Jet - Jet (1979)
Jet is another one of the many acts who came and went with such little fanfare that there is nary a trace of information about them in the online community. In fact, so little is known about this east coast band that I can't tell you specifically where they're from or what has become of the members since the band's split. I can tell you that Michael Nesmith's label, Pacific Arts, signed the band in 1978 and released their sole album, "Jet" the following year.
As for the album itself, well, it's not a fantastic effort but there is charm in some of the material presented. With a style that borrows from the the 50's, early 60's and the mod movement several years later, Jet present an updated sound that reads like a throwback but sounds modern for an album issued in the late 70's. Lyrical banality aside, there are musical highlights that at least warrant a casual listen. With horns buried slightly in the sound, Jet do manage a distinct sound, despite the weaknesses found in their songwriting. Given Nesmith's musical lineage, Jet is a strange choice for a label deal, and perhaps he realized this once the band's debut practically went straight to the cutout bins that same year. Whether this kind of inoffensive fluff is your cup of tea, "Jet" is deserving of a listen, even if you only find one or two tracks that float your boat. A special mega thanks goes to 'TT' who provided this nice clean vinyl transfer. Enjoy!
256kbps @ http://sharebee.com/e966b2b9
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8 comments:
Hey J
You got it at last....looked everywhere for it for ya and came up with nothing so it's really cool you managed to find it...Going to give this a go after all the chat about it..Thanks goes to TT then...
That first song "Eldorado" is a catchy little ditty...
This is not the same Jet from Australia out now, nor is it The Jets, the '80s group with a large Tongolese family from Minnesota ("Crush on You", "Make It Real").
http://alexstewart.us/Page_4.html
I did some googling and found this page has some info on that band. They formed another band after called "the medflys" who openend for the tubes-joan jett-pointer sisters.
They were not from the East Coast - they were a local party band from Monterey, California that used to play bars and clubs. Their getting signed to a Major Label (which we all thought Pacific Arts must have been, back in the day) was a really big deal, and we were all sure they'd leave us and go on to instant fame and fortune. Sadly, it didn't happen. The Medflys, meanwhile, cut a novelty ditty called "Don't Mess With The Mayor," about Clint Eastwood becoming mayor of nearby Carmel-By-The-Sea.
23/12/07 was me.
Catchy songs on this album and some twisted lyrics - This is a find! I'm surprised that this group didn't go on to bigger and better things. Thanks for the discovery.
Here is some info on the band ... - Recorded with Michael Nesmith on Pacific Arts Records in 1979
- "We played locally at Mission Ranch back then ('79), and had a good following" - Jet
- One of the original members is deceased
- They haven't played together in 34 years - their current setup is keyboards, bass, guitar, drums, all the old songs, and the new ones
Please listen to describe Jet's music: http://www.myspace.com/jet_monterey
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