Jack's Crows
Studio album by
John Gorka
Released1991
GenreFolk
LabelHigh Street[1]
ProducerDawn Atkinson, Will Ackerman
John Gorka chronology
Land of the Bottom Line
(1990)		 Jack's Crows
(1991)		 Temporary Road
(1992)

Jack's Crows is an album by the American folk musician John Gorka.[2][3] It was released in 1991.[4][5] The album's title was supplied by Jack Hardy.[6] "House in the Fields", for which a video was produced, was marketed to country music outlets.[7]

Production

The album was produced by Dawn Atkinson and Will Ackerman.[8] Its songs are mostly set in the small towns near the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.[9][10] Unlike during the recording sessions for his previous albums, Gorka recorded most of Jack's Crows with all the musicians present in the studio at one time.[6] It was Gorka's intention to move on from the love songs of previous albums to songs about places and people.[11]

Shawn Colvin sang on two of Jack's Crows' tracks.[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[14]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[8]
The Republican[12]

The Washington Post wrote that "Gorka matches his subtle, intelligent and original songwriting with a deep, thrilling baritone ripe with masculine melancholy, that makes whatever he's singing fairly unforgettable."[15] The Ottawa Citizen stated that Gorka "conjures up characters and landscapes that share an unpretentious dignity and grandeur."[16]

The Republican determined that "though ballads dominate, there is sizzle here, particularly on the bleak urban landscape Gorka paints on 'Where the Bottles Break'."[12] The State-Times concluded that "though his calmly academic baritone on Jack's Crows tends to put the lyrics at arm's length, the lyrics themselves are so intelligently written that they manage to transcend their aloof presentation."[17]

AllMusic noted that "Where the Bottles Break" "is a rockin' song about personal convictions and the real-estate business."[13]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Silence" 
2."Treasure Islands" 
3."Jack's Crows" 
4."House in the Fields" 
5."The Mercy of the Wheels" 
6."Good" 
7."Semper Fi" 
8."Where the Bottles Break" 
9."Night is a Woman" 
10."I'm from New Jersey" 
11."My New Neighborhood" 
12."The Ballad of Jamie Bee" 
13."You're on Your Way" 

References

  1. ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (24 Apr 1991). "HE'S PUTTING ON A NEW JERSEY". Philadelphia Daily News. FEATURES YO!. p. 44.
  2. ↑ "John Gorka Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2013-08-27.
  3. ↑ Tearson, Michael (Nov 1991). "Rock/Pop Recordings -- Jack's Crows by John Gorka". Audio. 75 (11): 103.
  4. ↑ "WINDHAM HILL ARTISTS SHIFTING FROM MELLOW TO FOLK, JAZZ". Deseret News. June 19, 1991. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12.
  5. ↑ Gehman, Geoff (19 July 1991). "GORKA IS MOVING BEYOND HIS NEIGHBORHOODS". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  6. 1 2 Jarvey, Paul (13 June 1991). "Gorka practicing to be perfect". Telegram & Gazette. p. D1.
  7. ↑ Kestler, Lisa (August 27, 1991). "Move over, Bruce. John Gorka also has a few songs to sing about - Jersey. He's just a little more subtle". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Life. p. 1.
  8. 1 2 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 494.
  9. ↑ Gluck, Robert P. (January 20, 1991). "A Poetic Touch in Folk Songs". Archived from the original on 2022-02-12 – via NYTimes.com.
  10. ↑ Allan, Marc D. (15 Feb 1992). "Folk singer's neighborhood is inspiration for music". The Indianapolis Star. p. C2.
  11. ↑ Blackstock, Peter (29 Aug 1991). "Movement or not, Gorka's on the move". Austin American-Statesman. Onward. p. 9.
  12. 1 2 3 O'Hare, Kevin (April 28, 1991). "Gorka proves a growing talent". The Republican. p. D10.
  13. 1 2 "Jack's Crows - John Gorka | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2012-11-29 – via www.allmusic.com.
  14. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 836.
  15. ↑ "NEW WAVE OF FOLK ROLLING INTO TOWN". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  16. ↑ Parisien, Roch (16 Jan 1992). "FOLK". Ottawa Citizen. p. F3.
  17. ↑ Heitman, Danny (May 8, 1991). "Warmth, energy lost on Gorka's album". The State-Times. p. 2C.
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