The songs provided by the J Geils Band on what would be their final studio album has zany lyrics, a brash drum sound, offbeat keyboard work while overall this is pitched at the power pop fraternity.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: J Geils Band
ALBUM: You’re Getting Even While I’m Getting Odd
LABEL: EMI America
SERIAL: 250240-1
YEAR: 1984
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: J Geils – guitar * Daniel Klein – bass * Seth Justman – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, production * Magic Dick – harmonica, saxophone, backing vocals * Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals
TRACK LISTING: 01 Concealed Weapons * 02 Heavy Petting * 03 Wasted Youth * 04 Eenie Meenie Minie Moe * 05 Tell Em, Jonesy * 06 You’re Getting Even While I’m Getting Odd * 07 The Bite From Inside * 08 Californicatin’ * 09 I Will Carry You Home
WEBLINK: Site Link
Background
The album with the long title would be the last studio effort from this long time Massachusetts musical institution. As most of us know, the band struck the big time three years earlier with ‘Freeze Frame’, but strangely did not consolidate that with a follow up studio album in quick succession.
Instead, they released a 1982 live album ‘Showtime!’ (recorded at Detroit’s Pine Knob in Sept ’82) and from that point all momentum was lost. This 1984 album saw the band reduced to five as singer Peter Wolf had since departed.
The Songs
Fans of the previous two studio albums will be pleased the quirkiness factor is retained for this final performance. With Peter Wolf no longer upfront, the lead vocals are shared between Seth Justman and Stephen Bladd, and both do a good job in his absence.
The songs have zany lyrics, a brash drum sound, offbeat keyboard work while overall this is pitched at the power pop fraternity, though their long established R&B influences still shine through. I can’t pick out any real highlights as the nine tracks are just too far ‘out there’ for my liking.
In Summary
The band called it quits in 1985, but reformed in 2009 though no recorded output eventuated from that second stint. Band leader John Geils passed away on April 11, 2017 aged 71.
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J Geils Band
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Entire Album (Select Tracks)
