Jason and the Scorchers
Still Standing

Once upon a time in America. Around the mid-80s, the United States were teeming with bands trying in every way to revitalize the truest rock'n'country, a sped-up and extremely guitar-driven country. Countless examples can be made, from Lone Justice to Steve Wynn's Dream Syndicate and many others that I've listened to, but the most striking examples are definitely the mentioned groups, along with Jason Ringenberg and his faithful companions, the Scorchers, who unfortunately never became well-known enough in Europe for their merits. They remained active until the second half of the '90s and then left the field to their leader Jason's almost pure country. As far as I know, they occasionally reunite for some gigs and it's an explosion of powerful rock'n'roll (one of the best covers of "Absolutely Sweet Marie" by Bob Dylan, for example) and country mixed with a kind of rock-punk (the loudest version of "Take Me Home Country Roads" by John Denver, for example). But let's not worry too much about the covers, they also had excellent original material, and this one from 1986, which is their third album, proves it (although, in many ways, the first two albums are better).

It all starts with a remarkable guitar riff on a solid rock-blues, "Golden Ball And Chain", an excellent track with a catchy but absolutely not trivial chorus. Then we move on with the rock'n'roll of "Crashin' Down", a great song where guitarist Warner Hodges (a guitarist who later even ended up playing with Iggy Pop) delivers a nice series of solos. Another blast of almost-punk is "Shotgun Blues", and again the guitars are prominently featured, as throughout the album, very distant from the prevailing musical canons on FM radio at that time. "Good Things Come To Those Who Wait" is a nice slow song, melodic but not saccharine (it wouldn't have been their style). More speed and pure adrenaline with "My Heart Still Stands With You" and with the only cover on the album, an explosive version of the Rolling Stones' "19th Nervous Breakdown".
A great country-oriented ballad like "Ocean Of Doubt" maybe serves to soften the tone a little because then we return to the speed and guitar fire of "Ghost Town". Finally, "Take Me To Your Promised Land" is a track in the style of "Good Things Come To Those Who Wait", melodic but not too much, evidently to close the LP (and I say LP because I have the vinyl) in a not too violent manner. The LP, because the CD reissue contains three more tracks, including a "Route 66" that I had the chance to listen to and I highly recommend to anyone who is even a little interested in this kind of music. To the same people, I warmly recommend getting something from this group in its own way great and important.