ARTiST: The John Doe Thing
TiTLE: For The Best Of Us
LABEL: Yep Roc
GENRE: Rock
TiME: 35:21 min
SiZE: 54,6 MB
BiTRATE: VBRkbps
RiP DATE: Jul-28-2006
RELEASE DATE: Jul-25-2006
WEBSiTE: n/a
Track List:
01. A Step Outside 03:58
02. Let's Get Lost 03:40
03. The Unhappy Song 03:02
04. Bad, Bad Feeling 02:03
05. This Loving Thing 03:45
06. Criminal 04:31
07. Broken Smile 03:52
08. Come Home 02:51
09. Zero 04:12
10. Vigilante Man 03:27
Release Notes:
This is not John Doe's new album. Originally an EP
called For the Rest of Us (1998, Kill Rock Stars),
Yep Roc's new version is a full-length, now entitled
For the Best of Us. The new, expanded version
includes five previously unreleased songs recorded
during the same sessions as the EP. "I want to put
it out again because we can and because it sounds
cool," says Doe. And he's right, it does sound cool.
It sounds great. Ever since the landmark discography
of the punk rock band X, Doe has been a vital,
poetic and important figure in the world's musical
landscape. For the Best of Us represents some of his
most exciting work and marks the beginning of his
fruitful collaboration with producer Dave Way (Macy
Gray, Sheryl Crow) that has since yielded four
albums, including 2005's Forever Hasn't Happened
Yet, which was hailed by a long list of critics as
one of the top ten albums of 2005. There's an all
star band on For the Best of Us featuring Smokey
Hormel (Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Beck) on guitar,
Joey Waronker (REM, Beck) on drums, and Tony Marsico
(Matthew Sweet) and Steve McDonald (Redd Kross)
sharing duties on bass. And because there was no
record company or specific release in mind when
recording the album, the sense of adventure and
freedom is audible. "We recorded it in '96 and '97,
a time when things were still pretty open as far as
interpreting rock and roll music," Doe says. "So, we
certainly felt that - a sense of adventure - when
recording it."
Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien and Kate Mullins
are delivering a dark and camp translation of
classics from relatively recent eras û and even
further back. Their influences are worn clearly on
their immaculately tailored sleeves, from The
Andrews and Boswell Sisters to the Busby Berkley
numbers so beloved of Hollywood more than
half-a-century ago. Close harmonies? Check. Jaunty
upbeat arrangements? Check. Tight band? Oh yes.