Mighty Joe Moon

Amazon.com
Created against the backdrop of the American wasteland, Mighty Joe Moon introduces vast rock textures with traces of southern alternatwang. Layered with guitar, banjo, Dobro, cello, mandolin, accordion, harmonica, pump organ, tablas, and "acquired hunks of metal," the band reconfigures sound with rustic debauchery. The strident vocal work of singer-songwriter Grant Lee Phillips generates folk mythology and political commentary with a nod to disparate class distinctions. Recounting individualized stories, outland tracks such as "Demon Called Deception" portray personal struggles against manifest destiny, while tender ballads such as "Mockingbirds" and "Honey Don't Think" maintain the balance. Given its earnest overtones, the nature of the album is uplifting at its core as it lingers with emotional affinities that touch upon the notion of simple livelihood. --Lucas Hilbert

Mighty Joe Moon,Grant Lee Buffalo,Reprise / Wea,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Mighty Joe Moon

Average customer rating:

Grant Lee's finest work
outstanding record of time and art
Outstanding Album
A Magnificent Tapestry of Rock Folklore
A real treat for the ears

Mighty Joe Moon
Grant Lee Buffalo
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Jubilee
Copperopolis
Mobilize
Storm Hymnal: Gems from the Vault of Grant Lee Buffalo
Fuzzy

ASIN: B000002MT8
Release Date: 1994-09-20

Tracks:

Lone Star Song
Mockingbirds
It's The Life
Sing Along
Mighty Joe Moon
Demon Called Deception
Lady Godiva And Me
Drag
Last Days Of Tecumseh
Happiness
Honey Don't Think
Side By Side
Rock Of Ages

Amazon.com

Created against the backdrop of the American wasteland, Mighty Joe Moon introduces vast rock textures with traces of southern alternatwang. Layered with guitar, banjo, Dobro, cello, mandolin, accordion, harmonica, pump organ, tablas, and "acquired hunks of metal," the band reconfigures sound with rustic debauchery. The strident vocal work of singer-songwriter Grant Lee Phillips generates folk mythology and political commentary with a nod to disparate class distinctions. Recounting individualized stories, outland tracks such as "Demon Called Deception" portray personal struggles against manifest destiny, while tender ballads such as "Mockingbirds" and "Honey Don't Think" maintain the balance. Given its earnest overtones, the nature of the album is uplifting at its core as it lingers with emotional affinities that touch upon the notion of simple livelihood. --Lucas Hilbert

Customer Reviews:

Grant Lee's finest work.......2007-05-06

I can't say much that hasn't been said already, but I'm putting my two cents in because I really love this album. It does exactly what most country-rock albums try and fail to do: it takes you on an eerie, spacious, organic musical pilgrimage that is unearthly and yet distinctly and poignantly American. Band leader Grant Lee Phillips is a reluctantly modern man, homesick for the simple faith and rough-hewn nobility that were the ideals of the past, and yet he doesn't make the trite, overplayed claim that "things were better in the good old days." He knows that it isn't that simple, and his awareness is probably what makes the songs as sad, sweet and convincing as they are.

"Mighty Joe Moon" is a good place to start if you want to see what Grant Lee Buffalo is made of. Their other albums are all good, but I think this one incorporates everything that is great about them. It strikes a nice balance between the lo-fi ghostliness of their previous recordings and the rock and roll polish of their farewell, "Jubilee," and it showcases Grant Lee Phillips' excellent songwriting at a peak of richness and sensitivity.

outstanding record of time and art.......2006-12-07

What a great album, these guys put down a disc that first I thought "sounded like an album a few early American pioneers would make with modern and old instruments".
But let me tell you, it is much more than that. the album/cd art really sets the tone for this bunch of music, I can almost smell the woodsmoke and the cabin when I hear this music, the mountains and the wind are all around. Along with major feedback, reverb and serious lyrics.
oh yeah, it rocks too! truly, truly original! check out Grant's solo recordings as well.
Standout tracks:
"Honey Don't think"
"lone Star Song"
"Demon Called Deception" (song about Johnny Cash)
"MockingBirds"
"ROCK OF AGES"

Outstanding Album.......2006-11-10

I really can't explain why Grant Lee Buffalo wasn't a bigger success than they were. One almost never hears their songs on the radio and I don't personnally know anyone who knows anything about them. Yet this album is one of my all-time favorites (and I've had it since it came out in 1994 or '95), and it's got to be on SOME music reviewer's top 100 of all time. The songs, the musicianship, and the vocals are rich and artfully done. I'm not a musician or vocalist so I can't offer any knowledgable explanation on why this album is so good, it just is. If you enjoy soulful, yet sometimes edgy, "americana" and abhor corporate-manufactured teen-pop, buy this album.

A Magnificent Tapestry of Rock Folklore.......2006-05-19

I was first exposed to Grant Lee Buffalo at the tailend of 1994. I was working as an overnight deliveryman when I first heard the opening strains of "Mockingbirds" stir through the twilight: "Devastation at last, finally we meet". I was immediately entranced by the dirgelike strum of this tune and was compelled to seek out the whole album. I was not disappointed. Mighty Joe Moon serves as an excellent example of exquisite narrative rife with elegiac stirrings and haunting tales from the perspective of a true raconteur.

When lead singer Grant Lee Phillips sings of the many facets of Americana and the accompanying human condtion, one is transported to the worlds he creates in his song tapestry. Overall, Mighty Joe Moon is a breath of fresh air and uniquely qualifying in the pantheon of alt-rock that and highly worthy of exploring. All of the tracks are sterling and weave a synthesis of storytelling and nuance that captivate.

My faves are the outstanding "Mockingbirds", "Lone Star Song", "Honey Don't Think", "Demon Called Deception", and "Rock of Ages"...but all of the songs on here exemplary. Seek this out.

A real treat for the ears.......2006-03-31

This album is great because of its ability to give such a great vibe. It's part Americana without the neo-countrified feel, a few acoustic-and-vocals ballads, part swaggering rock. Each song easily manages to be good its own or fit well with its album-mates smoothly. This is the perfect record to put in the car on a road-trip (something I put to the test, with great results!), countryside sliding steadily by from the car-window. I found this quite remarkable, and being as I really don't like alot of miles on the road for too long, I thanked Grant Lee for having the ability to make it bearable..
I only regret that I caught wind of this band after they were put out to pasture. Anyone with a taste for great roots-type rock should really look into starting out with this album. I am a truly picky [...] when it comes to my music, but I will happily pass the word on about this disc. As of right now, there may not be much hope of hearing Grant Lee Buffalo play these songs live, but this brilliant work is definitely worth a go!

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