Jack Johnson On And On CD

Personnel: Jack Jackson (vocals, guitar); Merlo Podlewski (bass); Adam Topol (drums, percussion).
Recorded at Mango Tree, Hawaii.
Personnel: Jack Johnson (vocals, guitar); Adam Topol (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixers: Mario Caldato, Jr.; Robert Carranza.
Liner Note Author: Jack Johnson.
Recording information: Mango Tree, HI.
Photographers: Kim Johnson; Danny Clinch.
It took Jack Johnson two years to break into the mainstream with his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, and by the time it went platinum in early 2003, his star power was unstoppable. Twentysomethings and college kids across the globe often compared Johnson's comfortable approach to the fiery Ben Harper, so when it came time to make a second album, Johnson basically picked up where the first album left off. On and On is a sparkling sophomore effort, carefully designed to avoid any kind of critical slump. Fans will enjoy Johnson's soothing ballads and boy-next-door charms, never looking beyond the surface of the songs themselves. Producer Mario Caldato, Jr. (Beastie Boys, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) hones Johnson's feel-good vibe and polishes his signature acoustic guitars, while the musician himself continues honing his genre-blending sound. Johnson gets serious this time, too: he playfully expounds on America's sickening dependence on material things ("Gone") and its subconscious ill will with today's youth ("Cookie Jar"). Other views on world war ("Traffic in the Sky") and a capitalistic, business-obsessed way of life ("The Horizon Has Been Defeated") are gently reflected upon without reproach. Johnson doesn't need to be an aggressive messenger to get his point across; the sales of Brushfire Fairytales make that quite clear. Instead, people listen to Johnson's musical commentary because he puts himself on their level, shunning the philosophical preaching of his counterpart, Harper. On and On keeps things simple in sound and time, and the only noticeable change is that Johnson didn't lyrically restrain himself. There are 17 solid tracks featured here, each one of them rooted in spiritual grooves,funk, and blues. In dire times, Johnson is sunny -- and sunny always feels good. ~ MacKenzie Wilson
Something of a slacker renaissance man, prototypical mellow surfer-dude Jack Johnson is not only a BILLBOARD-charting recording artist, but also a world-champion athlete and award-winning documentary filmmaker. On his second full-length album, ON AND ON, the sandy-toed singer/songwriter delivers a bare bones set of acoustic folk rock as soft and soothing as the Hawaiian breezes that serve as his inspiration.
As on his debut disc, BRUSHFIRE FAIRYTALES, Johnson serves up a groovy, yet slightly melancholy stew in his trademark breathy voice, which at its best recalls everyone from Steve Miller to Chet Baker to Evan Dando of The Lemonheads. This time around, however, the vocalist/guitarist isn't afraid to gently stir pinches of reggae, hip-hop, and Harry Belafonte style pop-calypso into his usual hippie jam-band roux. Mario Caldato Jr.'s ultra-sparse, live-sounding production carefully reveals the subtle sadness that lurks behind even Johnson's poppiest tunes, making ON AND ON the perfect album for a midnight beach party on the last night of summer vacation.CMJ (5/12/03, p.9) - "...ON AND ON is full of stripped-down, intimate numbers, with Johnson and his trusty acoustic guitar making the songs' soft-spoken points in laid-back and bluesy setting....Introspective, low-key rock..."