The Jonestown Band’s The Last Days Of Jonestown is a concept album of sorts, but it’s not about the historical Jonestown Massacre. The songs that make up the album are culled from the themes born out of film noir movies and spaghetti westerns, or movies that incorporate thematic shades related to religion or the end of the world. That being said, the music that puts these themes into fruition is gritty, well-played rock and roll, with elements of popular music sprinkled in here and there. The closest comparisons that come to mind are somewhere in the field of The Black Crowes, The Eagles, or Bon Jovi.
The opening track, “Proposition 66”, is a bluesy tune that rocks out as it progresses. The familiar rhythm, that staggers and weaves as it plays out, is a perfect match for the singer’s vocal swagger. The next song switches gears a bit, beginning with a bare vocals and a clean instrumental guitar bit. Passionate and well sung, singer Malo Byron Jones sounds wonderfully professional on this ballad-type track with a slightly western feel. The mid-tempo pace, the guitar playing, and the sincerity of Jones gives this track a unique personality. “Nightbird Flying Over” has a catchy rock swing to the overall hook, and the blues-rock riffs are appealingly slippery and sloppy.
“Stone Cold” is a slower track, again dressed up with an emotional vocal mainline and some eye-opening lyrics (…“this is what the bitch said to me” ) about a woman who decides to leave a relationship for another man. Evidently, it’s the vehement singing in this song that elevates this track a little higher than it would have been. “The Ballad Of William Brown” is similar to the previous track in tempo, rhythm, and cadence, while the title track opens with a preacher-like spoken word spiel, followed by some Eagles-like country-rock filled with a catchy hook, great background singing, and an even balance of energy and rock and roll sauntering… probably the best cut on the album.
“Spin” is a typical blues-rock number with clichéd string-bending in just the right spots, and then rocking out here and there for good measure. “Sadie’s Gone” has a great country flavor to it, proving that this band can play more than one style, and play it effectively. There’s a slight Eagles or Poco feel to this track, mainly due to the subtle twang of the guitar and the honky-tonk ambience of the track as a whole. “Zed’s Dead” is another fervent vocal array laid atop a back-and-forth bluesy sway.
“Lions” switches gears a bit, beginning with a bare vocals and a clean instrumental guitar bit. Passionate and well sung, singer Malo Byron Jones sounds wonderfully professional on this ballad-type track with a slightly western feel. The mid-tempo pace, the guitar playing, and the sincerity of Jones gives this track a unique personality. “Devil’s Bread” is a down-home array of rock and roll, lead by a great guitar riff and some greasy singing, wrapped up nice and tight with a catchy chorus. It’s kind of an amalgam of 70’s rock a la Bad Company and 80’s radio pop/rock. After this, the title track to the album opens with a preacher-like spoken word spiel, followed by some Eagles-like country-rock filled with a catchy hook, great background singing, and an even balance of energy and rock and roll sauntering… probably the best cut on the album. The last song on the album, “Monsoon”, presents a haunting little ditty complete with echoing thunder in the background. Again, the singing is heartfelt and resounding, and it merges nicely with the subtle strumming guitar to create a lonely, almost desolate mood.
All in all, The Last Days Of Jonestown is an album that will be enjoyed by anyone that loves The Eagles’ Desperado album. The concept is there, but it’s not thrown in your face, and the music alternates up and down the scale, from rock, to blues, to blues-rock, to country-rock. Many of the songs have a slight formulaic approach to them, but the vocals are strong, and the fact that there’s an overlying theme in there somewhere boosts the entertainment value of the majority of the tracks a notch or two higher. While it may not blow you away at first, The Last Days Of Jonestown will grow on you after a few listens.
Review by Mike DeGagne
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)
