Odder than the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and more aligned with the straight folk/jug band tradition than the Holy Modal Rounders were, Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band were among the more notable 1960s groups that updated the old-timey/jug band spirit with a modern attitude and rock influences. Most known as the starting point for leader and... [+] Read More

Odder than the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and more aligned with the straight folk/jug band tradition than the Holy Modal Rounders were, Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band were among the more notable 1960s groups that updated the old-timey/jug band spirit with a modern attitude and rock influences. Most known as the starting point for leader and chief songwriter Norman Greenbaum (there was no "Dr. West"), who would have a huge rock hit in 1970 with "Spirit in the Sky," they didn't achieve even the modest profile of Kweskin or the Holy Modal Rounders. Greenbaum once described himself as "a cross between Captain Beefheart and Spike Jones," and while Dr. West sounded much more like Jones than Beefheart, Greenbaum and his cohorts certainly had a knack for witty, often absurd modern-day jug band-style tunes. Onstage Dr. West would go through medicine-show routines between songs, a shtick which even drew the praise of Frank Zappa.

Dr. West's sole album, The Eggplant That Ate Chicago, was chock full of tunes embedded with blase weirdness, like the title track, which would be tailor-made for airplay on Dr. Demento's show a few years later. A few post-album singles saw Dr. West filling out their sound with more rock-flavored arrangements that dovetailed with folk-rock and mild psychedelia, although the lyrical focus remained off-the-beaten track, with songs about a New York Hooker ("Bullet La Verne") and "Gondoliers, Shakespeares, Overseers, Playboys, and Bums." ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Jack Kelly & His South Memphis Jug Band rivaled the Memphis Jug Band in popularity during the 1930s and continued playing into the 1950s, when jug bands were a rarity. Founded in the early '30s by guitarist and vocalist Jack Kelly, the band included fiddler Will Batts, guitar picker Dan Sane, and "Doctor" D.M. Higgs on jug. They were originally... [+] Read More

Jack Kelly & His South Memphis Jug Band rivaled the Memphis Jug Band in popularity during the 1930s and continued playing into the 1950s, when jug bands were a rarity. Founded in the early '30s by guitarist and vocalist Jack Kelly, the band included fiddler Will Batts, guitar picker Dan Sane, and "Doctor" D.M. Higgs on jug. They were originally called Jack Kelly's Jug Busters when they first entered the recording studio in August, 1933. During this trip, the band cut songs including "Red Ripe Tomatoes," and "Believe I'll Go Back Home" for the NY label, American Records Co. The songs were released under the new band name, Jack Kelly & His South Memphis Jug Band, and one number, "Highway No. 61 Blues," became a best-seller for them. The group was regarded as the bluesiest of Memphis area jug bands, and were in demand as live performers. They often performed for white audiences, as well, at country clubs, hotels and picnics. The band recorded through the late '30s, with a total of over 20 songs for American Record Co., Banner and Vocalion. ~ Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide [-] Hide

You couldn't do any better than this for a comprehensive document of Dr. West's legacy: 25 tracks, including everything from The Eggplant That Ate Chicago, several non-LP singles, and eight previously unreleased songs. "I'm a little weird, I wear a little beard," and muses Norman Greenbaum repeatedly on "Weird," and there's certainly plenty of... [+] Read More

You couldn't do any better than this for a comprehensive document of Dr. West's legacy: 25 tracks, including everything from The Eggplant That Ate Chicago, several non-LP singles, and eight previously unreleased songs. "I'm a little weird, I wear a little beard," and muses Norman Greenbaum repeatedly on "Weird," and there's certainly plenty of ammunition for confirming that assessment on most of this material. The Eggplant That Ate Chicago tracks have a spare, even hollow jug band sound on which backup singer Bonnie Wallach's vocals are often prominent. The non-LP singles put a greater emphasis on a rock band sound, which gave the material more power and pop appeal, but Dr. West didn't last long enough to fully develop these directions. Among the non-Eggplant That Ate Chicago material, high points would include the tuneful psychedelia of "Jigsaw" ("crazy questions aren't so crazy when you can't remember who you are" they sing at one point, and who are we to contradict them?); an instrumental cover of "Eleanor Rigby," with kazoos playing the melody; "Gondoliers, Shakespeares, Overseers, Playboys and Bums," which is either extremely Dylan-influenced, or an outright Dylan parody; and "Lady Rain," the straightest and most melodic folk-rock the band managed, though the scratchy fiddle solo connects to their jug band roots. The album is recommended to collectors looking for a corner of 1960s folk-rock that's been pretty neglected by reissues and revivalists. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Document's Complete Recorded Works (1933-1939) is an exhaustive overview of Jack Kelly's career. However, for all but completists and academics, the disc is a mixed blessing due to its exacting chronological sequencing, poor fidelity (all cuts are transferred from original acetates and 78s), and sheer number of performances. Casual fans are... [+] Read More

Document's Complete Recorded Works (1933-1939) is an exhaustive overview of Jack Kelly's career. However, for all but completists and academics, the disc is a mixed blessing due to its exacting chronological sequencing, poor fidelity (all cuts are transferred from original acetates and 78s), and sheer number of performances. Casual fans are better off with a less comprehensive package. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide [-] Hide