Jesse Colin Young Song for Juli (Vinyl) Review by Gary Hill
I've heard of the Youngbloods, but I don't really remember hearing them. Jesse Colin Young got his start as the lead singer of that band. With this album he did a great job of showcasing a sound that's firmly based in the California rock of the 70s but with jazz and more also in the mix. I like this set quite a bit. It's very effective. This new vinyl release is classy, too. It has a great gatefold cover with lyrics, and the heavy vinyl is exceptionally high quality.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Side One
Morning Sun This is definitely cut from the fabric of the 1970s California rock sound. It's a catchy cut that works really well.
Song for Juli I really love this song. It has a balladic kind of vibe to it. There is a lot of jazz built into this thing. It's soft rock, but it's so tasty, too.
Ridgetop This killer tune has a lot of jazz built into it. It's also tied to things like America and Steely Dan to me. It's a great cut. In fact, it's one of my favorites here. There is some seriously powerhouse jamming going on here, too.
Evenin' Here we get even more of a direct California rock kind of sound. This is another song that reminds me a lot of America. It's a catchy and effective piece.
Side Two
Miss Hesitation
This has a lot of that jazz element at play. It also, though, is another that makes me think of America in a lot of ways. Other California rock elements like The Eagles are heard, too. There is a bit of a country music vibe here. A cool Dixieland styled jam emerges at the end of this thing.
T Bone Shuffle As you might guess from the title, this is a cool old school blues jam. Harmonica adds to the authenticity, and I love the bass work on this thing. It gets into more jazz based directions later. There is even some scat singing here.
Lafayette Waltz Most of the lyrics on this are in French. The cut has a real country music vibe to it. It's catchy and fun. This segues straight into the next cut.
Jambalaya This fast paced jam is classy stuff. It's what you'd expect given the rest of the music and the title.
Country Home A soft rock tune with a lot of harmonica in the mix, this is another classy song.
