Springsteen with a soul attitude
dev1 | Baltimore | 05/28/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I can count the number of credible blue-eye soul singers on one hand - Southside Johnny being one. I doubt that he ever gave a second thought to the fact that he's not black. Southside Johnny has more soul in his little finder than Mariah Carey has in her entire being.Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes may as well be called Southside Johnny and the E-Street Band. The Jukes are Max Weinberg, Garry Talent and Little Steven (AKA `Miami' Steve, AKA Steven Van Zandt). Even The Boss drops by to jam. With the Asbury Jukes, Better Days can't help but sound similar to Bruce Springsteen. It does. Springsteen with a soul attitude. `Coming Home,' `All I Need Is You,' `It's Been A Long Time' and `The Right To Walk Away' are Motown treasures. And a touch of Delta Blues is added on `Better Days.' The raunchy lead guitar work of Little Steven permeates every composition. I'd match Little Steven against Keith Richard any day (`Ride The Night Away' stands tall against the Stone's `Start Me Up'). Better Days rocks with liberated soulfulness.Hot pick: `All Night Long' will light up your world. If it doesn't, I'm afraid that you have taken on room temperature."
It's Been A Long Time
R. Marino | 09/07/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I played this album in my car on the way to the beach today...I hadn't heard it in a while. What a record! Every track just smokes. Like the great Disciples of Soul, (with Southside replacing Stevie's vocals), it's just a great collection of songs and performances. Max Weinberg is an incredible drummer; and the rest of the band just jams around his beat. A truly underrated album."
A Hot Comeback For A Great Lost Bar Band
R. Marino | 09/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"BETTER DAYS is a hot comeback for Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Little Steven is back on board, with a whole bunch of great songs. "Coming Back", "All I Needed Was You", "It's Been a Long Time", and the title track are the best-known songs, but there are numerous other gems on this, one of Southside Johnny's best ever. The whole album has a reflective tone, looking back to a glorious past and forward to the road that lies ahead."