Back to Jerusalem

A couple of things will strike the listener when putting Back to Jerusalem in the CD player. First, this is a sonically rich, complex album, with layers of sound. Next, this sound complements J.P. Jones' rough-hewn vocals and sometimes bizarre, though penetrating, lyrics. Jones apparently built the sound of this album by adding and subtracting different musicians to MIDI tracks until everything jelled. On the first track, "Back to Jerusalem," the listener is introduced to Jones' somewhat wry, jaundiced point of view. The narrator's trip back to the holy city is wrought with danger — including possible crucifixion — and there's no redemption in sight. These songs, and a number of others, are filled with religious symbolism and the search for religious meaning. "Under That Baoboab Tree" carries the intriguing lines, "Just like Jesus chewin' gum/Beating on his favorite drum/I'll be ready when the callin' comes to me." Jones clearly believes that god — whoever or whatever he or she is — has a sense of humor. Other pieces like "Already Been Thru It" and "Fancy Guy" manage to sing about how to live simply without a trace of pretension. It should be noted that the songs on Back to Jerusalem also have memorable melodies and good choruses. Criticisms? Only that Jones isn't quite up to date when he turns his lyrical pen toward women. "Getting Your Way" has the lovely lines, "Your heart is a desert/You whore with your head/You couldn't make love/With a saint in your bed." Like Bob Dylan, no matter how one dresses up a lyric, a putdown song is still a putdown. This aside, Back to Jerusalem is good album full of songs with something to say, and will be appreciated by lovers of contemporary folk music. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi