Search - Jules Shear :: Horse of a Different Color: Jules Shear 1976-1989

Essential for taste and sound quality.

tonyscam | Fort Worth, Texas United States | 01/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This would be a great best-of even if all the source albums were easily available. Unfortunately, they're not -- not on CD, anyway. I have never seen a US release of The Funky Kings, Fenetiks, Watch Dog, or The Eternal Return on CD. (I paid handsomely for a Japanese import of Watch Dog, the best album Shear ever made.)



What's astonishing about this collection is, how good Jules' first official release is: "Nothing Was Exchanged" is a brilliant song, with gut-wrenching emotion carried on a bed of smooth harmonies. (Some may prefer their pathos raw, and are advised to check out the later tunes.) Again, this compilation is the only legit source for "Exchanged" on CD.



Got No Breeding is a bit under-represented, but that disc is fortunately available. Two tracks from Fenetiks (which is not) don't seem enough, either. But good choices nonetheless. Watch Dog cannot be properly represented in two tracks, either, but for most of you, this is all you get.



Surprisingly, four tracks from The Eternal Return here. Material-wise, it was never his best album. But it's important to note the superiority of Jules' "If She Knew..." The Bangles' cover is remarkably tepid (and pointless) in comparison. Ah, but when did the general public ever know anything? "Steady" is notable for being co-written with Cyndi Lauper -- and being an especially good song.



"If We Never Meet Again" was covered badly twice (by Roger McGuinn and by Tommy Cromwell), so it's good to hear the much SPARKIER original here. They say Jules is depressing? To me, he has an irrepressible bubbliness. Puzzling is the inclusion of "It Came Quick..." Not a good song, and better songs were on the Reckless Sleepers album it represents -- such as "Big Before It Bursts", or "I Tried To Please Her".



Finally, two songs from the simplistic, acoustic album The Third Party. Whether these are the best cuts is beside the point -- it's an interesting progression, as this compilation starts with a full-blown studio production ("Exchanged") in the style of The Eagles, and here we get simple songs in C Major, open-chords. Of course, there have been ...three? more studio albums from Jules Shear since then, but it's important to have these selections preserved on CD. Grab it while you can.













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