Search - Jack Logan :: Tinker

A hard to find album worth the effort

T. OConnor | St. Paul, MN USA | 04/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's completely possible Jack Logan meant this album as a throw-away album. It's a testament to two things--1) Logan wears his ability to write great music with an amazing degree of humility, and 2) Major labels are staffed by fools.This album, put out by Logan himself on his own label, while small by his standards (Bulk, his debut, had 42 tracks) is still an incredible piece of work. He again crosses all sorts of genre pigeon-holing with an ease that would make Ray Charles proud and make Alanis Morissette give up trying to write (or sing) songs altogether."Tinker" is the unassuming follow-up to Logan's well-received, publicly ignored middle label debut "Buzz Me In" (another fine album, which plenty of other customers would tell you). Here, it is just Logan and his back-up band (the Liquor Cabinet) and assorted friends. It recalls "Bulk"'s simplicity and that album's cross-section of genres. There's the planitive, small town ballad (Allison Hilliard); the moody and somewhat disturbing take on unrequited love (my favorite, "Trinket"); the road-weary hitch-hiking tune ("Walking Time") and even the pure rocking pleasure, complete with background vocals of "do do do" over heavy guitar, of "Kissing the Wall"My one word of warning--when you buy this album, and play it for friends, do not let them borrow it. I made that mistake, and haven't seen my copy since."