The 19986 Listening Post - Jason and the Scorchers - Still Standing

Jason and the Scorchers - Still Standing

#467/2117

1986 Housekeeping

Jason and the Scorchers

Still Standing

Genre: Country Rock

3.25 out of 5

Requisite 80s Cover: “19th Nervous Breakdown”. Nowhere near as good or immediate as the original. In fact, it sounds like a beeriest band’s version. And it makes me want to hear the Stones’ version right now.

This is not gonna come out right but…as soon as I heard the first track I thought…”Is this a Weird Al genre parody?” I mean, it sounds like Al overdoing a cliche southern accent so…

No?

Ok. 

Moving on.

This is a much slicker offering than that first, amazing record. But, that don’t make it good. It’s a placeholder at best. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/still-standing/724200767

The 1985 Listening Post - Jason and the Scorchers - Lost and Found

Jason and the Scorchers - Lost and Found

#101

March 1985

Jason and the Scorchers

Lost and Found

Genre: Cowpony

5 out of 5

Highlights:

Last Time Around

White Lies

If Money Talks

Lost Highway

Broken Whiskey Glass

Change the Tune

You know what this has me thinking? That there were a few roads out of punk and, looking for a way out and into the mainstream, X would go big cowpunk on Ain’t Love Grand and I can’t help but wonder how many times they heard this Jason and the Scorchers record and thought, “Yes. That’s what we should do. THAT is a big fucking sound.”

And it is. 

There’s a reason they are called The Scorchers. They came out of the gate with this one loaded for bear.

I would never in my wildest dreams been listening to this in 85. Even though I loved Beat Farmers, this was too “Americana” for young Allen. 

Older Allen?

Easting this with a spoon straight out of the carton, standing over the sink, pouring hershey’s syrup all over it and crumbling up cookies and chocolate bars, while drinking B-52s. 

Side One is relentless. 

Side Two looks at Side One and says, “Hold my beer.”

I feel like there’s a lot of the future in here, from Mojo Nixon to Drive By Truckers to Reverend Horton Heat to Ryan Adams and others. This is the merging of George Thorogood and John Doe. 

And it’s excellent.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fervor-lost-found/714979764