Blue Earth

Originally released in 1989, Blue Earth collects early Jayhawks demo recordings made between 1986 and 1989. While the band had produced a very limited run of their self-titled debut in 1986, this was the first mainstream release to provide a showcase for the songwriting tandem of Mark Olson and Gary Louris--a kind of Midwestern Lennon and McCartney who brought their bittersweet vocal harmonies and opaque lyrics to a nascent alt-country scene. Still rough around the edges, Blue Earth shows the young band very much in the thrall of the Byrds ("Five Cups of Coffee") and Gram Parsons in particular ("Commonplace Streets," "The Baltimore Sun," "Sioux City"). But also here are two impeccable songs that point the way forward: the sublime "Two Angels" and "Martin’s Song." Both would resurface in more polished form on their masterful follow-up Hollywood Town Hall. This 2003 reissue includes three previously unreleased tracks--"Fingernail Moon," "Two Minute Pop Song," and "Nightshade"--that are effective examples of the band at this formative period. Sure, greater things were just over the horizon, but no serious Jayhawks fan will want to overlook Blue Earth. --Mark Walker