On Golden Smog

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On Golden Smog
On Golden Smog.jpg
EP by
ReleasedDecember 11, 1992
RecordedPachyderm Studio, Cannon Falls, MN
Genre Alternative country
Length21:54
Label Crackpot Records
Producer Paul Pacific
Golden Smog chronology
On Golden Smog
(1992)
Down by the Old Mainstream
(1995)

On Golden Smog was the debut EP from American band Golden Smog, released in 1992.

Contents

Background

Golden Smog was a loosely connected group of musicians comprising, at various times, members of Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs and Big Star. Golden Smog's lineup has often changed, but relative constants who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks), along with bassist Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks). [1]

The album consists entirely of cover songs. The album sleeve art was by the band's then-drummer, Chris Mars. The track "Shooting Star" was featured in the 1994 film Clerks .

On Golden Smog was reissued in 1996 by Rykodisc.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Jason Ankeny wrote of the album "After a few years of haphazard shows in and about their native Minneapolis, the members of Golden Smog were approached by a small local label to put out a record; many, many beers later, On Golden Smog appeared." [2]

Track listing

  1. "Son (We've Kept the Room Just the Way You Left It)" – 4:26 - A Michaelangelo cover.
  2. "Easy to Be Hard" – 3:20 - A Hair Cover. (Sung by The Jayhawks' Gary Louris)
  3. "Shooting Star" – 4:44 - A Bad Company Cover. (Sung by Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner).
  4. "Back Street Girl" – 3:55 - A Rolling Stones Cover.
  5. "Cowboy Song" – 5:29 - A Thin Lizzy Cover. (Sung by Soul Asylum roadie, Bill Sullivan).

Personnel

The band members of Golden Smog used pseudonyms in the credits.

Production notes

Related Research Articles

The Jayhawks American country and rock band

The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene during the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists, guitarists and songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, its 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 eleven studio albums with and without Olson who left the band in 1995, including five on the American Recordings label. On hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the 1995 lineup of the band reunited, releasing the album, Mockingbird Time, in September 2011. After the tour, Olson again left the band. After another hiatus in 2013, the 1997 lineup led by Louris reunited to play shows in 2014 to support the reissue of three albums released between 1997 and 2003. The band has remained active touring and recording since, including the release of the albums Live at The Belly Up in 2015, Paging Mr. Proust, produced by Peter Buck in 2016, Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2018 and XOXO in 2020.

Gary Louris American musician

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Dan Murphy (musician)

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Golden Smog is an alternative country-rock supergroup of loosely connected musicians mostly from the Minneapolis area. At various times, members of Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs and Big Star have worked with Golden Smog. Given the fluid collaborative nature of Golden Smog the lineup has often changed, but relative constants who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy and Gary Louris, along with bassist Marc Perlman.

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Down by the Old Mainstream was American Alternative country band Golden Smog's first full-length album, released in 1995. Its title is from a line in both the Wilco song, "Someday Soon" from the album, Being There, and from "Radio King," the last track on this album.

<i>Weird Tales</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Golden Smog

Weird Tales is American band Golden Smog's second album, released in 1998. The title comes from the pulp magazine Weird Tales; the cover art, by Margaret Brundage, is from the October 1933 issue.

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<i>Smile</i> (The Jayhawks album) 2000 studio album by The Jayhawks

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Ed Ackerson Rock musician and producer from Minneapolis

Ed Ackerson was an American musician and producer from Minneapolis. He produced or engineered dozens of records including works by prominent artists such as The Jayhawks, The Replacements, Motion City Soundtrack, Soul Asylum, Golden Smog, Dave Davies of The Kinks, Wesley Stace, Mason Jennings, Mark Mallman, John Strohm, Brian Setzer, Lizzo, Pete Yorn, The Wallflowers, Rhett Miller of The Old 97s, Jeremy Messersmith, and Juliana Hatfield. He owned a recording studio in Minneapolis, Flowers, and co-founded the Susstones record label. Ackerson led several notable Twin Cities pop/rock bands including Polara and The 27 Various, and released several solo records under his own name. He was also a prolific producer of albums by Twin Cities bands, and was regarded as one of the linchpins of the Minnesota music scene.

References

  1. Pitchfork media review of Stay Golden, Smog
  2. 1 2 Ankeny, Jason. "On Golden Smog > Review". Allmusic . Retrieved September 29, 2015.