Search - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones :: A Jackknife to a Swan

Strong continuation of the Bosstones' late style

Lavode | Sacramento, CA USA | 05/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first few albums were very raw sounding, with tight brass on top of punk-inspired vocals. However, with the advent of "Let's Face It" the band took a more melodius direction with their vocals, more rock instrumentation, but keeping the brass there, if not further in the background.



This disc is very much in keeping with the sound and feel of "Pay Attention," and is great fun. This sound is what makes the Bosstones one of my all-time favorite ska bands (only thing close is early Fishbone).



1. Jackknife To A Swan- Great start out, almost sounds like they're trying for a radio hit (Knock On Wood-esque) straight out of the gate.



2. Mr. Moran- Another awesome song, fast ska with a great chorus



3. You Gotta Go!- Slightly less impressive, but still a good song.



4. Everybody's Better- My favorite on the album, reminds me of Rascal King, slightly slower, very Reggae, awesome chorus.



5. Sugar Free- First song I might be tempted to call filler, but still not weak by any stretch. Will probably grow on me in time.



6. I Want My City Back- See above.



7. Chasing The Sun Away- Going back to the slightly slower Reggae beat, which is a nice breather from the last two songs. Great vocals in here, with a distinctly Caribbean feel. Nice diversion.



8. You Can't Win- This one didn't do much for me, seems like filler.



9. The Old School Off The Bright- Nice 'bone solo to start things off, fun song to keep the toes tapping.



10. The Punch Line- Reminds me of So Sad to Say very strongly. Slightly more guitar, less brass, but still very consistent sounding. Nice addition, makes the set seem familiar.



11. Go Big- More conventional rock than ska. Didn't really do much for me. Lyrics are a little odd too.



12. S#%t Outta Luck- Back to the typical Bosstone's ska style. Enough profanity to make up for the fact that there's very little through the rest of the album. I could take or leave this one.



13. 7 Ways To Sunday- Closing the album with a very different style, lots of rhythm guitar with a harmonica, with a mix of growling vocals and harmonies. Reminds me of Zombie Wood by Frank Zappa. As odd and out of place as it is, it is a kind of whimsical piece with a good beat, and I suspect it will grow on me.



So there you have it. A couple low points, but nothing I would say kills the momentum. Overall worth the minus of one star, but hey, 5 stars are hard to come by."

Classic Bosstones Sound

dredpirateroberts | Lemon Grove, CA | 05/28/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album brings the Bosstones full circle. It captures all the different sounds and styles from all there previous albums but never sounds stale or rehashed. I think it really has what every fan wants from there favorite bands: It contains all the qualities that made you love the music in the first place, and it continues in that vein but in a fresh and exciting way.



Dicky's voice sounds it's gravely best again. The last couple albums tried to soften his growl, but not so much here. The guitar sounds as sharp as a chainsaw when distorted and bright and sunny when clean. The horn section is warm and jumpy in all the right places.



The recording quality sounds great too, similar to "Question the Answers". Maybe there best sounding album of all as far as how it was recorded. I think "Pay Attention" suffered from the dreaded "over produced" sound.



After the third wave came crashing down and ska faded back out of popular consciousness, this album never got the attention it deserves. So if you're a Bosstones fan or just a fan of ska, don't let this one pass you by.



Standout Tracks: A Jackknife To A Swan, Mr. Moran, You Gotta Go!, Everybody's Better, Sugar Free, I Want My City Back, Chasing The Sun Away, The Punchline."