Golden Smog
Blood on the Slacks (Lost Highway)
By Jonathan Shipley
Published: May 2nd, 2007 | 3:39pm
There’s always a bit of a bad taste in my mouth when I hear the word “supergroup.” It’s like baseball’s All-Star game. Sure, it’s fun to see those great players out there on the field, but isn’t it much more fun to watch a regular game during the season as teams battle for the pennant? Then again, there’s some supergroups that have come along recently that are, well, super. The Raconteurs, the Good, the Bad and the Queen, and Angels and Airwaves make the case that good musicians that come together can make great music. Golden Smog is no exception.
Golden Smog’s lineup has morphed frequently since its inception in Minneapolis in the late ‘80s. Members of Wilco, Soul Asylum, the Replacements, the Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, the Honeydogs, and Big Star have all had a hand in the creation of the group’s five albums. <I>Another Fine Day</I> was released in 2006 and, not known for their steady output, Golden Smog has given listeners a new CD, <I>Blood on the Slacks</I>, with eight songs using Gary Louris and Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks), Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), and Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum).
“Magician” is a cute little ditty perfect for, say, a kitschy commercial for the Las Vegas Tourism Bureau. “Without a Struggle,” the best song on the album, is a warm alt-country number with the feel of a train traveling confidently down musical tracks. There are also a couple of interesting cover songs — David Bowie’s “Starman” and Dinosaur Jr.’s “Tarpit.”
With only eight songs on the album, however (with two covers and two songs coming from the <I>Another Fine Day</I> sessions), one wonders why they’re quick to put this album out on the market after their latest successful effort. Are more personnel changes imminent for Golden Smog? Or are they simply warming up their musical chops for another great full-length album?
Issue #35
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