un- doesn't offer us anything new definitely jazz in origin, but in Fig Dish also did a very good would have been a little more origi- necessary production, leaving sim- about Mellencamp. But like I say, places, the music changes and has job of putting more energy into nal. ply Mellencamp'sheartfelt vocais he knows his strengths and he plays almost a tribal feel about it. "Imi- Petty's hit, "Don't Come Around We don' t need a new band copy- and instruments played the way to them. tation of a Kiss," sung by Jitnmy Here No More." ing anotherband's style just to get they were meant to be heard. This is an infectious álbum and Scott, has a deep jazz sound and Ali of the bands featured on the a better following.