Jonny Two Bags is the
guitarist with Social Distortion, and has also played with Youth Brigade, U.S.
Bombs and Cadillac Tramps. Salvation Town
is his debut full-length solo album. On
some of these tracks Jonny delves into American roots music, with some folk and country vibes, though most of these
tracks are more in a rock vein.
There are a lot of excellent tracks on this release, with some great guest musicians (including Jackson Browne) and some really good lyrics.
With the title Salvation Town, it might come as no
surprise to find lots of religious imagery in these songs, including a mention
of that giant glowing cross over the 101 freeway in Los Angeles (in “Then You
Stand Alone,” a song that also mentions “the
light of God”). “One Foot In The Gutter” mentions “devils and angels,” “heaven,”
and “eternal bliss.” The lyrics of “Avenues”
include references to “salvation” and
“demons.” “Forlorn Walls” mentions “Saint Peter” and “the heavens.” And of course the very title of “Wayward Cain” is a
religious reference.
Jonny Two Bags’ real name
is Jonny Wickersham. The “Two Bags” bit reminds me of the Monty Python skit,
“The Ministry Of Silly Walks,” where there is a character named Mrs. Two Lumps.
Mrs. Two Lumps then refers to John Cleese as Mr. Tea Bag. Obviously, Jonny's
nickname has nothing whatsoever to do with this comedy routine, but that’s
where my brain goes every time I hear it.
“One Foot In The Gutter”
The first track, “One
Foot In The Gutter,” opens with a good rock groove. It’s a song about a man
taking a look at his life and his choices, particularly with regards to drugs.
The main line of the tune is “I’ve got one
foot in the gutter/And one foot kicking in the door to heaven.” I love that
image, because it’s not a description of a man torn between good and evil, because
even the good half includes a violent act. It seems almost more a division
between despair and action rather than good and evil. But it’s also a great
description of the drug world. And yet the song has kind of a sweet pop vibe.
“Avenues”
“Avenues” kicks in with
some nice work by Joel Guzman on accordion, an instrument I didn’t expect to
hear on this album. This song creates a
vivid landscape and characters, and, like “One Foot In The Gutter,” is related
to drugs, with lines like, “And business
is on the boom/With a mouthful of balloons/Another kid jumps into the family
trade.” This song also has a good beat, and a great second set of vocals by
Gaby Moreno in one section.
“Then You Stand Alone”
The opening lines of “Then
You Stand Alone” are “The electric cross
above 101/A glowing beacon in the night/Fills the evil heart with fright/Can
you feel the judgment coming down?” But again, the sound is a fairly bright
rock sound. “In the place that you call
home” is an interesting phrase, because it subtly implies that this place
is not quite home. Mentioning home usually give a song a sort of nostalgic,
even warm feel, but the phrase works directly against that feel, which I love.
“Then You Stand Alone”
also features some excellent guest musicians, including David Hidalgo and David
Lindley. Bent Harding, Social Distortion’s bassist, plays bass on this track.
Jackson Browne joins Jonny on vocals.
“Clay Wheels”
“Clay Wheels” is more in
the folk and country realm. The opening lines set the tone: “Sometimes I wonder/If this is as good as it
gets/With each passing year it seems/I add a few more regrets.” Joel Guzman
plays accordion on this track. There are some really nice backing vocals too,
provided by Julie Miller and Gaby Moreno.
“Ghosts”
“Ghost” is also more in
the folk realm, with a great, serious, desperate sound. And I love when it
kicks in, with almost a march beat on the snare for a moment. This song has a
quiet power that is quite moving. Some well-placed backing vocals by Gaby
Moreno add to this song’s beauty as well as to its grip on the listener. There
is also a wonderful instrumental section led by David Lindley on fiddle. Yeah,
I just completely love this track; it’s my personal favorite on this album. The
song’s closing lines are: “There’s
nothing you can say or do/To make me feel whole/But I will keep on moving/Closer
to the edge/And that’s where you can find me/When I take my final breath.”
“Alone Tonight”
“Alone Tonight” is another
of the CD’s highlights. It’s a nice slow country tune, with Greg Leisz on pedal
steel. And then at one point, Steve
Berlin comes in on saxophone. “I’ll stay
true to you/‘Til I turn out the light.”
“The Way It Goes”
Salvation Town concludes with “The Way It Goes.” I love these
lines: “Baby, baby, you’re the girl of my
dreams/I’m gonna rip your life apart at the seams.” I love that there’s no
pause between the joy of meeting and the knowledge that things will go horribly
wrong. It’s such a depressing thought, and yet its expression comes across as
humorous. Brent Harding plays bass on this track.
CD Track List
- One Foot In The Gutter
- Avenues
- Then You Stand Alone
- Clay Wheels
- Forlorn Walls
- Wayward Cain
- Ghosts
- Hope Dies Hard
- Alone Tonight
- The Way It Goes
Salvation Town is scheduled to be released on April 1, 2014 on
Isotone Records through Thirty Tigers.
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