JASON RINGENBERG
''BEST TRACKS AND SIDE TRACKS 1979-2007, DISC TWO''
JANUARY 22 2008
103:31
DISC ONE
1/Shop It Around
Jason Ringenberg/2:33
2/The Life of the Party
Richard Fagan / Jason Ringenberg/2:44
3/Bible and a Gun/Feat. Steve Earle
Jason Ringenberg/4:36
4/Camille/Feat. Swan Dive
Jason Ringenberg/4:07
5/Punk Rock Skunk
Paul Needham / Jason Ringenberg/3:13
6/One Less Heartache/Feat. The Wildhearts
Jason Ringenberg/3:46
7/She Hung the Moon (Until It Died)
Jason Ringenberg/3:43
8/Rainbow Stew
Merle Haggard/2:52
9/For Addie Rose
Jason Ringenberg/2:28
10/Born to Run/4:15
11/The Price of Progress
Jason Ringenberg/3:38
12/Prosperity Train
Stace England/3:01
13/A Pocketful of Soul
Jason Ringenberg/2:23
14/Eddie Rode the Orphan Train
Jim Roll/5:52
15/Link Wray/Feat. Los Straitjackets
Jason Ringenberg/3:13
16/Tuskegee Pride
Jason Ringenberg/5:31
17/Half the Man
Jason Ringenberg/3:38
18/Chief Joseph's Last Dream
Jason Ringenberg/4:48
19/Broken Whiskey Glass/Feat. The Woodbox Gang
Jason Ringenberg/3:33
20/Last Train to Memphis
Jason Ringenberg/3:37
DISC TWO
1/Lovely Christmas/Feat. Kristi Rose
Jason Ringenberg/2:59
2/Moose on the Loose
Jason Ringenberg/3:21
3/The Sailor's Eyes
Jason Ringenberg/2:07
4/Cappuccino Rosie
Jason Ringenberg / Tommy Womack/4:14
5/Mom's 70th Birthday Song
Jason Ringenberg/2:08
6/Help There's a Fire
Jason Ringenberg/1:51
7/Buckminster Fuller We Need You Now
Jason Ringenberg/3:14
8/Who's Gonna Feed Them Hogs?
Tom T. Hall/3:29
9/Paradise/Feat. Janas Hoyt, R.B. Morris, Tom Roznowski
John Prine/4:05
10/Jimmy Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel/Feat. The Wildhearts/2:32
Eddie Angel /Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm)
George Bradfute /Banjo, Bass, Bass (Upright), Cello, Choir/Chorus, Clarinet, Guitar, Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Baritone), Guitar
(Electric), Guitar (Synthesizer), Guitar (Tremolo), Keyboards, Producer, Reed Organ, Slide Guitar, Tambourine, Viola
Fenner Castner /Drums
Delia Chase /Choir/Chorus
Steve Ebe /Drums, Percussion
Eric Elliott /Guitar, Vocal Harmony
Stace England /Vocal Harmony
Molly Felder /Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Jeff Finlin /Drums
Gary Gibula /Bass
Mickey Grimm /Drums, Tambourine
Moose Harrell /Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar
Arty Hill /Arranger, Guitar, Vocal Harmony
Janas Hoyt /Vocal Harmony
David Jacques /Bass
Fats Kaplin /Accordion, Banjo, Cello, Fiddle, Guitar (Steel), Violin
Phil Lee /Trumpet
Jimmy Lester /Drums
Jerry Dale McFadden /Piano, Vocal Harmony
Tom Miller /Drums
R.B. Morris /Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Greg Morrow /Drums, Shaker, Tambourine
Dave Mueller /Guitar
Addie Rose Ringenberg /Choir/Chorus
Camille Ringenberg /Choir/Chorus
Jason Ringenberg /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Producer, Slide Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Kristi Rose /Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Tom Roznowski /Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Todd Snider /Choir/Chorus
Isaac Talbott /Choir/Chorus
Webb Wilder /Rap, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Adam Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Arianna Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Cameron Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Holly Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Kaila Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Victor Wooten /Choir/Chorus
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
Jason Ringenberg is still best known for his 15 minutes of almost fame with the trail-blazing cowpunk band Jason & the Scorchers even though for close to ten years his solo career has been his first priority, but folks who wonder whatever became of that group's firebrand lead singer would do well to give a listen to the fine music he's been making on his own. Best Tracks and Side Tracks: 1979-2007 is a two-disc set that features highlights from Ringenberg's three solo efforts for Yep Roc, tunes from his two children's records as Farmer Jason and a few unreleased tracks and fresh recordings of Scorchers classics. Folks looking to hear Jason rock out should be aware that the acoustic-leaning approach of Ringenberg's recent solo stuff dominates, but the man still knows how to kick it into high gear, as demonstrated by cuts recorded with the Wildhearts, Los Straitjackets and Stace England as well as a rollicking Farmer Jason number "Punk Rock Skunk," which is given some extra guitar firepower for this release. (Ringenberg also throws in a very rare 1980 recording of his pre-Scorchers band Shakespeare's Riot tearing through "Help There's a Fire" with a heap of youthful enthusiasm.) While Ringenberg wasn't able to include any material from his 1992 solo debut One Foot in the Honky Tonk, this collection does feature an unreleased demo of Jason and his road band tearing through Paul Kennerley's "Born to Run" that confirms Liberty Records clearly didn't know what a good thing they had. And while the tone of the new takes of "Lost and Found" and "Broken Whiskey Glass" is a good bit different than the versions the Scorchers wrought years ago, Ringenberg still sings the songs with passion and force, and his new songs show he remains a man who speaks his mind with honesty and fierce conviction, and sings his stories with a pure heart whether he's paying homage to his young daughter, giving Link Wray a shout-out or channeling the spirit of a Native American chief. Jason Ringenberg is an unsung hero of American roots music, and if you haven't been introduced to his solo work, Best Tracks and Side Tracks is a superb place to give him a listen, while longtime fans will certainly want to give the fine new and unreleased tracks a careful listen.
BIOGRAPHY
by Thom Jurek
While Gram Parsons may have the distinction of being the grandaddy of the ill-named "alt country" genre, Illinois farm boy Jason Ringenberg is certainly the man who brought the music -- before the phrase was coined -- to the stages of the world with a vengeance. Born in 1959 and raised on a pig farm in southern Illinois, Ringenberg moved to Nashville in 1981 to try his luck as a songwriter. He formed an acoustic country/punk band with drummer Jack Emerson called Jason & the Scorchers and released one EP in 1982 on the defunct Praxis label called Reckless Country Soul. With additional members such as guitar slinger Warner Hodges and bassist Jeff Johnson, the band rechristened themselves Jason and the Nashville Scorchers with Perry Baggs replacing Emerson on the drum kit. The band recorded their debut mini-album, Fervor, in 1983, which caused a stir among American critics. It was the group's live show, with its embodiment old-time rock & roll energy, punk swagger and grit, and country music's elegant excesses that won them fans worldwide. After Lost & Found was issued in 1985, Ringenberg had won enough celebrity to be berated publicly by country music's Ed Sullivan, Ralph Emery on live television and become a major concert attraction all over the globe. The Scorchers disbanded in 1990 and Ringenberg became a solo performer. His debut, One Foot in the Honky Tonk, was met with critical praise but after being dismally promoted, sank without a trace. The Scorchers reunited in the mid-'90s, issuing fine studio albums and a live recording. Ringenberg did not give up his solo career, however, and recorded the simple, haunting acoustic masterpiece, A Pocketful of Soul on his own label in 2000, as well as the rollicking All Over Creation featuring a boatload of guests in 2002, while continuing his touring and recording activities with the band. Ringenberg continues to be a very successful solo act when not playing with the Nashville Scorchers; he's toured the world three times in the 21st century alone. In October of 2003, he tossed everyone a curve ball by recording and releasing his first children's record on the Yep Roc label entitled A Day at the Farm with Farmer Jason.
''BEST TRACKS AND SIDE TRACKS 1979-2007, DISC TWO''
JANUARY 22 2008
103:31
DISC ONE
1/Shop It Around
Jason Ringenberg/2:33
2/The Life of the Party
Richard Fagan / Jason Ringenberg/2:44
3/Bible and a Gun/Feat. Steve Earle
Jason Ringenberg/4:36
4/Camille/Feat. Swan Dive
Jason Ringenberg/4:07
5/Punk Rock Skunk
Paul Needham / Jason Ringenberg/3:13
6/One Less Heartache/Feat. The Wildhearts
Jason Ringenberg/3:46
7/She Hung the Moon (Until It Died)
Jason Ringenberg/3:43
8/Rainbow Stew
Merle Haggard/2:52
9/For Addie Rose
Jason Ringenberg/2:28
10/Born to Run/4:15
11/The Price of Progress
Jason Ringenberg/3:38
12/Prosperity Train
Stace England/3:01
13/A Pocketful of Soul
Jason Ringenberg/2:23
14/Eddie Rode the Orphan Train
Jim Roll/5:52
15/Link Wray/Feat. Los Straitjackets
Jason Ringenberg/3:13
16/Tuskegee Pride
Jason Ringenberg/5:31
17/Half the Man
Jason Ringenberg/3:38
18/Chief Joseph's Last Dream
Jason Ringenberg/4:48
19/Broken Whiskey Glass/Feat. The Woodbox Gang
Jason Ringenberg/3:33
20/Last Train to Memphis
Jason Ringenberg/3:37
DISC TWO
1/Lovely Christmas/Feat. Kristi Rose
Jason Ringenberg/2:59
2/Moose on the Loose
Jason Ringenberg/3:21
3/The Sailor's Eyes
Jason Ringenberg/2:07
4/Cappuccino Rosie
Jason Ringenberg / Tommy Womack/4:14
5/Mom's 70th Birthday Song
Jason Ringenberg/2:08
6/Help There's a Fire
Jason Ringenberg/1:51
7/Buckminster Fuller We Need You Now
Jason Ringenberg/3:14
8/Who's Gonna Feed Them Hogs?
Tom T. Hall/3:29
9/Paradise/Feat. Janas Hoyt, R.B. Morris, Tom Roznowski
John Prine/4:05
10/Jimmy Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel/Feat. The Wildhearts/2:32
Eddie Angel /Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm)
George Bradfute /Banjo, Bass, Bass (Upright), Cello, Choir/Chorus, Clarinet, Guitar, Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Baritone), Guitar
(Electric), Guitar (Synthesizer), Guitar (Tremolo), Keyboards, Producer, Reed Organ, Slide Guitar, Tambourine, Viola
Fenner Castner /Drums
Delia Chase /Choir/Chorus
Steve Ebe /Drums, Percussion
Eric Elliott /Guitar, Vocal Harmony
Stace England /Vocal Harmony
Molly Felder /Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Jeff Finlin /Drums
Gary Gibula /Bass
Mickey Grimm /Drums, Tambourine
Moose Harrell /Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar
Arty Hill /Arranger, Guitar, Vocal Harmony
Janas Hoyt /Vocal Harmony
David Jacques /Bass
Fats Kaplin /Accordion, Banjo, Cello, Fiddle, Guitar (Steel), Violin
Phil Lee /Trumpet
Jimmy Lester /Drums
Jerry Dale McFadden /Piano, Vocal Harmony
Tom Miller /Drums
R.B. Morris /Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Greg Morrow /Drums, Shaker, Tambourine
Dave Mueller /Guitar
Addie Rose Ringenberg /Choir/Chorus
Camille Ringenberg /Choir/Chorus
Jason Ringenberg /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Producer, Slide Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Kristi Rose /Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Tom Roznowski /Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Todd Snider /Choir/Chorus
Isaac Talbott /Choir/Chorus
Webb Wilder /Rap, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Adam Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Arianna Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Cameron Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Holly Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Kaila Wooten /Choir/Chorus
Victor Wooten /Choir/Chorus
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
Jason Ringenberg is still best known for his 15 minutes of almost fame with the trail-blazing cowpunk band Jason & the Scorchers even though for close to ten years his solo career has been his first priority, but folks who wonder whatever became of that group's firebrand lead singer would do well to give a listen to the fine music he's been making on his own. Best Tracks and Side Tracks: 1979-2007 is a two-disc set that features highlights from Ringenberg's three solo efforts for Yep Roc, tunes from his two children's records as Farmer Jason and a few unreleased tracks and fresh recordings of Scorchers classics. Folks looking to hear Jason rock out should be aware that the acoustic-leaning approach of Ringenberg's recent solo stuff dominates, but the man still knows how to kick it into high gear, as demonstrated by cuts recorded with the Wildhearts, Los Straitjackets and Stace England as well as a rollicking Farmer Jason number "Punk Rock Skunk," which is given some extra guitar firepower for this release. (Ringenberg also throws in a very rare 1980 recording of his pre-Scorchers band Shakespeare's Riot tearing through "Help There's a Fire" with a heap of youthful enthusiasm.) While Ringenberg wasn't able to include any material from his 1992 solo debut One Foot in the Honky Tonk, this collection does feature an unreleased demo of Jason and his road band tearing through Paul Kennerley's "Born to Run" that confirms Liberty Records clearly didn't know what a good thing they had. And while the tone of the new takes of "Lost and Found" and "Broken Whiskey Glass" is a good bit different than the versions the Scorchers wrought years ago, Ringenberg still sings the songs with passion and force, and his new songs show he remains a man who speaks his mind with honesty and fierce conviction, and sings his stories with a pure heart whether he's paying homage to his young daughter, giving Link Wray a shout-out or channeling the spirit of a Native American chief. Jason Ringenberg is an unsung hero of American roots music, and if you haven't been introduced to his solo work, Best Tracks and Side Tracks is a superb place to give him a listen, while longtime fans will certainly want to give the fine new and unreleased tracks a careful listen.
BIOGRAPHY
by Thom Jurek
While Gram Parsons may have the distinction of being the grandaddy of the ill-named "alt country" genre, Illinois farm boy Jason Ringenberg is certainly the man who brought the music -- before the phrase was coined -- to the stages of the world with a vengeance. Born in 1959 and raised on a pig farm in southern Illinois, Ringenberg moved to Nashville in 1981 to try his luck as a songwriter. He formed an acoustic country/punk band with drummer Jack Emerson called Jason & the Scorchers and released one EP in 1982 on the defunct Praxis label called Reckless Country Soul. With additional members such as guitar slinger Warner Hodges and bassist Jeff Johnson, the band rechristened themselves Jason and the Nashville Scorchers with Perry Baggs replacing Emerson on the drum kit. The band recorded their debut mini-album, Fervor, in 1983, which caused a stir among American critics. It was the group's live show, with its embodiment old-time rock & roll energy, punk swagger and grit, and country music's elegant excesses that won them fans worldwide. After Lost & Found was issued in 1985, Ringenberg had won enough celebrity to be berated publicly by country music's Ed Sullivan, Ralph Emery on live television and become a major concert attraction all over the globe. The Scorchers disbanded in 1990 and Ringenberg became a solo performer. His debut, One Foot in the Honky Tonk, was met with critical praise but after being dismally promoted, sank without a trace. The Scorchers reunited in the mid-'90s, issuing fine studio albums and a live recording. Ringenberg did not give up his solo career, however, and recorded the simple, haunting acoustic masterpiece, A Pocketful of Soul on his own label in 2000, as well as the rollicking All Over Creation featuring a boatload of guests in 2002, while continuing his touring and recording activities with the band. Ringenberg continues to be a very successful solo act when not playing with the Nashville Scorchers; he's toured the world three times in the 21st century alone. In October of 2003, he tossed everyone a curve ball by recording and releasing his first children's record on the Yep Roc label entitled A Day at the Farm with Farmer Jason.
