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Junk Train
The Most Important
Various Reviews - 1999
Junk Train's third offering "The Most Important" fuses balls out hard rock sensibilities with alternative country's twang. This CD has true crossover potential, reaching out to both the rock and alternative county fan. The opening track Kudzu is an extremely strong and memorable tune with an over the top vocal by Glen Gaidos, that starts softly and builds to a screaming climax by the chorus.
The second song Maryhill has some serious texas style twangin' guitars by guitarist Ron Stoehr with interlaced banjo work by Gaidos. The banjo adds a completely fresh dimension to the tune..
The Most Important is the third and most swinging tune on this Cd. This would be my own personal choice for a radio single from this E.P. Dead Country Singer has a punk-a-billy vibe with train kept a rolling style snarework by drummer Larry Joireman. Very solid bass playing by John Geisler through out this disc.
Mexico is the last of the 5 tracks and has an eerie feel. Imagine Pink Floyd meets Lords Of The New Church in a gunslingers graveyard. Overall production on this release is excellent but not sterile sounding or "slick". A very promising band.
Junk Train's third offering "The Most Important" fuses balls out hard rock sensibilities with alternative country's twang. This CD has true crossover potential, reaching out to both the rock and alternative county fan. The opening track Kudzu is an extremely strong and memorable tune with an over the top vocal by Glen Gaidos, that starts softly and builds to a screaming climax by the chorus.
--Devin Alexander Sebasstian - iregular records
Head phones on. CD in. Hit play. Wo. Forgot to check the volume and man, out comes a major blast of guitar to knock me off the chair. Not music that sneaks up on you. This is about high energy to the extreme, in your face from the get-go.
So... we're talking far, far, really far removed from the politically-correct country that comes out of Nashville. But this music is less country and more punk fused with grunge, a vaguely country flavor somewhere in the mix. In my view. Which is not far from another reviewer's quote on the promo sheet describing the genre as "country tinged rock."
Probably not surprisingly since Junk Train is a Seattle band. Four guys, "bass, percussion, guitar to the MAX, a dash of banjo" delivered by Glen Gaidos, John Geister, Larry Joireman and Ron Stoehr. Glen is a writer with a gift for interesting images. "Daddy was an airplane, momma was the ground" comes from "Kudzu". The title and lyric are pretty strong clues that this 5-song CD belongs squarely in the alternative arena.
Glen's vocals throughout have a rough, unpolished quality that fits the raw territory of the music. "Maryhill" comes closest to a souped-up kind of country. The title track, "The Most Important", is a reflection on urban despair. I don't know what to tell you about "Dead Country Singer" other than it's the most punk rock track on the album. For example, one of the lines is "I've been on the gospel hour and been devoured by big hair and God's saving power" and another, "all highways and antennas out in tv land strung out on the plains liked barbed-wire fences". Intense poetic words backed by the equally intense hard-driving guitars.
For a change of pace, the mood of "Mexico" personally takes me into the realm of Leonard Cohen. The processed vocals and guitar work on this track are exceptional, haunting and melancholy and appropos of the sad story about a "friend taken down to Mexico."
By the way, even the promo sheet that came with the album has a lot of creative punch. Just like the band. If you like music with a unique personality, lots of guts, and non-stop action, hitch up to Junk Train.
--Joyce Harrison - Indie-Music.com
Farm Boy with Pierced Tongue. Good alternative/blues rock. The vocals are well recorded, but you suffer from a lo-fi recording. Get a better mix and your song with sound a hellava lot better!
--Kyuss - Seattle, Washington (Garageband.com member)
This is a good song. Got me from the beginning. Made me listen. Tom Petty and Bob Dylan and a sound of the black crowes.....a good mix. Even the screaming was good.
--Outson - Clearwater, Florida (Garageband.com member)
Tom Petty get's angry. I like the emo guitar at the beginning. but I don't know if the vocalist was meant to scream. He sounds a lot like Tom Petty I noticed.
--Leprechaun - Richland, Washington (Garageband.com member)
Broken Record. Sort of sounded like a broken record but the vocals were pretty good. Sounded like the guy from Blind Melon.
--PicassosRadio - Austin, Texas (Garageband.com member)
Shout it out loud! The lead guitar was too country in comparison to the rythm guitar which was cool and a bit grungy. The vocals was alright on the verse, but in the chorus they were pail annoying. Sorry guys!
--Thor - Moss, Ostfold, Norway (Garageband.com member)
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Interesting guitar licks give an unsuspecting twist to this song. This song tells a story like a movie. Good use of lyrics.
--Christo - Tulsa, Oklahoma (Garageband.com member)
Is Jimmy Page anywhere in your collection? Good guitar work, but they should be a little lower during the first two mesures of the verses. I would rather hear a little more singing and a little less screaming... just my opinion.
--dsantos - Springhouse, Pennsylvania (Garageband.com member)
The best guitar in the world! Have a better bass line.
--denton4th - Arlington, Virginia (Garageband.com member)
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