Top 5 underrated MMJ songs...

[havibulin]

Alabama Come Clean  

is this another tune off of the famed demos disk that I still do not have?

[CC]

is this another tune off of the famed demos disk that I still do not have?

no, it's the last instrumental track on The Tennessee Fire.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

that tune kinda creeps me out...in a good way

[Oz]

I always get tears in my eyes during what I'd like to call the 4th "part" or the 2nd "chorus" or whatever. It's a beautiful piece of music, let's just put it that way. :)

[marktwain]

How did you all know the name of that song?

[marktwain]

Butch Cassidy

and If All Else Fails
and I Needed It Most

[Oz]

How did you all know the name of that song?

On the vinyl version, it's listed in the tracklisting on the labels on the LPs. Don't know about the CD-version, I still don't have it...

[otter]

Death is the Easy Way
Can You See The Hard Helmut On My Head

those are my votes.

[sam_baugh]

Without question 'Rollin Back' is incredibly underrated. That was the first song that sucked me in. I was just sitting at my computer doing some writing and I had to physically back up from my desk and catch my breath....still one of my favorites.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Without question 'Rollin Back' is incredibly underrated. That was the first song that sucked me in. I was just sitting at my computer doing some writing and I had to physically back up from my desk and catch my breath....still one of my favorites.

fucking A right dude.  that song is really underrated and i think i get it just like you described.

[Ian_Alan]

Come closer
Strangulation
I will sing you songs
Sweetheart
It's about twilight now
and i gotta say, Honest Man is a hell of a song, but what Jacket song is overrated anyway??

[Chills]

War begun (album version)
War begun (all live versions)

That's one hell of a song! I just love it

[MMJ_fanatic]

I am really liking "Heartbreakin' Man" from the Mayan theater show--great dramatic/haunting keyboard intro...

[The Boar]

Hey Chills, and everyone else, I need some help. So there are some songs that I just can't get into on Tennessee Fire, including "War Begun". "Picture of You" and "If All Else Fails" are in the same boat though to a lesser extent. This is strange because the rest of the album is, in my estimation, perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful stuff that MMJ has done.

I know these are great songs, especially as a lot of the more senior fans on the forum seem to have a keen fondness for them, but I guess I am just missing something. Any suggestions? Admittedly, I have only heard the album versions as I have not yet checked out the live takes.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

"picture of you" is smashingly good due to the melody interacting with the lyrics.  i've found myself whistling the melody to that song over and over again...

"war begun" gets me again because of the lyrics, and "if all else fails" just haunts me with the awesome-ness of the lonely highway sound.  

try some of the live versions from my FTP server, they might grab you differently...

"it's about twilight now" just rocks.  you didn't mention it, but it sure rocks.

[The Boar]

Thanks for the advice John. Yeah, I am going to check out the songs on FTP, and see if they have a feel about them that I can grab onto better.

And oh man, "It's About Twilight Now" is awesome. Such a sun-and-whisky-drenched, Southern Gothic-style song. And the lyrics are so perfect for the sound. Makes me think that Kings of Leon have listened to it before. Probably in the top 5 of my all-time favorites.  ;D

[thebigbang]

The three you mentioned are perhaps more "pensive" than many of the others. Maybe that's just not your thing. But I think they complement the other songs beautifully.

And if you ever get to see Jim or MMJ perform them live, well, just hope you do and you'll get it.

Hey Chills, and everyone else, I need some help. So there are some songs that I just can't get into on Tennessee Fire, including "War Begun". "Picture of You" and "If All Else Fails" are in the same boat though to a lesser extent. This is strange because the rest of the album is, in my estimation, perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful stuff that MMJ has done.

I know these are great songs, especially as a lot of the more senior fans on the forum seem to have a keen fondness for them, but I guess I am just missing something. Any suggestions? Admittedly, I have only heard the album versions as I have not yet checked out the live takes.

[marktwain]

This is kind of weird, as "war begun" was the first song I fell in love with when I bought Tennessee Fire - like John says, it's the lyrics, but man that guitar solo is really sweet - it goes down really smooth (with no aftertaste).  The drums and heavy reverb jsut create an incredible atmosphere.  I can't imagine Jim singing that song when it's not pitch black, and at least a little chilly.

and I've always liked "If all else fails", but just recently rediscovered it (and learned to love it) when putting together a mix tape (its' sandwiched b/w Wilco's "handshake drugs" and Dylan's "Down in the Flood") Maybe you should try that sandwich, boar.  It's pretty tasty, and it could bring out some flavors you hadn't noticed before.

[marktwain]

or maybe you should just smoke a j before you listen - have you tried that?

[sweatboard]

everybody was thinking it anyway.