LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Label: Walhalla Records

This 2-in-1 CD brings together the first two albums by Ballin' Jack, a Seattle group whose music sits at the crossroads of funk, rock, soul and horn-driven jazz energy. Their self-titled debut has the punch of a tight club band, with sharp brass lines, elastic rhythms and songs that move easily between danceable funk-rock and heavier late-60s grooves.

Buzzard Luck shows the band stretching further into earthy, bluesy and soulful territory while keeping the rhythmic attack that made their early sound so distinctive. Heard together, these two albums reveal a group with real personality: energetic, streetwise and musically agile, but never overly polished. This Walhalla edition is a strong overview of Ballin' Jack's most essential Columbia-era recordings.

1. Found A Child – 2:50
2. Super Highway – 2:43
3. Festival – 4:31
4. Telephone – 2:09
5. Only A Tear – 2:11
6. Never Let 'Em Say – 2:45
7. Street People – 2:00
8. Carnival – 6:13
9. Ballin' The Jack – 1:54
10. Hold On – 6:43

11. So Do I – 5:03
12. Good Man – 2:37
13. (Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need – 3:38
14. Stay Awhile – 3:08
15. Trouble – 3:31
16. Telling Lies – 3:45
17. Country Pine – 3:54
18. Playin' The Game – 2:26
19. You And Me – 3:10
20. Bye, Bye, Bye – 5:58