I should have some respect for Mark Olson. He might not have
been the founder of alt-country, but as a member of The Jayhawks,
he helped to shape the genre into what it is today. With his new
“group”, The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers (which features
his wife Victoria Williams and long-time friend Mike “Razz”
Russell), Olson has continued to push forward a more folk-oriented
version of alt-country – one which wouldn’t be embraced by anyone
except devotees of the pure form of the genre.
Maybe this is why Olson’s latest effort,
My Own Jo Ellen, doesn’t have a user-friendly feel to it.
The 10 songs which make up this disc do tell some interesting
stories at times, but just doesn’t have the same enchanting feeling
that so many other albums in this genre do. Olson seems to take the
stance that you either are with him on this musical journey or
you’re left behind; either way, he’s got somewhere that his music
is taking him. This might not be the best way to welcome the
uninitiated.
Olson is not the strongest vocalist, a weakness which is evident
throughout
My Own Jo Ellen. This isn’t to say that it’s inappropriate
for the style of music that is created here; the folk-like
atmosphere almost calls for a voice like Olson’s at times. Tracks
like “Ben Johnson’s Creek,” “Rosalee” and “Walking Through Nevada”
are evidence of this, and mark some of the strongest moments on the
disc.
If only the bulk of
My Own Jo Ellen were like this. It’s not that songs such as
“Someone To Talk With” or “Diamond Davey” are bad, but the manner
in which the songs are delivered almost encourages the listener to
push them into the background, thus losing any message the tracks
may have. This, I don’t think, was Olson’s intention.
My Own Jo Ellen is also the kind of disc which takes much
more than a few listens to really show the power it has. The first
time I tried to listen to it, I was overwhelmed, and had to turn it
off. A few listens later, certain tracks started to show their
heads, suggesting they had more in store than one could pick up on
a cursory listen or two. The question is how many people – other
than those who have walked this musical path with Olson – will be
willing to make such an investment.
My Own Jo Ellen requires the listener to stop and think
about what’s being said. Olson puts on a serious face throughout
the course of the album – which might also be part of the
underlying problem. With such a disc, even a slight break in the
tension created in these stories may have helped things along.
Regrettably, there is none.
My Own Jo Ellen is a disc which should please long-time fans
of Olson’s, even those who have followed him since his days with
The Jayhawks. If you’re a newcomer to this style of music, you
might want to get a little better feeling of the genre before you
tackle this one. After all, you need to learn to read before you
tackle
War And Peace.
