Jook
title:: Different Class
label:: RPM
format:: CD
Jook are a glam band from 1973 with a logo that looks like it influenced The Jam, and a look that may have influenced 999.
The sound of Jook is similar to Humble Pie, or Sweet (who shared the same manager) with rougher vocals. At times the 1980 Mod revival band The Chords sound like Jook. Whatever their influences, Jook sounds like they were an influence on Guided By Voices.
Watch Your Step has a boogie guitar riff like Jorma Kaukonen on the Hot Tuna track Come Back Baby or Allman Brothers on One Way Out. Rumble is a jam based instrumental with guitar solos, pounding drums, and boogie piano. It sounds like 70s arena rock. So why are Jook considered glam? The answer is that they have cheesey songs like Cooch, Crazy Kids or King Kapp (about the comic character Andy Capp) that are pure glam like the band Mud played.
La La Girl is a good pop track that sounds like T Rex for the first few moments, and has a few 50s elements throughout. City and Suburban Blues sounds like Bachman Turner Overdrive at times. Hey Doll is a slow song with SoCal background vocals like Poco or Eagles, and a lead vocal that sounds like Roger Daltrey in The Who.
For my money there are only four songs you need to hear, and three of them are the first three on the CD. The rest sounds either dated or super-cheesy.
Different Class is a football gang song designed to rile you up for a right out. Aggravation Place has a Sweet feel (even the title reminds you of the Sweet song Desolation Blvd). Watch Your Step is high energy, with vocals like Steve Marriott, background vocals like Sweet and a guitar riff recalling Ballroom Blitz.
Everything I Do is a feel-good song with 70s related lyrics such as
Got to get myself a good fast car
head on down the highway
now's the time to move on out
get to do things my way
drive around with my car top down
hear my 8-track play the latest sound
The CD ends with 2 demo tracks. The demos are interesting versions of two of the best songs on the disc, Everything I Do and Aggravation Place. The guitar is acoustic, but the rest of the band is playing drums and bass as usual. Both of the demos are wel executed, and very different than the final studio versions.
As I played this CD (many times) during the past few weeks preparing for this review, on numerous occasions someone would walk in a say "what are you playing?" in a less than favorable tone. And they were right - I would never be playing any of this CD if it weren't on a well-packaged CD on a label I trust, RPM. If you want to hear obscure glam music from this period done right, stick to Milk 'n Cookies or Brett Smiley, both also on RPM.
Faves: 1,2,3,8
---Carl
- Different Class
- Aggravation Place
- Watch Your Step
- Bish Bash Bosh
- Oo-Oo-Rudi
- King Kapp
- Alright With Me
- Everything I Do
- Rumble
- Cooch
- La La Girl
- Do What You Can
- That's Fine
- Mohair Sam
- Movin' in the Right Direction
- Crazy Kids
- City and Suburban Blues
- Hey Doll
- Shame Shame Shame
- Jook's on You
- Everything I Do [Ian Kimmet Demo]
- Aggravation Place [Ian Kimmet Demo]
