Album Review: The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992)

The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992)

1992 might just be the first flagship year for the modern alt-country movement. While it’s true that Uncle Tupelo supposedly kick-started the genre in 1990 with No Depression, 1992 saw bands like Cracker and The Wallflowers emerge with the rise of roots rock, but more importantly it marked the ascension of The Jayhawks. Indeed, while Uncle Tupelo was falling apart from the inside, The Jayhawks finally made their stand with Hollywood Town Hall (1992), a true masterpiece of the genre.

Here the band fully develops their signature sound, punctuating country-rock landscapes with piercing guitars and haunting harmonies. This juxtaposition is a fundamental of the genre, but it is also incredibly jarring, which is why it garnered so much attention. There’s no doubt that The Jayhawks were on the right path with their previous Blue Earth (1989), yet those songs lacked the kind of transcendence found here. And even though the band retains their country roots (as opposed to Uncle Tupelo’s punk roots), Hollywood Town Hall sheds any outstanding country elements that might hold back the alternative title, thus confidently addressing the primary flaw in Blue Earth. All of this becomes apparent with the opening classic “Waiting for the Sun,” where piano and jagged guitar call forth the essence of Tom Petty, yet adhere to the tender pacing of country’s vast imagery. Such a tone shimmers throughout the entire album, achieving moments of musical bliss exemplified by a handful of songs that rank as some of the most definitive alt-country statements. “Crowded in the Wings” and “Take Me with You (When You Go)” are achievements in most honest sense, as they cascade through a simmering roll, while “Settled down like Rain” chimes with a rocking force. The album itself is a cohesive entity, built upon subtle hues that suggest a kind of warmth and optimism, something to both but tug at heartstrings and inspire. And it’s all of these qualities that confirm Hollywood Town Hall as being the band’s ultimate masterwork, and a classic alternative album of the 90s.

All in all, Hollywood Town Hall is an album built on simplicity, but it works because it makes that simplicity effective and memorable. There is nothing fancy about this album, but The Jayhawks are able to thrive without being fancy, which shows the kind of pros they are (something to be envious for sure, it’s the kind of thing bands would trade their bass player for). And while The Jayhawks would venture into more elaborate territory with great success on subsequent efforts, here they achieve their greatest heights at their greatest efficiency, striking the perfect balance between the band’s raw country upbringing and their sophisticated alternative ambition and mentality. In a time where music was changing and moving in unpredictable directions, Hollywood Town Hall remains timeless, and The Jayhawks certainly deserve a medal for that, if not for just keeping things together, unlike some of their peers (yes Uncle Tupelo, I’m talking about you)!

4.5/5

“Each night when I go to bed I pray / Take me with you when you go”

McS