The Fever (Bruce Springsteen) (LP 3845 - 3852)

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes I Don't Want To Go Home (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1976) ****  

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes This Time It's For Real (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1977) *** 

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes Hearts of Stone (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1978) **** 

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes The Jukes (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1979) *** 

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes Love is a Sacrifice (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1980) **** 

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes Reach Up and Touch The Sky (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1981) **** 

Southside Johnny and the Jukes Trash It Up! (Vinyl, Mirage Records, 1983) ** 

Southside Johnny & the Jukes At Least we Got Shoes (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1986) *** 

Genre: Rock and soul music

Places I remember: All from Marbeck's Records, except Trash It Up! from Amoeba Music.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Love on the Wrong Side of Town, I Don't Want to Go Home

Gear costume: Restless Heart (Love is a Sacrifice)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6

Active compensatory factors: There was a time (late seventies) when I was a big fan of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Yes, I was drawn to the band via fellow Jersey boy, Bruce Springsteen. The Boss's largesse meant he generously gave away some prime Boss songs along the way. However, I soon learned to love the Southside vibe for its own sake.

I Don't Want To Go Home is the debut album and that song (written by Steve Van Zandt) kicks it off in spectacular fashion. In fact, Steve (a.k.a. Little Steven, a.k.a Miami Steve) is all over this album in a most impressive way. The album is produced and arranged by manager Steven Van Zandt, who also sang, played guitar, and writes three of the songs (to Springsteen's two).

The Asbury Jukes and supplemented by The Miami Horns and a number of guests - Lee Dorsey, and Ronnie Spector among them. It's a great start with some fine vocals by Southside and some muscular playing from the troops. All that and The Fever - one of Bruce's best.

This Time It's For Real is the title song - a good song by Steve Van Zandt but I don't like it as an album title. It implies that the debut wasn't really up to snuff and that is far from the truth. 

This one feels a little like volume 2. It has the same horn driven sound (a bit more strident to my ears), and some guest stars continue to help carry the load: The Coasters, The Five Satins, and The Drifters have cameos on background vocals. Overall, the songs aren't as strong as the debut's but it still hits all the right spots.  

Hearts of Stone is their best studio album. It followed a similar approach to the previous two, with songs by Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, and Steve Van Zandt. Miami Steve also produces, arranges and plays guitar. Some feat! They would miss his input - this was his last album with them until a reunion in 1991.

This album has some big songs - Talk To Me, Hearts of Stone (both by the Boss) but the whole album feels strong and Southside sings brilliantly throughout. Obviously, it doesn't hurt that Might Max Weinberg is on drums for this album!

The Jukes was their first album for new label - Mercury, at the start of the eighties. Billy Rush stepped up in the absence of Miami Steve's input by becoming the band's principal songwriter. He does a good job, too. 

The sound on The Jukes is a bit more polished and smoother thanks to a change to Barry Beckett as producer (The Time is a good example of his approach), and the songs aren't as memorable this time out. Overall then it was a step in a slightly more uninspired, mainstream direction.

Love is a Sacrifice was the follow-up to the slightly disappointing The Jukes. It's a great response, as the sound toughens up and there are a couple of excellent songs in Restless Heart and the title track. They prove on this album that they can stand alone without Miami Steve and Scooter.

The double live album, Reach Up and Touch the Sky, is superb! The band and South are in their element - live playful and delivering! Rolling Stone described the album as "the penultimate party band playing unsurpassed party music." I'm not sure why 'penultimate' but I dig their enthusiasm.

All of the songs flow and add to the experience. Unfortunately, the band had just broken up and this album was released to fulfil their contract. Thank God!! I would have given it 5 stars if it had been one uninterrupted live experience and South didn't say 'goodnight' after what seems like every second song. Nit-picky I know.

As for the other two albums of the eighties: Trash it Up! is terrible. It's produced by Nile Rodgers so full of nasty eighties production tropes. Drum machines? Really? Synths? Really? Sadly - ye to all four questions. Plus, it has a terrible cover. At least the album title is accurate.

At least on At Least We Got Shoes the synths and programmed drums are used sparingly, and the songs are energetically conveyed. The cover of I Only Want To Be With You is the clear standout on this album. Southside's vocals are gain the other thing worthy of note - he still has that lovely soulful voice.

Where do they all belong? Clearly I'm not a completist, and ten years of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes was enough for me.