The cover photo of Good and Dusty album was like a picture postcard from California with an updated color snapshot of old friends. Band relocated to a small town north of San Francisco, got their own label and studio - relaxed, basic and down to earth. The material shows the band's undying love for blues, country, R'n'B and good old Rock 'n' Roll.
The album is almost entirely covers of older material - blues ("Pontic Blues"), R&B ("Stagger Lee"), "Let the Good Times Roll", even the freaking hand jive song. Now with new bassist Mike Kane, the band is almost roots-rock: straight versions with guitars, occasional piano and Young's sweet tenor.
Banana avoids the electric piano, and the jazzyness of Elephant Mountain and Rock Festival only flares up in a few spots. Young has two songs, the blues of "Drifting and Drifting" and the better "Light Shine", an attempt at an uplifting anthem ("People let your light shine"). Earthquake Anderson shows up on harmonica again on a few tracks.
Banana's contribution is the "Hippie from Olema #5", a thinly-veiled retaliatory shot aimed directly at Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee" a 1969 country smash that raked San Francisco's hippies over the Coals. The title track is a minute and a half of instrumental racket). It all sounds fine, the session has a Saturday night roadhouse vibe that makes you feel like moseying out to the back porch for a smoking plate of ribs ans a brew.
by Jud Cost
1. Stagger Lee (Al Price, Harold Logan) - 3:15
2. That's How Strong My Love Is (Roosevelt Jamison) - 4:47
3. Willie And The Hand Jive (Johnny Otis) - 3:09
4. Circus Fire (Coral Miller) - 3:01
5. Hippie From Olema #5 (Lowell Levinger) - 2:01
6. Good And Dusty (Jesse Colin Young, Lowell Levinger, Joe Bauer, Michael Kane) - 1:29
7. Let The Good Times Roll (Leonard Lee) - 3:47
8. Drifting And Drifting (Jesse Colin Young) - 4:14
9. Pontiac Blues (Willie Sonny Boy Williamson) - 3:57
10.Moonshine Is The Sunshine (Jeffrey Cain) - 3:41
11.Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Traditional) - 3:20
12.I'm A Hog For You Baby (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 3:32
13.Light Shine (Jesse Colin Young) - 3:44
The Youngbloods
*Jesse Colin Young - Solo Voice , Guitar , Tenor Saxophone
*Banana (Lowell Levinger) - Guitars, Voice, Piano , Mandolin , Banjo
*Michael Kane - Bass , French Horn , Voice, Handset
*Joe Bauer - Battery
Guest
*Earthquake Anderson - Harmonica
1969 Elephant Mountain (Sundazed expanded and 2014 japan blu spec issue)
1970 Rock Festival (2003 Sundazed)
1971 Beautiful! Live In San Francisco (Sundazed edition)
1972 High On A Ridge Top (Sundazed remaster)
Jesse Colin Young releases
1972 Together
1973 Song For Juli (2009 remaster)
1974 Light Shine
1976 On The Road (Japan remaster)
Free Text
the Free Text