kleph
22-03-2006, 07:07 AM
"A natural disaster ain't got nothing on me."
- Maria McKee
There is a strange conception that the 1980s were an era of some type of musical torpor. That plastic, Casio keyboard driven pop ruled the earth awaiting only the arrival of flannel clad boys from the Pacific Northwest to set things aright.
Which could not be further from the truth.
Growing up during that decade I was constantly astounded by the vibrant and powerful music that surrounded me. Looking back, it simply amazes me the number of musical masterpieces I bought simply because I had a few extra bucks the day I wandered into the record store.
One that fits this description is the eponymous debut of Lone Justice. This record simply will not age, it has all the ineffable qualities of greatness when listened to today as it did when I first heard it back when it was released in 1985. Born of the West Coast country circuit, this group of musicians had a strong sense of tradition but without the sentimentality that made bands like The Eagles famous. Instead they had at their core the punk ethos of the great Slash Records bands like The Blasters.
What you get is a pure rock and roll record that brims over with the feeling of blues, the sensibility of country and the fast beating heart of punk. The whole album is catchy as hell and you find yourself playing it over and over despite yourself. They were lucky to find shelter under the wing of music guru Jimmy Iovine who had become famous due to his association with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Stevie Knicks. His production work on Lone Justice's debut is pitch perfect, allowing the raw sound to sing through but polishing enough for the not inconsiderable strengths of the band to shine through.
And foremost among those was the gut wrenching beauty of lead singer Maria McKee 's transcendent voice. She had the power to melts you with her naked sincerity before knocking you down with blues fueled power. She has a once-in-a-lifetime sound and the music Gods saw it fit she had the perfect setting for it with this band.
Tom Petty was so impressed with these guys he donated one of his best songs, "Ways to be Wicked," to their debut effort on the strength of their live shows alone.
Sadly, Lone Justice never lived up to the promise this album gave. The follow-up, Shelter, was painfully overproduced and the band quickly splintered apart. But, for one single glorious moment, they had everything in the right place and produced one of the best albums of a misunderstood decade.
This essay previously appeared on my website kleph.com (http://www.kleph.com/)
©2005 C.J. Schexnayder
- Maria McKee
There is a strange conception that the 1980s were an era of some type of musical torpor. That plastic, Casio keyboard driven pop ruled the earth awaiting only the arrival of flannel clad boys from the Pacific Northwest to set things aright.
Which could not be further from the truth.
Growing up during that decade I was constantly astounded by the vibrant and powerful music that surrounded me. Looking back, it simply amazes me the number of musical masterpieces I bought simply because I had a few extra bucks the day I wandered into the record store.
One that fits this description is the eponymous debut of Lone Justice. This record simply will not age, it has all the ineffable qualities of greatness when listened to today as it did when I first heard it back when it was released in 1985. Born of the West Coast country circuit, this group of musicians had a strong sense of tradition but without the sentimentality that made bands like The Eagles famous. Instead they had at their core the punk ethos of the great Slash Records bands like The Blasters.
What you get is a pure rock and roll record that brims over with the feeling of blues, the sensibility of country and the fast beating heart of punk. The whole album is catchy as hell and you find yourself playing it over and over despite yourself. They were lucky to find shelter under the wing of music guru Jimmy Iovine who had become famous due to his association with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Stevie Knicks. His production work on Lone Justice's debut is pitch perfect, allowing the raw sound to sing through but polishing enough for the not inconsiderable strengths of the band to shine through.
And foremost among those was the gut wrenching beauty of lead singer Maria McKee 's transcendent voice. She had the power to melts you with her naked sincerity before knocking you down with blues fueled power. She has a once-in-a-lifetime sound and the music Gods saw it fit she had the perfect setting for it with this band.
Tom Petty was so impressed with these guys he donated one of his best songs, "Ways to be Wicked," to their debut effort on the strength of their live shows alone.
Sadly, Lone Justice never lived up to the promise this album gave. The follow-up, Shelter, was painfully overproduced and the band quickly splintered apart. But, for one single glorious moment, they had everything in the right place and produced one of the best albums of a misunderstood decade.
This essay previously appeared on my website kleph.com (http://www.kleph.com/)
©2005 C.J. Schexnayder