Jackdawg Jackdawg
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Now here’s an interesting collection of music that is finally seeing the light of day. Jackdawg was a project put together by Doobie Brothers guitarist John McFee, Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook, and the late Doobie Brothers drummer Keith Knudsen. The three veteran rockers got together in the late ’80s to early ’90s and recorded these songs, which are only now being released.
Of course the easiest way to describe Jackdawg’s sound is to say it’s Creedence meets the Doobies, and that’s at least partially accurate, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Jackdawg has about as pure an American rock & roll sound as you’ll ever hope to find. Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Don Henley in the ’80s, even the Fabulous Thunderbirds – you can hear elements of all of them on this album. This is upbeat, feel-good, pretension-free rock & roll at its very best, and is delivered as expertly as you’d expect from such well-traveled rock veterans.
You can’t quite call these songs timeless, as there is a definite ’80’s vibe, but this kind of rock & roll would have been great party music at any point in the last 30-35 years. “I Couldn’t Help Myself” and “Lookin’ for Trouble” in particular would have been huge summer movie soundtrack kind of hits had they been released 25 years earlier. The album closes with a pair of covers – Roky Erickson’s “Cold Night for Alligators” and Van Morrison’s “Wild Night”. Cook produced Erickson’s original version of “Cold Night for Alligators” and McFee played on the original version of “Wild Night”.
Given the endless specialized genres and bands that take themselves way too seriously, Jackdawg is a breath of fresh air. Sometimes you just need an uncomplicated rock & roll album that will put a smile on your face and make you forget your troubles for an hour, and that’s exactly what Jackdawg is all about.
Label: Sonic Past Music
Lineup:
John McFee – Lead Vocals, Guitars, Harmonica, Keyboards, Background Vocals
Keith Knudsen – Drums, Background Vocals
Stu Cook – Bass, Background Vocals
Track Listing:
1. Bayou Rebel
2. When the Sun Don’t Shine
3. The Men Who Would Be King
4. Hunger
5. Ghost Dance
6. Take It Off
7. Kisses In the Rain
8. I Couldn’t Help Myself
9. Quicksand
10. Lookin’ for Trouble
11. Relentless
12. Young Ones
13. The Girl from Oz
14. Cold Night for Alligators
15. Wild Night
Online: Official
HRH Rating: 7.5/10