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The Jacks — English EP
(Mega Dodo MEP6, 2023, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2023-11-29

English EP Cover art

You may be tricked into thinking that The Jacks were a 60s British pop psych band based on the name of their new release English E. P. on Mega Dodo Records, but you would be forgiven. The Jacks are a US band that began way back in the mists of time in the summer of 1971. Founders Walter Kleinecke (guitar and vocals) and Mitch Griffin (drums and vocals) had no real idea at the time being only 15, but they started playing together and created their sound, playing at school dances and some attempts at recording. In 1977 they headed to New York City, but only made it as far as Cleveland, Ohio as they ran out of money. They then found themselves in Tulsa, Oklahoma for an eight-month residency as Tulsa Jacks. They made some recordings, which then sat in the can for the next 40+ years. They changed their name to The Jacks in 1980 and released a single, but Mitch moved on to Minneapolis. Walter eventually migrated north and they recorded and released on cassette in 1982 Walter’s Vacation with the help of some friends. Then over the years they dabbled in different musical projects. In 2020 Reminder Records released a compilation of their songs that awakened their interest in recording again. English E. P. is the result, consisting of two new songs (“I’ll Always Love You” and “Where I Should Be Now”), a Jerry Casey song from a 1983 Jacks session (“Help Yourself”), a cast-off Jacks instrumental from 1985 with newly recorded drums and vocals added in 2022 (“Touch and Go for Broke”), and an orphan track from the Walter’s Vacation sessions (“Pretty Poison”). Today the band members are Walter, Mitch, Jerry Casey (lead guitar and vocals), and David Burdick (bass and vocals). The result is some of the best pop psych garage band music you can expect. Trippy guitar riffs, tasty bass lines, jangle guitars, and some aggressive playing with hints of Blue Öyster Cult, The Who, and early Pink Floyd. And it does help that the music on this EP spans at least four decades. Quite an impressive little release.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): The Jacks

More info
http://megadodo.bandcamp.com/album/english-e-p

 

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