| Blue Earth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | Minneapolis, MN | |||
| Genre | Alt-country, country rock | |||
| Label | Twin/Tone | |||
| Producer | Jim Rondinelli, Tom Herbers, and the Jayhawks | |||
| The Jayhawks chronology | ||||
| ||||
Blue Earth is a studio album by American alt country and alt rock band the Jayhawks, released in 1989.
After the local release of their debut album The Jayhawks, the band recorded a set of demos in order to attract a major label deal. Singer/guitarist Gary Louris was injured in a car accident and left the band. Their manager was able to interest Twin/Tone Records in releasing the demos. Louris went to the studio to overdub his guitar parts and ended up re-joining the band. The re-mixed demos were released as Blue Earth. [1] [2]
"Martin's Song" and "Two Angels" were later re-recorded on Hollywood Town Hall.
Blue Earth was re-issued on CD on the Rykodisc label in 2003 with three bonus tracks.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [3] |
In his review for AllMusic, critic Jason Ankeny wrote that due to the songs originally being demos, they lack punch, and noted "the songs are simply too primitive to come to life in this setting. Nonetheless, the growth of the band's songwriting skills over their debut is substantial..." [2] Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album an A− rating, noting "Gram Parsons comparisons get you nowhere, but I'm not kidding—this is the obliquely songful followup the Burritos never made." [3]
All tracks are written by Mark Olson, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Two Angels" | 4:07 | |
| 2. | "She's Not Alone Anymore" | 3:23 | |
| 3. | "Will I Be Married" | 3:53 | |
| 4. | "Dead End Angel" | 3:40 | |
| 5. | "Commonplace Streets" | 5:21 | |
| 6. | "Ain't No End" | Mark Olson, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Five Cups of Coffee" | Mark Olson, Gary Louris | 3:52 |
| 8. | "The Baltimore Sun" | Mark Olson, Gary Louris | 3:10 |
| 9. | "Red Firecracker" | Mark Olson, Gary Louris | 3:08 |
| 10. | "Sioux City" | 3:11 | |
| 11. | "I'm Still Dreaming, Now I'm Yours" | 3:45 | |
| 12. | "Martin's Song" | 3:31 | |
| Total length: | 44:46 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Fingernail Moon" | 3:01 |
| 14. | "Two Minute Pop Song" | 2:31 |
| 15. | "Nightshade" | 3:49 |
| Total length: | 54:07 | |
Additional musicians
Production'
The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, such as Uncle Tupelo, the Gear Daddies and the Honeydogs. They have released eleven studio albums, with and without Olson, including five on the American Recordings label. After going on hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the 1995 lineup of the band reunited and released the album Mockingbird Time in September 2011; Olson left the band for the second time after the tour to promote the album. After another hiatus in 2013, the 1997 lineup led by Louris reunited to play shows in 2014 to support the reissue of three albums originally released between 1997 and 2003. Since then, the band has continued to tour and record, releasing the albums Live at The Belly Up in 2015; Paging Mr. Proust, co-produced by Peter Buck, in 2016; Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2018; and XOXO in 2020.
Gary Michael Louris is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band the Jayhawks and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson. Louris is often credited with the band's subsequent move from folk-country toward a more progressive, pop sound.
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