The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992)

The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene during the mid-1980s.
Their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 1980s and 1990s like Uncle Tupelo, The Gear Daddies and The Honeydogs. They have released several studio albums, including five on the American Recordings label.
"Hollywood Town Hall" is their 1992 album.

It was one of the more unlikely major label releases of 1992 nothing to do with grunge, certainly not a last holdout from '80s mainstream sludge. On the flip side, it wasn't really the incipient alternative country/No Depression sound either, for all that there was a clear influence from the likes of Gram Parsons and fellow travelers throughout the grooves. This wasn't a sepia-toned collection of murder ballads or the similarly minded efforts that were almost overreactions to Nashville's triumphalism throughout the '90s. At base, "Hollywood Town Hall" found a finely balanced point accessible enough for should-have-been success (sclerotic classic rock station programmers were fools to ignore this while still playing the Eagles into the ground) but bowing to no trends. Its lack of variety tells against a bit while there are certainly stronger moments than others, most of the songs do have a tendency to blend into each other but the core strengths of the group come through. George Drakoulias fleshed out the sound just enough, with the side help of performers like Benmont Tench and Nicky Hopkins adding fine extra touches without swamping the identity of the group. Piano and organ may be prevalent, but it's really Olson and Louris' great harmonies that are the core of things, giving songs like "Crowded in the Wings" and "Settled Down Like Rain" a high-and-lonesome sparkle. Callahan's a good drummer, if not particularly noteworthy, but he keeps the pace steady without dominating the tracks, Drakoulias keeping him back in the mix a bit. Olson's eventual departure isn't really explained by this disc he might have been tired of the attempt to aim for commercial success, but this sounds more like something made for the group's own satisfaction that connects beyond it as well.

Track listing

01.  "Waiting for the Sun"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:19

02.  "Crowded in the Wings"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:55

03.  "Clouds"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:51

04.  "Two Angels"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:04

05.  "Take Me with You  (When You Go)"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:50

06.  "Sister Cry"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:08

07.  "Settled Down Like Rain"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 3:00

08.  "Wichita"  (Olson, Louris and Marc Perlman)  - 5:26

09.  "Nevada, California"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:05

10.  "Martin's Song"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 2:58

11.  "Leave No Gold"  (bonus track) (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 5:46 

The Jayhawks
Mark Olson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, vocals
Marc Perlman – bass
Ken Callahan – drums on "Two Angels" and "Martin's Song"
Gary Louris – electric guitar, fuzz guitar, guitar, vocals

Additional musicians
Charley Drayton – drums
Nicky Hopkins – piano on "Two Angels" and "Martin's Song"
Benmont Tench – piano, organ

Production
George Drakoulias – producer
Howie Weinberg – mastering
Tom Herbers – engineer
Brian Jenkins – engineer
Brendan O'Brien – engineer
Jim Rondinelli – engineer
Dale Lavi – photographer
Joe Henry – liner notes
Martyn Atkins – art direction

Notes
Recorded at:  Hollywood Sound and Pachyderm Studio
Genre:  Country Rock
Length:  42:36
© 1992 

Label - American Recordings