Showing posts with label Jesse Colin Young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesse Colin Young. Show all posts

10/23/2019

Rock Review: Jesse Colin Young-Dreamers

Release Date: February 15, 2019
Label: BMG


Before we take a deep dive into this record, I would just like to state that the album artwork on this one is great. It has a very traditional art style to it, and the winged heart instantly makes me think of the Bon Jovi logo. Young also has a nice looking website where you can not only buy his albums, but you can also pick up a pound of 100% Kona coffee. Rock music and Kona coffee? I’d say it’s the perfect equation for a morning on island time.

Now let’s talk about music. Dreamers is the kind of album that is good for listening to dockside, with a cold drink in hand. The songs range from folk-rock to blues-rock, to a 60’s rock. This album is definitely for people who like an older style of rock ‘n’ roll. “One More Time” gets the closest to that classic rock sound. From first listen, it has a similar beginning to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” and so it comes full circle.

“Look Over Yonder” has more of a blues root to it. He has incorporated horns and keys into the song, which give it that classic blues sound. It reminds me of the Sonny Boy Williamson II song “Help Me.” Young’s rock vocals give an edgier sound to the otherwise soulful blues rooted song. We also hear this blues-tude in the song “Cruising At Sunset.” The undeniable walking blues bass line kicks in right after the intro. If I had to guess, I would say that “For Orlando” is a tribute to the horrific shooting that occurred at the PULSE nightclub in 2016. With lyrics like “How do we face disaster? Bitterness, what comes after” and “We need to love each other, every sister/brother,” it seems that Young is sending the message that we cannot let another tragedy, like the one that occurred in Orlando, happen ever again.

There are only a few things that I would have changed about the album. In the mixing process, the vocals could have been made clearer and brought forward as the main focus. I think the lyrics are a little difficult to understand, but to be fair, I don’t typically listen to this type of rock music for the lyrics. Some of the songs are kind of slow for being a rock song, and an increased tempo would have given the songs a better groove, in my opinion. A lot of the songs are four to five minutes long, which is pretty long for a standard song in the modern world of production. Lastly, I think the rock songs were stronger than the blues songs on the album, and I would have loved for Young to end with these instead.

There is a good variety of genres and topics covered on the album. If you like rock music, this album is probably going to be up your ally. Or if you are going out for a day on the lake, I would pick up Dreamers, and maybe a pound of coffee, for an enjoyable escape.

Lily Clark – Berklee College of Music Intern
October 13, 2019

Tracks: 
01. Cast A Stone
02. Shape Shifters
03. Walk The Talk
04. For Orlando
05. Take Me To The River
06. They Were Dreamers
07. Cruising At Sunset
08. Lyme Life
09. Here Comes The Night
10. For My Sisters
11. While Texas Is Drowning
12. One More Time
13. On And On
14. Look Over Yonder


Reviews Provided By:

2/01/2016

Music Legend Jesse Colin Young Signs Distribution Deal With Audio Fidelity


Camarillo, CA - Marshall Blonstein’s Audio Fidelity and Jesse Colin Young of Pigfoot Music LLC are pleased to announce a distribution agreement to release 180g vinyl and DVD recordings from the critically acclaimed artist’s highly regarded catalog. While lead singer of The Youngbloods his legendary rock band took the nation by storm when their single Get Together became a worldwide Top 10 hit and a prominent soundtrack for peace.

After seven albums with the group, Young released more than 15 celebrated solo albums including Song for Juli a work many critics agree is his solo masterpiece. This popular album will be the initial Pigfoot Music release to be distributed by Audio Fidelity beginning in April. Following 1971’s Song for Juli four more albums charted over the next three years, Light Shine in 1974, Songbird and On the Road in 1975 and Love on the Wing in 1976. Each of those solo albums contained breakthrough tracks from country fusion to jazz fusion to blues rock that received airplay on radio stations across America.

Jesse's musical accomplishments are many, including performing with Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin in 1969; touring with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the summer of 1974; from walking off the Johnny Carson show, to singing for Native American rights. Get Together has been heard from the 13X-multi-platinum Forrest Gump soundtrack in 1994 to the widely seen Luv's commercial in 2010. Darkness Darkness, written by Jesse, was the theme song for the James Cameron movie Ghosts of the Abyss in 2003. A cover of the song by Robert Plant won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal in 2003 and remains a popular cover song for many bands.

The Queens, NY native recorded his first album, The Soul of a City Boy while living in the Greenwich Village in 1964. He recorded a second album, Young Blood, featuring supporting musicians, including John Sebastian and Peter Childs. After the two solo albums, he then formed The Youngbloods which included guitarist Jerry Corbitt, whom he met on the New York to Boston club circuit, and keyboardist/guitarist Lowell "Banana" Levinger, and drummer Joe Bauer. Get Together appeared on their 1967 debut album and re-released as a single in 1969, after the heartfelt refrain of "Come on people now, smile on your brother" was used as the television theme for the National Council of Christians and Jews.

During the 1970's, Jesse helped establish the "No Nukes" movement. Involved from the very beginning, he closed the 1979 "No Nukes" concert and movie singing the iconic Youngblood's anthem Get Together, joined by legends Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Throughout the 1980's, Jesse toured as a solo artist, often appearing at fundraisers for various organizations.

Throughout his professional life of recording and touring, Jesse has also taken the time to dedicate his life to giving back to the world. He has performed on behalf of organizations ranging from the Dream Foundation to the Kona Pacific Waldorf School to the Saratoga WarHorse project for veterans. Always holding environmental accountability, care for our returning veterans, and quality education as a moral code of action, Jesse remains committed and active as an individual and performer.  Jesse has also been an organic coffee farmer for 25 years.

JESSE COLIN YOUNG DISCOGRAPHY
Album Release Date
The Soul of a City Boy April 1964
Young Blood March 1965
Together March 25, 1972
Song for Juli October 6, 1973
Light Shine April 20, 1974
Songbird March 22, 1975
On the Road March 27, 1976
Love on the Wing April 2, 1977
American Dreams December 9, 1978
The Perfect Stranger 1982
The Highway is for Heroes 1987
Makin' It Real 1993
Swept Away 1994
Sweetwater 1996
Walk The Talk 2001
Living in Paradise 2004
Celtic Mambo 2005
Bring ‘Em Home 2007
DVD- Out of the Darkness 2015

For more information:
www.audiofidelity.net
www.jessecolinyoung.com/
www.facebook.com/jessecolinyounghttps://www.facebook.com/jessecolinyoungcoffee/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com