Album Review – Jackson Taylor & The Sinners – The Whiskey Sessions:10th Anniversary Edition – Gaske Records/Sin House Records/Smith Entertaiment
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners –
Too COUNTRY for ROCK!
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Too ROCK for COUNTRY!
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The loss of those narrow minded listeners of either genre aka “The Music Purists”!
What a fuckin’ shame!!!
Good riddance to bad rubbish!!!
IMO, good tunes are good tunes and I really appreciate artists who are not narrow minded & will remember their listening roots & combine musical genres in their recordings.
C’mon, ELVIS jumped between Gospel, Blues, Rock N’ Roll, Rockabilly, Glitzy Bloated Vegas Showtunes and he did just fine….well, until his final visit to a commode but you get the point about THE KING!
Mötley Crüe jumped on any fashion and musical trend & genre prior to that trend exploding due to keep their nose to the underground until the end which ultimately killed the band! Well, that and the elephant-sized testicles of the one one left in the band with a full load of INTEGRITY, THE Heart N’ Soul of Mötley Crüe, Mr. Mick Mars!!!
Aerosmith successfully combined Rock N’ Roll, British Blues Rock and elements of Honky Tonk to have several hugely popular careers up until they bid ‘Aero-Vederci Baby’ after a few more treks around this big blue marble on Aero Force One!
Finally, Waylon Jennings, MY King Of Country Music….Not Cash, Not Nelson, Not Strait, Not Garth and Not Luke Bryan! Wait! Who the fuck is Luke Bryan? Oh yeah, he’s that skinny jeans model that’s on TV! Anyways, ‘Nuff said, back to the greatness of Mr. Jennings!
He melted good ol’ Honky Tonk, Waltz’, Rockabilly, elements of Swing and Rock N’ Roll into the OUTLAW we all love!
You giggle at Rock N’ Roll & Rockabilly but were you there “The Day The Music Died” near Clear Lake, Iowa on February 3, 1959?
No, you were not but Waylon was as he was in Buddy Holly’s band and gave up his own seat aboard the ill-fated chartered flight to ‘The Big Bopper’ aka J.P. Richardson who himslf crossed MC’ing, DJ’ing comedy and Rock N’ Roll to make a big impact on music in a tragically short period of time!
R.I.P. Roger Peterson, Buddy Holly, ‘The Big Bopper’ J.P. Richardson and Ritchie Valens! ;-(
First off, I have to say THANK YOU to my buds, Travis ‘T-Rav’ Chadwick of Sinners & Saints Tattoo Company in Wichita, KS. & the almighty Rev. Paul Banks of Wichita for introducing me to the music of Jackson Taylor & The Sinners back in 2009!
Now, let’s head down Highway 101 in our super-charged Sinner-mobile and see what “The Whiskey Sessions 10th Anniversary holds in store for us, the consumer and the music lover!
Upon arrival on December 24th, I hurridly yet cautiously opened the shipping vessel as to not harm the 8×10 print of The Whiskey Sessions cover – Designed and drawn by Jackson Taylor. Once I was inside and the print & CD were extracted from the shipping vessel, I studied the in’s and out’s of the CD & its packaging having out the original for years.
The 10th Anniversary Edition is housed in a Jackson and Stefani Taylor & Damian ‘Moose’ Macias designed Digi-Pak. It’s a beautifully designed with everything you need to know about the album within the inside front cover and on the back cover. Simple but VERY effective! Hats off & a job well done to Jackson and Stefani Taylor & Damian ‘Moose’ Macias!!!
Now, time to kick this beast into 5th gear, slam the pedal to the grill and see what this overhauled model of the super-charged Sinner-mobile will do!
As soon as we hit 5th gear, we get “No Apologies”, the sonic equivilant of a Harvey Wallbanger, not familiar with Mr. Wallbanger, see link below this paragraphy…You’re welcome & I, Crash Crafton and/or Legendary Rock Interviews are not responsible shall you injest a Harvey Wallbanger, but without the Vodka soaked injuries and/or fatalities!
READ Harvey WallBanger 101….THANK ME LATER!
http://offthepresses.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-hidden-history-of-harvey-wallbanger.html
Joy & Pain is an uptempo ditty with a melodic hook that makes it very easy on the ears. Another thing Jackson never shortchanges the listener on is vocal harmonies. Whether it is his voice layered in post production for studio recordings or some sweet three or four part harmonies courtesy of The Sinners & Omar Vallejo. Harmony! Harmony! Harmony!
Another thing that his kept me a Sinner for almost 7 years is Dan ‘Danimal’ Johnson and his wicked Pedal Steel playing! Ralph Mooney is smiling down on Danimal, without a doubt! Such a smooth slide technique and an even smoother tone, in the studio and live! Such a shame these are not his slide parts because if they were, they would be that much better!
Here comes the portion of the program sure to set fire to a portion of “Punk Purists” denim jackets! Jackson Taylor & The Sinners cover one of Jackson’s biggest musical influences in Social Distortion‘s “Highway 101”. I own the Social D catalog so I am familiar with the song and in my opinion, Jackson accomplishes what a cover of a song should accomplish, it honors the original while making it the covering artists own interpretation. If you fail to do that then you just copied the song, Jackson Taylor & The Sinners COVER “Highway 101” & they cover it very well!
“Tonight” slows the pace as we enter the quarter way point of this race in the Sinner-mobile. “Tonight” is a bit on the meloncholy side sonically and musically. Danimal’s pedal steel is the big reason for the meloncholy vibe. Sadly, that vibe is only live not this album!
Lyrically, Jackson (JT) is one of the best retrospective lyricists, EVER. That is a great trait to have as JT writes a great retrospective lyric like many of the greatest lyricists do, RE: John Fogerty (MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE LYRICIST), John Corabi, Shel Silverstein, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen and Merle Haggard.
Speaking of ‘The Hag’, looky here, JT covers Haggard’s “Are The Good Times Really Over?”. This song is a stellar slab of lyrical poetry and Jackson & Co. do a fantastic job of slathering it in some of that intoxicating Sinners stank!
Feel the burn as 101% proof of Ol’ #6, the track number, Whiskey Sessions goes in through your earholes! Wait, WTF? There isn’t any burn with this blend, just the satisfaction of a smooth hard-charging elixer for the soul.
The beat on this would drive railroad spikes with ease. Talk about a led foot! Good luck from keep your head still or keeping your foot from tapping!
Finding the Bottom Of The Bottle will sober ANYONE up. Lyrically autobiographical atop another heavy mid-tempo beat. The twang of the Tele is soooo sweet! Fender Telecaster’s are such versitile guitars! No wonder they are used in recording and live shows by the likes of Jackson, Anthony Gomes, Vince Gill, Richie Kotzen, John 5, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Taylor etc.
Track #8 isn’t a fun house mirror, it is “The Mirror”, an autobiographical tale that takes a hard look at ones self in….you guessed….”The Mirror”.
Am I hallucinating but I’m hearing some subtle keyboards in “The Mirror” that sound so nice, I’d think they were a Hammond B3 played through a Leslie speaker cabinet. Yum!
“Saved” has some delicate pickin’, subtle work on the rim of the snare and I swear I hear more keys throughout. Jackson, vocally is singing from his heart. The pace is picking up on “Modern Day Joad” but Jackson remains true to his brilliance in lyric writing.
Nothing beats someone who can craft a good lyric. You will not find the cliche shit that dominates CoUNTry (not worthy of being called) Music these days! No red solos cups here!
GOODNESS GRACIOUS, GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, I hear some Jerry Lee Lewis inspired Honky Tonkin’ Piano throughout “That’s Just Life”. Love how Jackson paces the lyrics out with the beat of the piano and bass drum which are sympatico with one another. Sooooo much rhythm. A sound to pace ones love making to? *hint hint guys* The honky tonk piano solo takes the track into ear-gasmic territory for this listener!
Despite the sweet slide & heavy pickin’ that I digg, “Jim Beam” reminds me why I prefer Ol’ #7 or Jesse James Bourbon as my go to elixirs. This blend just falls flat on my ear buds! Shame (Live) is authentically live! No “KISS – ALIVE” trickery here. Cool to hear Jackson send this out at the end to his label owner and mentor who tragically passed away in recent years, Mr. Paul Gaske.
RIP Mr. Gaske!!!
Ever desire a second chance at the love that got away becaude you got in the way of it? Well then, “If I Could Have It My Way (’06)” is YOUR song! Theraputic! “Bare Feet On The Dash (’06)” is what those dumbass Pop-CoUNTry douchebags wish they could write but couldn’t even if a Sinner had a .357 Magnum to their head! It is a modern day masterpiece that should still be dominating radio and video channels to this day!
Last but not least is an all-new Sinners track recorded in 2016 with the new band, “Do It All Again (Bonus Track)”. Jackson once again puts on a seminar entitled LYRICS 101 – Hosted by Professor Jackson Taylor & his assistants, The Sinners that is equal parts based in reality as it is based in fantasy!
You just have to order the album to hear it, my words could not do it justice! The entire album is worth your hard earned cash!!!
Bravo, Jackson Taylor & The Sinners, Bravo!
Produced by -Jackson Taylor & Ronnie Belaire 2006*
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners 2006*
Jackson Taylor – Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitars
Josh Hamilton – Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Ronnie Belaire – Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic & Slide Guitars
Drew Underhill – Drums
Allen Larsen – Drums
Jeremy Lewis – Bass Guitar & Background Vocals
Produced by -Jackson Taylor & The Sinners, Omar Vallejo and Stefani Moretti 2016**
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners 2016**
Jackson Taylor – Lead Vocals & Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Brandon Burke – Drums & Background Vocals
Mike Battiato – Bass Guitars
Dan ‘Danimal’ Johnson – Steel Guitar
Omar Vallejo – Background Vocals
Track List:
1. No Apologies*
2. Joy & Pain*
3. Highway 101(Social Distortion Cover)*
4. Tonight*
5. Are The Good Times Really Over*
6. Whiskey Sessions*
7. Bottom Of The Bottle*
8. The Mirror*
9. Saved*
10. Modern Day Joad*
11. That’s Just Life*
12. Jim Beam*
13. Shame (Live)*
14. If I Could Have It My Way (’06)*
15. Bare Feet On The Dash (’06)*
16. Do It All Again (Bonus Track)**
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners – Highway 101 [Social Distortion Cover]
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners – No Apologies – Official Music Video
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners – Bare Feet On The Dash – Official Music Video
Official Jackson Taylor website with social media links, Sinners tour dates, music and merch, JT drawings & JT art prints for sale:
http://officialjacksontaylor.com/
Category: Reviews
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As a Disabled Vet and long time, I mean decades long, Outlaw (real Waylon type outlaw, not this faggoty ass shit today) music diehard fan who listened to the real stuff around the world and through 3 different “wars”, I really, no shit thought real Outlaw music had died years ago. The death really started at the beginning of the garth era, but mostly with paisley, chesney and all the others without any f’in bass in their voice or any heart or soul in their songs since everyone of them sold out to sing the same f’in tired ass songs about getting their ass kicked by some whore or how they drove their truck in the f’in mud as if that’s what Outlaw or even country music is all about. Waylon rebelled, said fu to the establishment back then, fu to the grand ol opry and its’ f’d up rules and now, finally, with JTS, some heart and soul has found its’ way back into Outlaw music. Outlaw doesn’t have to be country, since Kid Rock has been the only Outlaw voice out there in 10 years, when JTS came along. No shit, their cd’s are the first music cd’s I’ve purchased in 5-8 years and I can’t wait to get them and start listening to real music again. This is a long note just to say thanks to JTS for not letting the heart and soul of country, especially Outlaw country get hijacked by the fknobs running the cma and all those other shit radio stations, shows and venues. JTS’s time is coming, just like Waylon and when it comes, they deserve it all. Just don’t forget your fans, stay true to your roots and music, don’t get too wasted too soon, we need you around to enjoy the ride…we love y’all! PS-call Kid up and get an album with him doing some Outlaw/countryrock/blues shit, it’ll be solid gold then platinum, 10 times over!
Dear Steve,
As the son of a Vietnam & Desert Shield/Desert Storm Veteran who served 25 years in the USAF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!
You have my utmost respect and gratitude! I’m also forwarding your comment to Mr. Taylor, a fellow Veteran.
Thank you!
Crash
Thank you for your service and support. Jackson
Always a class act, Mr. Taylor! Also, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE & FOR THE STELLAR MUSIC!