No One Cares and No One Knows

J Geils Band : Monkey Island

[Purchase]

On June 9, 1977 The J Geils Band released Monkey Island, a surprisingly good sampler of everything the band could bring to the stage. So yes, mostly high energy blues-inspired rock. But I've always been struck by the title cut. Like Springsteen's " The E Street Shuffle", it's got a nice instrumental workout at the top that doesn't sound like anything else in the performer's oeuvre. Robert Christgau hated it but the FM stations around Boston played it all the time in '77.

Christgau was kind about everything else, giving Monkey Island a B+:

 For no good historical reason--1977 is hardly the year of white r and b--this marginally offensive boogie cartoon has suddenly put together twenty minutes of music as consistent as side two of its 1970 debut. A hard one and a soft one and a cover and a closet-intellectual one and a pretty good one--that's their gamut, right? Overdisc, the nine-minute title track bombs and the other originals fail to take off, but the band does a number on Louis Armstrong's "I'm Not Rough," splitting the hard part between Magic Dick's harp and J.'s guitar. So give 'em a hand, folks--they earned it. 

The "cover" was "I Do", the song you've probably heard if you've heard any of the songs on Monkey Island. It's a cover of The Marvelows street corner staple. 

The album opener, "Surrender",  is another good song but not as good as the "Surrender" by The Sharks. Maybe The J Geils Band lost their way in '77, but it's one of the most interesting detours of their long career.

40 Year Itch : Scramble My Eggs, Honey

[Purchase]

Now don't touch the knobs now, we're going to have some fun around here
    -Peter Wolf

With Bloodshot, a potpourri of blues, boogie and the reggae influenced #30 hit "Give It To Me", Boston's  J. Geils Band enjoyed their first and only Top Ten album until Freeze Frame went multi-platinum in 1982. Years of touring had helped turn J Geils into the ultimate American house party band.



True fans can boast of owning the original red vinyl pressing of the album.

40 Year Itch : Full House

[Purchase $7.99]

Jive talking bad ass Peter "Gotta Get It Crazy Can't Get It Lazy" Wolf's stage persona must have - I mean MUST HAVE - taught both Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Bruce Springsteen a thing or two about crowd manipulation. Recorded over two nights at Detroit's Cinderella Ballroom, Peter Wolf keeps the party going on this short, just 33 minute album Full House ( released September 26, 1972)  All but "Hard Drivin Man" are covers. Mostly obscure rhythm and blues and 50's rock and roll. There's only one extended jam , a 9:32 cover of John Lee Hooker's "Serves You Right To Suffer".

This was a different J Geils Band from the one that gave us angels in a centerfold. This was a band that was constantly on the road with the "soul" intent of making audiences feel like they were the seeing the greatest rock band in the world...and proving white boys could play the blues. Be prepared to be blown away.

 Here below is another 1972 performance by the J Geils Band. This time in Boston. The video may be a little crunchy but the sound is excellent. Check out Magic Dick on his lickin stick and the keyboards of Seth Justman. This is how it's done.