Jackdawg: "Jackdawg" (2009/2025) CD Review

In 1983, Keith Knudsen and John McFee, both of The Doobie Brothers, formed the band Southern Pacific, along with several other musicians. Stu Cook, of Creedence Clearwater Revival, joined that group a few years later, replacing the original bass player. Those three then went on to become Jackdawg. If you haven't heard of that band, don't feel bad. Jackdawg recorded only one album, which wasn't released until 2009 on Sonic Past Music. It received a deserved re-issue last fall, on both CD and vinyl, through Liberation Hall, so folks can get a second chance to dig into this music. And there are certainly reasons to do so, the three main reasons being the three musicians involved. In addition to his work in the Doobie Brothers, John McFee was a member of Clover, a band that also featured Huey Lewis before The News. John McFee will also be familiar to Grateful Dead fans as the pedal steel player on "Pride Of Cucamonga," a song on the From The Mars Hotel record (and one the band never performed in concert, though Phil Lesh did later perform it with Phil And Friends). And he played on Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey album, and worked with Elvis Costello. Keith Knudsen joined The Doobie Brothers in 1974 as drummer and backing vocalist (and occasional lead vocalist). He co-wrote some songs with the Doobies, and several with Southern Pacific. He also played drums on Emmy Lou Harris' "Shores Of White Sand." Keith died in 2005, before this album was released. And Stu Cook is of course known for his fantastic work in Creedence Clearwater Revival. That would be enough, but he was also a member of The Don Harrison Band in the 1970s (they had a hit with their cover of "Sixteen Tons"), and then produced albums by Roky Erickson And The Aliens, before joining Southern Pacific. All three of these guys are in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to all that, the music is good. This album features mostly original material. By the way, that new cover art was created by John and Stu.

The album kicks off with "Bayou Rebel," which has a cool bluesy and swampy rock sound, with a raw edge to the vocals. It was written by John McFee and Stu Cook, and it features some cool stuff by John on both harmonica and guitar during that instrumental section in the middle. "Now you don't have to look for trouble/Trouble's going to come and go." Oh, yes, that is true. That's followed by "When The Sun Don't Shine," which features some strong work on guitar right from the start, along with a steady beat. The song has intriguing opening lines, "There's a shadow here/Moving down from the sky," and the way John delivers those lines, it's like he's part of the shadow, or in touch with it. "We'll see what we want to see/When the sun don't shine." There is a great driving power to this number, and also a weight which we can feel in our chest. It's a really good rock song written by John McFee, Stu Cook and Keith Knudsen. "The Men Who Would Be King" was likewise written by all three band members. There is a 1980s feel to this track, and something catchy about it. 

"Hunger" grabs us with that brief guitar solo at the beginning, and then takes on a solid rhythm. "I can look but I'm out of luck when I want your touch/Just a glance and a word, then you're gone/And it's not enough." Soon he says, "You won't mistake my meaning," and the way he delivers and repeats the word "Hunger," I don't think anyone could mistake his meaning. This song feels like it could have been a rock hit in the 1980s. "Ghost Dance" also begins with a brief moment on guitar, but it is the drumming that really grabs us, that exciting rhythm that keeps us on the edge. This is a very cool track, and it features some excellent work on guitar as well, and a terrific energy. This is one of my personal favorite tracks. It was written by John McFee and Keith Knudsen. "Take It Off" is another song that feels like a hit to me. It has such obvious appeal. It's a lot of fun, with a delicious bass line. "But who cares what anybody's thinking/Nothing can come between us/Take it off, take it off." And I love that instrumental section in the second half.

"Kisses In The Rain" has kind of a sweeter vibe as it starts, especially with that backing vocal work. "This time it's right/Kisses in the rain out in the night/It's right this time/I can put the top down, you can drive." There is something wonderfully catchy about this one. Part of it is the rhythm of the vocal line, but there is something kind of timeless about it, like some of the best songs of Huey Lewis And The News. How can you help but love this song? "Kisses in the rain still on my mind." Then "I Couldn't Help Myself" begins with the lines "Back in the past/The future was a blast," which I love. And this song takes us back, to high school and then moving forward from there. It features another wonderful bass line, and a cool vocal line. "I burned out my credentials for the unemployment line/Then I set my sights/I had to specialize." And the line "I only took his Jaguar on a trial run" makes me smile every time I hear it.

"Quicksand" has a steady rock rhythm, and features a strong vocal performance. "If I could have seen it coming/I would have just stayed away/But now as I get in deeper/I see there's no escape." Yeah, sometimes there's no fighting it. "But, oh, what a way to go," he tells us. In the second half of this track, there is a good lead on guitar that I wish went on a bit longer. Then "Lookin' For Trouble" comes on with a great hard rock urgency, reminding me a bit of Sammy Hagar's "The Girl Gets Around" at the beginning, and at a few other moments. And perhaps trouble is right around the corner. The music seems to suggest it. This is another track to have a great rhythm to the vocal delivery. "Light entertainment/Stars in the pavement/Don't know where the night went/Victim of Sunset/Illegal tender/Casually misspent." That's followed by "Relentless." When this one kicks in, it has a great rhythm. This one, like "Quicksand," mentions a lack of escape: "Even if I wanted, I couldn't escape."

"I tried to give you an education, but you've given me my own/Young ones taking on the world/Young ones waiting your turn/Young ones, I know what you're going through/I was once a young one too," John sings in "Young Ones." Isn't it funny how that message never seems to get through? Not when we were kids, and not to those who are kids now. And, man, it goes so quickly. That's something else you can never tell them. But perhaps they'll get the message in this song that reaches across generations. "Young Ones" is followed by "The Girl From Oz," a fun track that moves at a good clip. "Down below, a place I want to be/Does she know what she does to guys like me?" This song features some excellent guitar work, and some cool stuff on drums too.

The disc's final two songs are covers. Both are songs that these guys have some history with. The first of those is "Cold Night For Alligators," which was written by Roky Erickson, and originally included on the Roky Erickson And The Aliens' self-titled 1980 album, which Stu Cook produced. They deliver a good rendition, putting their own spin on it, the vocals having a great edge. "It's a cold night for alligators/It's a cold night for dogs." There is something of a CCR feel to this track. And the second is Van Morrison's "Wild Night." John McFee played on the original recording of this song, which was the lead track on Tupelo Honey. This is heavier rendition, more of a hard rock song than the original, which is apparent right from its opening moments. On the original version, John played pedal steel, while here he plays electric guitar.

CD Track List

1. Bayou Rebel
2. When The Sun Don't Shine
3. The Men Who Would Be King
4. Hunger
5. Ghost Dance
6. Take It Off
7. Kisses In The Rain
8. I Couldn't Help Myself
9. Quicksand
10. Lookin' For Trouble
11. Relentless
12. Young Ones
13. The Girl From Oz
14. Cold Night For Alligators
15. Wild Night

This re-issue of Jackdawg was released on October 24, 2025. By the way, the vinyl version has five fewer songs than the CD version.