Tired of what you get shoved down your throat from radio?
05/26/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this cd on a reviewers suggestion. I listened to it once and could not get the songs out of my head. Having had time recently to give this recording several listens I highly recomend it to anyone who wants straight forward lo fi rock . Try Walter Clevenger and the DAIRY Kings for some excellant 2 to 3 minute songs."
Aptly titled
loce_the_wizard | Lilburn, GA USA | 08/18/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"How did I manage to miss the 1996 release "Mood Elevator" by Jack Logan and his cadre of backing musicians, dubbed Liquor Cabinet? As many have noted, his debut effort, "Bulk," cast a long shadow, and I think, after finding "Bulk" a bit too loose and free-wheeling, I sort of forgot about Mr. Logan to some extent (though I'm a big fan of the Roach Brothers).
"Mood Elevator" is aptly titled, and anyone listening will certainly be in a better frame of mind and spirit afterwards. The subjects of some of the songs and the choice of metaphors are off-center enough to strike some as odd, but, in fact, this quirky nature lends depth and interest to these songs, which do not dwell on the ever popular themes of bad relationships, look what I have that you don't, or I'm cooler and badder than you are.
Mr. Logan takes care of the vocals here, allowing Kelly Keneipp, Dave Phillips, Aaron Phillips, Terry Roach (of the aforementioned Roach Brothers--the other Roach Brother, Jamie is the engineer) and others to play their instruments and chime in with background vocals and, in one song, laughter.
This is rock without the trapping of ego. The music is bright, upbeat, and catchy. If this set of unpretentious songs sounds like a group of friends playing what they want, how they want, in a barn out in the country, then you have caught the vibe. Actually, this recording is a group of friends playing what they want, how they want, in a barn out in the country.
Grab a copy while you can. All these folks selling this CD so cheaply need to clean out their ears and take a fresh listen!
"
Great Stuff
Timothy P. Young | Rawlins, WY, USA | 02/28/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Logan might just be an American original. He does the art for his records, and other fellas (I think Logan might like me to say 'fellas').
Musically, what he does is not unlike Mark Eitzel or Leonard Cohen, only minus the pretension and plus a bunch of damn fine poetry. He allows music, but...
But. When he plays, he is a blend between Barenaked Ladies and American Music Club. He's sharp and funny, but more depresed than...well, Eitzel...
The great thing about Logan is that when you leave his records, you feel like you know someone. He's the least enigmatic songwriter I've ever heard, and I'm a Loudon Wainwright fan, so I should know about revealing songwriters.
He sings about losing his daughters because of his lifestyle, of not understanding society ("Teach me the rules/I beg of you...I wanna do it right").
It's bare bones, and sounds like a few guys in your living room, but this is still a great record. Give it a shot.
"