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BLAZING A NEW PATH By ROBERT K. OERMANN Copyright 1996 The Tennessean
When the group was formed in Nashville in 1981 it was the forerunner of a rock 'n' roll movement that fused punk attitude with country grittiness, raw emotion, wild abandon and ferocious rhythm. Dubbed "cowpunk" or "punkabilly," the movement was one of the things that led to the Americana radio format of the '90s. The Scorchers not only blazed that trail, they were the first modern rock act signed to a major label in Music City. Thus, they also helped to ignite Nashville's entire pop/rock community. Whether imitating their style or not, every band on that thriving scene today is in debt to Jason & the Scorchers. "In the '80s, we were probably one of the leaders of this whole thing," agrees Scorchers guitarist Warner Hodges. "And we decided it was time to take the lead again, to make a record that challenges everybody else." "Anything we get past this point now is gravy," adds lead singer Jason Ringenberg. "Because the ultimate pleasure was just making this album. To know that 15 years deep, seven records deep, we can still make our 'career record,' that's something to really be proud of." The album in question is Clear Impetuous Morning, released Tuesday by North Carolina's Mammoth Records and distributed nationally by Atlantic. A stunning collection of songs presented in a penetrating, clear production by Hodges and bassist Jeff Johnson, the album might be the most accomplished of the group's already legendary career. "I think Clear Impetuous Morning is the most musical album we've ever made," says Ringenberg. "We've become a lot better players over the years." Hodges explains, "It's actually pretty minimalistic; we really went for 'less is more.' We are not an easy band to produce, I'll admit. We were pains in the butt; but we always had an idea of what we wanted the band to sound like; and we could never get there. This is what we have always wanted to do." The reckless style of Jason & the Scorchers has been difficult to capture on disc. After working local audiences into a lather for a couple of seasons, the band issued the mini albums Reckless Country Soul (1982) and Fervor (1983). EMI Records picked up the group and tossed a revved up version of Bob Dylan's Absolutely Sweet Marie to rock radio. When the dust settled, Jason & the Scorchers were among the most acclaimed rock bands in America. The 1985 LP Lost and Found resulted in two world tours, an MTV video called White Lies and an alternative-rock radio favorite Shop It Around. The Still Standing album of 1986 spawned the FM airplay staple Golden Ball and Chain. A switch to A&M Records marked a rebirth in 1989 with Thunder and Fire. But no album could compare to the experience of a Jason & the Scorchers concert. As though jolted by a cattle prod, Ringenberg flailed wildly as he bawled above the band's runaway-train din. With his rascal smile and burn-down-the-house playing ability, Hodges was the most charismatic guitarist of his generation. Drummer Perry Baggs was deceptively frail looking; when the music got hot, he became a percussion Goliath. The wild, on-stage careening was matched by the band's offstage antics. Fueled by large quantities of alcohol and whatever else they could get their hands on, Jason & the Scorchers roared relentlessly for years. As 1989 became 1990, the inevitable crackup occurred. "I think the breakup was for traditional rock 'n' roll reasons," Ringenberg comments, "pressure, frustration, abuse and excess, musical differences." "The more we learned, it seemed like the worse we got sometimes," Hodges reflects. "In rock 'n' roll, ignorance is bliss. We were busy trying to write that radio hit, plus other factors alcohol or whatever else you want to get into. I was mad at the world; mad at the music business. I was mad at Jason and Perry and Jeff. Mad at everybody but me. Of course, I had nothing to do with it. But with all the things that go with quitting drinking, I decided to look at the world again." Johnson had quit in 1988 and moved to Atlanta. So when Baggs got sick with diabetes and commercial success continued to elude the band, the others threw in the towel. Hodges moved to New York, then Los Angeles. Eventually, he quit playing entirely. In 1992 Ringenberg tried a solo album with Liberty Records called One Foot in the Honky-Tonk that bombed. Baggs concentrated on country songwriting on Music Row and took a job in The Tennessean's research library. Ironically, it was the first-to-quit Johnson who telephoned the others about reuniting. By 1993 the timing was right. They'd all quit drinking, gone through some divorces, straightened out their priorities and were ready to create anew. At Nashville's 1995 Extravaganza rock convention, Jason & the Scorchers put on a show that people still talk about with awe. Mammoth issued A Blazing Grace as the comeback album later that year. "We were too young and stupid to know what we were doing before," says Hodges, who moved back to Nashville in 1992. "When we got back together again, everybody was walking on eggshells. We were all lost. Doing A Blazing Grace was great, but we hadn't worked together in years and there was no relationship. Breaking up is like getting three divorces at once. It took time to relearn and rebuild. This album was different, because this was a positive, supercharged atmosphere." With Hodges and Johnson at the helm for the first time, the band recorded in an Atlanta storefront studio. Ringenberg and Baggs had written some of the finest songs of their careers. "Yeah, we were an 'influential band,' " Hodges says; "that and 50 cents will get you a half a cup of coffee. My only deal now is, maybe we can push the envelope again." Robert K. Oermann is a free-lance music feature writer for The Tennessean and appears Fridays on TNN's Country News. GETTING THERE GRAPHIC: PHOTO: Jason & the Scorchers (from left, Jeff Johnson, Jason Ringenberg, Warner Hodges and Perry Baggs) return to the rock scene with a reunion record they say is more musical than any of their previous efforts.
© 1996-2001 The Tennessean — All Rights Reserved |
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