(photo by Kevin Kohlhase)

Jackyl is American redneck party metal with a Southern rock sheen. Despite their debut doing relatively well, subsequent albums didn't help the band build anything further than a cult following. Fortunately they stuck to their guns over they years and have continued to release their own brand of rock 'n roll. In 2002 the band gained a minor radio hit once again with the single "Kill the Sunshine."

Jackyl (Geffen) 1992

1. "I Stand Alone" (3:53)
2. "Dirty Little Mind" (3:36)
3. "Down on Me" (4:06)
4. "When Will It Rain" (4:36)
5. "Redneck Punk" (3:38)
6. "The Lumberjack" (3:30)
7. "Reach for Me" (3:37)
8. "Back off Brothe" (3:30)
9. "Brain Drain" (4:59)
10. "Just Like a Devil" (3:36)
11. "She Loves My Cock" (3:47)

I remember back in 1992 hearing the song "Dirty Little Mind" on Z-Rock and thinking it was a cool AC/DC inspired rocker. It's amazing that it took me a decade to finally check out this CD. Jackyl is redneck party metal; sort of a mix of Ted Nugent and AC/DC with some Jim Dandy/Black Oak Arkansas and a pint of Jack Daniels thrown in for good measure. Jackyl somehow manages to be one of the few bands of this genre that survived the '90's relatively unscaved, even touring with such huge stadium bands as Aerosmith and ZZ Top. Their formula is actually nothing earth shattering, but they do manage to write memorable hooks attached to heavy, simple riffs. This along with Jess Dupree's over-the-top, raspy howl makes Jackyl's debute quite enjoyable. Unfortunately the lyrics are a bit juvenile and insipid. I mean, just take a look at the titles of some of the songs for proof of this. However, overlooking the party 'til ya puke mentality of the lyrics, the songs are pretty fun and memorable. "I Stand Alone", "Dirty Little Mind". "Down On Me" and "When Will It Rain" are all standout cuts. Of course who could forget the chainsaw solo in the middle of the cheek-in-tongue blues track "The Lumberjack." This became one of Jackyl's big selling points. I mean, who can deny the fun of a chainsaw, right?

Jackyl - Push Comes to Shove (Geffen) 1994

1. "Push Comes to Shove" (3:05)
2. "Headed for Destruction" ( 5:14)
3. "My Life" (4:06)
4. "I Could Never Touch You Like You Do" (3:50)
5. "Dixieland" (6:01)
6. "I Want It " (5:04)
7. "Private Hell" (4:38)
8. "I Am the I Am" (3:42)
9. "Secret of the Bottle" (5:26)
10. "Rock-A-Ho" (3:50)
11. "Back Down in the Dirt" (4:02)
12. "Chinatown" (3:24)

Every review I have read of this disc is lukewarm at best. While I think that "Push Comes to Shove" may not be quite as infectious as the debut, it's still a good CD and better than a lot of other bands who attempt this AC/DC meets Aerosmith style metal. Part of the problem may just have been in the production. Bruce Fairbairn (Aerosmith, Yes) produced this one and while he was a legendary producer, the production on this disc doesn't have the crunch and punch that the debut had. Otherwise the songs are all pretty darn good. "Headed for Destruction" starts off with those familiar chainsaw sounds before jumping into a party anthem. This song is as good as the material on the debut. "Dixieland" has a cool bluesy vibe to it. "I Want It" starts off mysteriously just like Aerosmith's "Nobody's Fault" but immediately changes into a Jackyl sleeze rocker. The album contains a ballad ("Secret of the Bottle"), which singer Jesse Dupree said they would never do, although he claims this was not a ballad but a 'country song.' Whatever! It's still a ballad. The rest of the album is not bad, but not as immediately as infectious as their debut. "Private Hell", "Rock-A-Ho" and "I Am the I Am" are also quite good. If this album had been the band's first, and their first was their sophmore release I'll bet this album would have been much more well received. "Push Comes to Shove" is a good disc, but it doesn't quite measure up to the band's incredible debut.

Jackyl - Night of the Living Dead (Mayhem Records) 1996

1. "Push Comes to Shove" (4:14)
2. "Mental Masturbation" (4:28)
3. "Headed for Destruction" (4:59)
4. "I Stand Alone" (3:47)
5. "Rock-A-Hoe" (5:16)
6. "Into the Darkness" (4:26)
7. "Down on Me" (4:32)
8. "Dirty Little Mind" (5:33)
9. "Redneck Punk" (3:40)
10. "The Lumberjack" (7:38)

Jackyl recorded live in Dallas, Texas on New Year's Eve 1995 with no overdubs, tons of energy, lots of crowd interaction and, of course, the appearance of the legendary chainsaw for a seven-plus minute version of "The Lumberjack." 'Ol Jesse runs his mouth off for the entire set and at one point advises the entire crowd to "touch yourselves" during "Mental Masturbation." Man, I could have lived my whole life without hearing that and been perfectly happy. In anycase, Jackyl are a smokin' live band and this disc is a testimony to that fact. Cover includes plenty of pictures of the mayhem as well. Rock me, roll me, jackyl me off! Rock on redneck punks!

Jackyl - Cut the Crap (Epic) 1997

1. "Dumb-Ass Country Boy" (2:48)
2. "Locked and Loaded" (3:28)
3. "Open Up" (3:33)
4. "Misery Loves Company" (3:46)
5. "Let's Don't Go There" (3:24)
6. "Cut the Crap" (2:04)
7. "Twice as Ugly" (4:09)
8. "God Strike Me Dead" (3:35)
9. "Thanks for the Grammy" (3:21)
10. "Speak of the Devil" (4:39)
11. "Push Pull" (3:55)

Not nearly as commercially accessible as their first album, but just as much fun. There are a few more of those "country songs," as Jesse likes to call his ballads. (see Tracks 5, 8 and 10.) However, regardless of what you call 'em, I still like 'em. "Speak of the Devil" is actually pretty darn catchy. Had this song been released as a single during a time when good time rock 'n roll wasn't surpressed, I imagine it would have done quite well. The rest of the disc rocks in typical Jackyl style, with total disregard for trends. As usual the lyrics are based around Jesse Dupree's sense of humor, although I sense a bit of outrage on this one as well. Sounds like he's a little peaved at the record industry. This is really apparent in songs like " Thanks for the Grammy" and "Dumb As Country Boy", in which Jesse proclaims, "I'm a dumbass country boy, I think people want to rock but what do I know." "Dumb Ass Country Boy," "Locked and Loaded" (with Brian Johnson), "Cut the Crap" (with the signature chainsaw), "Twice As Ugly," "Thanks for the Grammy" and "Push Pull" are all prime Jackyl.

Jackyl - Stayin' Alive (Shimmertone Records) 1998

1. Problem" (3:13)
2. Crush" (3:42)
3. Can't Beat It With a Stick" (2:47)
4. Open for Business" (4:17)
5. Street Went Legit" (2:16)
6. Live Wire" (6:03)
7. Gimme Back My Bullets" (3:14)
8. Nobody's Fault" (4:23)
9. Dumb Ass Country Boy" (2:52)
10. Twice as Ugly" (4:32)
11. Locked & Loaded" (3:35)

I'm not sure if Stayin' Alive was intended as a full length release or not, but it's more like a long EP than an album. Of course if Van Halen could get away with it on Diver Down, I suppose that Jackyl should be able to get away with releasing a only five new songs as an album. Of the new tracks, "Crush" and "Street Went Legit" are actually quite good Jackyl rockers. Also included are three covers (of classics by AC/DC, Skynyrd and Aerosmith, respectively) and three live versions of songs all taken from the underrated Cut the Crap LP. The 3 cover tunes are good and my main motivation for tracking this disc down. I mean anyone who would cover Aerosmith is alright in my book. Jackyl does a admirable job coverin "Nobody's Fault" although they don't realy touch the incredible version that Testament did a few years earlier. Of course the AC/DC song is incredible. Jesse James Dupree already has one of those Bon Scott-like snarls, so he sounds incredible on this song. The live tracks are a nice addition and put the finishing touches on a decent EP.

Jackyl - Choice Cuts (Geffen) 1998

1. "We're an American Band" (4:32)
2. "Down on Me" (3:59)
3. "When Will It Rain" (4:35)
4. "Locked and Loaded" (3:29)
5. "I Stand Alone" (3:56)
6. "I Am the Walrus" (5:38)
7. "Push Comes to Shove" (2:59)
8. "Headed for Destruction" (5:14)
9. "The Lumberjack" (3:29)
10. "Misery Loves Company" (3:46)
11. "Dixieland" (6:03)
12. "Secret of the Bottle" (5:27)
13. "Dirty Little Mind" [live] (5:06)
14. "Redneck Punk" [live] (3:30)
15. "Mister Can You Spare a Dime" (4:03)

A 'best of' package that is a decent career retrospective of Jackyl up to this point. Personally I am not a fan of packages like this unless they include some unreleased tracks, which this one does. This CD includes three new songs including a redneck cover of Grand Funk's timeless anthem "We're an American Band" and a cover of the Beatles "I Am the Walrus." Only complaint, why wasn't "Cut the Crap" included?

Jackyl - Relentless (Humidity Records) 2002

1. "If You Want It Heavy (I Weigh a Ton)" (2:22)
2. "I'm on Fire" (3:10)
3. "Kill the Sunshine" (3:31)
4. "Lend Me a Hand" (4:22)
5. "Mr. Evil" (3:47)
6. "Vegas Smile" (3:26)
7. "Heaven Don't Want Me (and Hell's Afraid I'll Take Over)" (4:00)
8. "Down This Road Before" (3:34)
9. "Billy Badass" (2:59)
10. "Sparks from Candy" (3:28)
11. "Curse on You" (4:31)
12. "The More You Hate It" (1:53)

Jackyl has survived the many trends that have come and gone over the last decade by staying true to themselves musically. As such, 'Relentless' is another heavy scorcher of AC/DC meets Blackfoot heavy metal. "Relentless" is more consistent than "Cut the Crap" or "Stayin' Alive." Unlike those two CDs, "Relentless" is a good play from beginning to end. The sleazy, snarly guitar tones, the Southern stomp and boogie along with with Dupree's screech and snarl all add up to an entertaining disc. In my town, "Kill the Sunshine" has been getting regular airplay, which is quite surprising considering that crap like Godsmack and are dominating the airwaves. This song, which was co-written by AC/DC's Brian Johnson and Jesse Dupree and is easily one of the standout cuts on the disc. This song could easily have fit into AC/DC's catalogue as well. Of course it wouldn't be a Jackyl CD without at least one chainsaw solo, and "Relentless" is no exception. Standout tracks are: "If You Want It Heavy," "I'm On FIre," "Kill the Sunshine," "Vegas Smile," "Billy Badass" and "The More You Hate It."

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