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The Jayhawks: Stumbling Through The Dark Now that the Jayhawks have reportedly split, Adam D. Miller has decided that after about twenty years it is time to finally look back at one of the most underrated recent bands, from the beginning until the end.

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The Jayhawks: Stumbling Through The Dark
by Adam D. Miller

When a band lasts five years and doesn't receive the recognition it deserves, it's a sad testament to the state of popular music.  It's nothing new, bands go through this constantly.  But when a band lasts twenty years and is barely noticed at all, it's more than a sad testament, it's a tragedy.

From 1985 to 2005, The Jayhawks were consistently a band whose audience was much too small for as talented a band as they were.  They quietly recorded seven albums over the course of their twenty year career, pre-dating the alt. country movement they were later identified with, and surviving periods of 80s pop, grunge (of which fellow Minnesotans and friends Soul Asylum were briefly a part of), and the return of pop in the 90s.

Many of their albums should have been modern classics, too.  But sales were slight and shows were always held in relatively small venues where half of those in attendance were just hanging out at the bar that night, catching up with friends.

In March, The Jayhawks made musical headlines for the first time in their career with an announcement that the group had called it quits.  Members came and went, but singer/songwriter/guitarist Gary Louris and bassist Marc Perlman had persisted since the band originally formed in 1985, never really sure of whether or not they would find success or failure.  It's no wonder that Gary Louris sarcastically sang, "Yes I'm gonna be a big star... someday" on the band's 5th album, Sound of Lies.

 

Red Firecracker (1985-1991)

In early 1985, when singer-songwriter Mark Olson was looking for a lead guitarist for his new band, he asked Gary Louris for a suggestion.  Louris suggested himself, and so The Jayhawks took flight.  Already on board were bassist Marc Perlman and drummer Norm Rogers.

When The Jayhawks were young, the alt. country (or alternative country) boom hadn’t yet begun.  Alt. Country is a genre that many people credit Uncle Tupelo with creating, when in actual fact Uncle Tupelo would not release their debut, No Depression, for another five years.  Credit probably should have gone to The Jayhawks.  After meeting their manager Charlie Pine at a gig opening for Alex Chilton, they released their debut.

In 1986, the band self-released The Jayhawks (also called the ‘Bunkhouse album’), which seemed not only to draw from fellow Minnesotans, The Replacements, but also country-rock heroes like Neil Young, The Band, and Gram Parsons.

Blue Earth followed in 1989, serving as the band’s commercial debut, on Twin/Tone Records.  The album was a hit among critics.  The Village Voice called The Jayhawks “the only country-rock band that matters.”  The songwriting abilities of Louris and especially Olson had solidified, but the album still lacked the spark that would put The Jayhawks on the alt. country map for keeps.

By this point, Norm Rogers had left the band and was replaced by Thad Rogers.

Waiting For The Sun (1992-1994)

It wasn’t until after Uncle Tupelo had released their debut that The Jayhawks truly came into fruition.  After George Drakoulis, a producer and A&R rep for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings label, heard Blue Earth in the background, while on the telephone with Twin/Tone’s Dave Ayers, he had the group signed immediately.

Drakoulis produced the American-released Hollywood Town Hall.  The album was released in 1992 and served as a much stronger introduction to the band, even managing to get some radio play.  Olson and Louris served as the Lennon and McCartney of the group, with Olson’s gritty folkish delivery and Louris’ more pop-oriented singing.  Drummers once again had been replaced, and the album was recorded with Ken Callahan behind the kit. 

Hollywood Town Hall included several songs that would become mainstays of the Jayhawks repertoire until the end.  Songs like “Waiting For The Sun” (not to be confused with the Doors track) and “Settled Down Like Rain” were beautifully composed and performed, with the help of keyboard veterans Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) and Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, etc.). 

Due to the prominent piano playing on the album, Olson drafted keyboardist Karen Grotberg for the Jayhawks’ 1992 tour.  And so, for the first time, there were five Jayhawks.

1992 also saw the birth of a side project.  Jayhawks members Gary Louris and Marc Perlman teamed up with Run Westy Run’s Kraig Johnson, Soul Asylum’s Dan Murphy, and ex-Replacements drummer Chris Mars to form Golden Smog.  The group continues to remain a side-project for Louris and Perlman, and has included Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and ex-Big Star drummer Jody Stephens in more recent incarnations.

Hollywood Town Hall created a spark, but not a fire.  Although closely associated with bands like Wilco, Counting Crows, and Soul Asylum, The Jayhawks spent most of their career trying to match the success their contemporaries were experiencing.

 

It’s Up To You (1995-2002)

Tomorrow The Green Grass (1995) is the album that should have made The Jayhawks a household name.  The addition of Karen Grotberg on keyboards and backing vocals added a whole new dimension to The Jayhawks’ signature-sound.  Although still clearly country-influenced, more of a folk-pop flavor was added to the group, as evidenced on tracks like “I’d Run Away” and “Blue” (probably the closest thing the Jayhawks ever had to a hit).

Soon after the album's release, the Jayhawks once again experienced a change in drummers.  This time, however, they had found the man who would stick around 'til the end.  Aside from being a gifted drummer, Tim O'Reagan had a great, soulful voice.  On future Jayhawks albums he would provide both lead and backing vocal duties in a number of tracks, some of which were album highlights.

Tomorrow The Green Grass may have found The Jayhawks releasing their best album to date, but its success was marred by the departure of Mark Olson, who wanted to spend more time with his wife, singer/songwriter Victoria Williams, who had made a guest appearance on the album.  His departure may have also had to do with the fact that The Jayhawks were beginning to distance themselves from their country roots.  The album included some more pop-oriented songs, like "I'd Run Away," and even a hard rocker ("Real Light")

Olson's departure could have been a major blow to the group, but Louris had proven himself to be more than capable as a bandleader.  And with the addition of Tim O'Reagan, many of Olson's harmony vocal parts could be accomodated in live performances.  This came to fruition on The Jayhawks' next album, Sound of Lies.

Sound of Lies was very much a product of its time.  Most of The Jayhawks’ contemporaries were moving away from the alt. country sound.  Wilco had just released Being There, which showcased a wide variety of styles.  Mark Olson, who had brought much of the country influence to The Jayhawks, was now departed.  The rest of the Jayhawks decided that they were interested in trying a myriad of styles on their next album.

Joined by Golden Smog guitarist Kraig Johnson and violinist Jessy Greene, the band created a spotty, if ambitious affair on Sound of Lies.  Gary Louris takes on most of the vocal duties, but we also get to hear Tim O’Reagan as the singer/songwriter on “Bottomless Cup.”  The band rocks harder on “Big Star” than ever before, but retains some of its folky qualities on tracks like “It’s Up To You,” which features wonderful vocal harmonies from Karen Grotberg, who left the band in 1998 to pursue other opportunities.

Two years later, the Jayhawks re-emerged with new keyboardist Jen Gunderman for 2000’s Smile, a much better realization of The Jayhawks as a power-pop ensemble.  The Jayhawks ever further distanced themselves from their alt. country roots, teaming up with producer Bob Ezrin, who had worked with Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, and Alice Cooper.

Stumbling Through The Dark (2003-2005)

It’s unclear whether or not Gary Louris knew The Jayhawks were over when the band recorded Rainy Day Music, but looking back at the 2003 release, there are certainly a few indications that the end was near.  Guitarist Kraig Johnson and keyboardist Jen Gunderman had left the band by 2001 to pursue other interests, leaving Louris, Perlman, and O’Reagan as the only Jayhawks left.  Stephen McCarthy was added to fulfill guitar and pedal steel duties, which ultimately led to a slight return to the Jayhawks’ alt. country roots.

The Jayhawks had spent nearly twenty years attempting to find a success that never came, despite having fans all over the world.  Rainy Day Music opens and closes with two versions of “Stumbling Through The Dark,” a song about losing the grasp of love that could easily be viewed as a metaphor for the band’s history.  “Tailspin” also points to the end, with the repeated “You’re going down, baby, baby” and “You're a fragile flower in its final hour/With no chance to taste the waters.”  The Jayhawks had never truly drank the water of success, even in its final hour.  The sad part is that the songwriting on Rainy Day Music is some of the best Louris has ever written.  One can only hope a solo career is to come.

But is it truly over?  Critics are skeptical, and even Louris has attempted to distance himself from the comments made.  The Jayhawks have been known to reinvent themselves in the past.  Hopefully it will happen again.