Track Record – The J. Geils Band

These are my gut reactions while listening to the entire catalog of the J. Geils Band from start to finish.✋

When I was an eleven-year-old kid, and MTV had just launched, two really fun videos came on regularly. One was called “Centerfold” which made me laugh because of all the high school references. I still love the shot where the drummer plays this big single stroke roll into a snare drum that’s actually filled with milk and it splashes all over the place. As a kid, that was pretty cool. Then there was this other video for a song called “Freeze Frame” that had the band going nuts in a room with a lot of paint, intercut with footage from old-timey films. So I knew immediately had to have that album. I wasn’t aware that the band had such a rich history then. Over the years, I came to love their catalog, but I don’t often put the albums on in succession, and I know I’ve forgotten a lot so…

These are my gut reactions when listening to the entire catalog of The J. Geils Band.

 

The J. Geils Band (1970)

Right out of the gate, you’re hit with funky, bluesy, harmonica-driven Rock/R&B. The album is about 50/50 originals vs. covers. You can tell right away that this is a tight, killer band. It’s a far cry from the 80s pop stuff, but it’s so much fun you don’t even care. Some tracks are hybrid, but a few are straight up blues, which is great. It’s pretty raw and not heavily produced, as it should be.

Standout tracks are “Wait,” “First I Look at the Purse,” and “Hard Drivin’ Man.”

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

The Morning After (1971)

There isn’t much difference between this album and its predecessor, but one thing I noticed right away is that Peter Wolf’s voice sounds better. He’s more confident and taking more chances. Magic Dick also comes alive on this record. Listening to this one made me think that these guys were the original Blues Brothers. Maybe John Belushi and Dan Akroyd heard these guys and said, “Well, if they can do it…”

One other thing to note is that they wrote many of the songs themselves this time. From here on out, they would only record the occasional cover or two.

Standout tracks are “I Don’t Need You No More,” “Whammer Jammer,” “The Usual Place,” and “Looking for a Love.”

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Bloodshot (1973)

Those first two albums are pretty great, but they stepped it up for the third. This album is almost too much fun. It kicks off with “(Ain’t Nothin’ but a) House Party,” and takes you through eight more tracks of good-time, party music that’ll have you tapping your feet the whole time. It’s produced by the Bill Szymczyk of Eagles fame (as was their previous effort.) Around this time he was producing B.B. King, so that tracks. He also worked with pre/post Eagles Joe Walsh and the James Gang, so that tracks.

Peter Wolf is definitely underrated as a singer and front man, although he wasn’t doing too much of his stage rapping on the records. He has the vibe of a radio DJ who decided to sing in a band, and it works well. The only time the energy dips a little is when the 6/8 ballad “Start All Over Again” comes on near the end of the record, but it’s a decent track so all is forgiven.

Other standout tracks are “Give It To Me,” “Back to Get Ya,” “Hold Your Loving,” and the hilarious “Don’t Try to Hide It.”

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Ladies Invited (1973)

The band put out two records in 1973 and this was the latter. It’s similar in tone to the previous album, of course, but the energy level has decreased a bit. All the songs were written by the band this time (Peter Wolf and Seth Justman.) No covers.

“Did You No Wrong” is an interesting opener. It starts out very energetic, but switches to a 6/8 bridge in the middle. I like how the harmonica is basically the horn section of the song. Magic Dick is an incredible player. “Lay Your Good Thing Down” mentions New Jersey (Atlantic City) at one point. I always enjoy mentions of New Jersey in songs that aren’t by Bruce Springsteen.

The second track (“I Can’t Go On”) is more groove-oriented, but the groove is a little erratic and syncopated. “That’s Why I’m Thinking of You” is the fourth track, and also slower. By the time the sixth and seventh tracks (“The Lady Makes Demands” and “My Baby Don’t Love Me”) roll around, you realize that the energy of this album roller-coasters the whole time. There’s energy, then it’s mellow, then energy, then mellow. It’s a little obvious that they were trying to intersperse the ballads between the party songs. So while it’s a decent record, it’s not as good as their previous efforts.

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Nightmares…and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle (1974)

This time, only one song wasn’t written by Wolf and Justman. If the previous album was a bit transitional, this one makes up for it. There’s still that bluesy R&B vibe going on, but there’s also lots of funky guitar work from Geils, and some great solos. Wolf comes into his own, fully embracing his DJ/Front man persona and it’s fun.

“Detroit Breakdown” is a great opener, with all the energy that was missing from Ladies Invited. This album has “Must of Got Lost” on it, which I think is one of their best songs ever. It’s at least in the top five for me. This album is a return to form, for sure. Lean and mean.

Other standout tracks include, “Look Me In the Eye,” “Gettin’ Out,” “Funky Judge,” and “Stoop Down #39” which contains great performances by all the band members.

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Hotline (1975)

For their sixth album, it looks like they returned to the formula of their first two, with some cover material making up nearly half the record. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does feel like a step backward. Their original material lends itself well to these covers so things are pretty seamless. The average listener probably wouldn’t know.

That said, this album doesn’t really move me too much. It’s good, but it’s just more of the same. The covers are great, as expected. The harmonica work is exceptional. The originals take a backseat, though “Easy Way Out” is pretty good. I think this Hotline album was a bit phoned in.

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Monkey Island (1977)

For some odd reason, the band called themselves just “Geils” this time out. They also produced themselves. If this all sounds off to you, you’re probably right. It’s not a high point in their career. Cissy Houston duets with Wolf on “Surrender” which isn’t a bad soul track, but things are definitely sounding late 1970s here. I mean, that makes sense given the year of the album’s release, but the overall sound of the band definitely changed on this album.

“You’re the Only One” and “So Good” border on Yacht Rock. I’ve always loved the song “I Do,” so it’s nice to hear the studio version here, although the live one from 1982 is still superior. J. Geils even turns on his distortion pedal for “Somebody.” The title track starts off with a drum machine and some Spanish guitar rhythm. The piano work is nice, though. About three minutes in, the whole song changes into something else. So you end up with a nine minute track that changes to a slower tempo and a moodier vibe. The bluesy “I’m Not Rough” isn’t bad.

I mean, I guess they were going for a more diverse album this time, but in the process, they forgot what made them so enjoyable. I’m not sure this is an album I’d revisit very often. I guess this is where the band started to pivot to a more modern sound, which eventually paid off on a later album which we’ll get to in a bit.

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Sanctuary (1978)

Transition can be tough for bands. Times change and sounds change. You try to keep current. This album definitely represents all that. The production is slightly different. The drums sound bigger. At least they eschewed the Yacht Rock thing. I love that stuff, but not for these guys. Can you imagine the Blues Brothers playing Yacht Rock? Same thing. No good.

Then again, “One Last Kiss” is a little on the sailing side of rock. “Take It Back” is a decent song. I don’t mind the title track. I like “Wild Man.” I keep forgetting how good a piano player Seth Justman is. He’s front and center on this record. My favorite tune on this album is the closer called “Jus’ Can’t Stop Me.” If you close your eyes, it’s right off one of the first couple of records.

I’ll say this. It’s a better album than Monkey Island. I mean, it’s really hard to dislike one of their albums, so I can’t say I totally hate any of them. This one isn’t bad, and returns to their earlier sound in a way, but in other ways it opens the door to their upcoming newer sound which would only last a couple of albums.

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Love Stinks (1980)

So, by this time you have to just accept that the old J. Geils Band is dead and buried. If you can do that, you can enjoy this album and its successor as much as I do. These were my introduction to this band, so I have some affinity for them. I didn’t love the previous album, but this one has some good tunes on it, even if the band doesn’t sound like their old selves.

New Wave was coming around at this time, as things like Punk and Disco were taking a back seat. Folks like Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson were using sporadic organ runs to spice up their songs. The opening track here called “Just Can’t Wait” is a prime example of this. I have always loved this song, and it’s a perfect introduction to the band’s new sound and direction. Geils’ guitar playing on it is pretty great also. When “Come Back” kicks in (another of my faves from this record) you know you’re in new territory and there’s no going back. It’s more electronic and modern sounding, but man is it fun.

The weirdest track on the album is called “No More Anchovies, Please,” which is a narrated story track that sounds like a bad Film Noir piece with a very odd ending. I’m not sure why it’s here. It’s nothing that needs to be played twice. After that weirdness, though. We’re back to the great stuff with the iconic tongue-in-cheek rocker “Love Stinks,” complete with its catchy organ line. The video for this one was on pretty heavy rotation once MTV came out, and it was hilarious. I remember seeing Peter Wolf in bed with a fish looking right at the camera and exclaiming, “Love stinks.” I thought it was the funniest thing ever. “Tryin’ Not to Think About It” has some cool riffs in it, both guitar and harmonica. The closer is a Cab Calloway style, slinky number called “Till the Walls Come Tumblin’ Down.” The only track that didn’t grab me was the ballad “Desire.”

This album definitely ranks up there for me in their catalog, despite the anchovies song, which is appropriately titled.

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

Freeze-Frame (1981)

Now we get to the big one. This album could be viewed as the band’s peak. All that change in direction and sound finally paid off. The previous album made it clear that it was possible, but this album cemented them in pop culture. It would have its consequences, though, as Peter Wolf left the band after the supporting tour.

Before we talk about the album, we have to talk about the insane album cover. It’s a crazy piece of pop art that I never really understood until I realized that you’re probably not supposed to understand it. There’s this metal potato head guy at a desk, scribbling music notes on a pad. I assume he’s some kind of therapist. There’s a three-eyed figure on a couch with eyelines pointing to things on a collage-like wall full of neon signs and other things, all bordered by film edges. Some of the words on the wall say things like “Charade,” “Limbo,” “Escape,” “No,” and my favorite, “Mr E” which I assume stands for mystery. There’s also an eyeball, a martini glass, and for some reason a fork full of spaghetti. A pair of lips is connected to one of the film edge’s white holes by a dashed line. The thing on the couch is looking (via more dashed lines) at neon dollar signs with one eye, the word “escape” with another, and some sort of demon with the third. There’s a picture on the wall of a walking treble clef. The floor is checkered. The most fun about this bunch of imagery is that I remember it showing up in the video for the title track. but in the video, things are slightly different. The metal-headed potato therapist is writing the word “memories” on a pad. They added a little ash tray, and the guy smokes his cigarette while singing along. The smoke actually goes from his mouth right back up his nose. The little couch moves around a little. It’s just nuts, and it’s all in the middle of this music video of the band about to have a big paint fight. It’s as bonkers as 1980s bonkers gets.

I know it’s probably a sin to say this, but this is my favorite album by the band. I think it’s because it was the first one I had heard all the way through, before I knew who they really were. I remember buying it as a kid and being both excited and totally weirded out at the same time. The album was so odd, embracing many styles, but under all that pop/punk/rock/new wave stuff, there was still some semblance of an old-school R&B band with blaring harmonica, keyboards, humor, and fun riffs. I now realize who they were, and I’ve since come to love their other material, but I still can’t say I love any one of their albums as much as this one. It’s just so weird, but in a pleasurable way. It made an impression on me as a kid.

I don’t think I need to tell you that the songs “Freeze-Frame” and “Centerfold” are awesome. The catchy riffs, the sing-along factor, and the clever lyrics make these two songs the go-tos for any cover band. I have sung “Centerfold” to crowds too many times to count, and people still love it every time. “Rage in the Cage” was a favorite of eleven-year-old me. There’s some great guitar and harmonica work going on there. The lyrics are crazy. It’s sandwiched right between the opening title track and “Centerfold” so, in the context of listening to actual vinyl albums, which I was doing at the time, I probably heard it a lot more than the other tracks since I was too lazy to get up and move the needle. “Do You Remember When” is probably the first oddity on this one. The strings make it sound almost like a disco track, especially in the chorus. “Insane, Insane Again” is another fun but weird song. It’s upbeat and I remember liking it a lot as a kid. There are breaks and fills that are sometimes atonal, adding to the song’s theme of insanity.

“Flamethrower” is one of the best tracks on the album. For some reason they put it on the B-side of the “Freeze-Frame” single. Maybe they were hoping folks would flip it over and request it on the radio. The song is funky and catchy. “River Blindness” is the one big weak spot for me. It’s six minutes of snooze, and I used to skip it all the time. It starts off sounding like the soundtrack so a weird movie, then there’s drum machine, then there’s harmonica, and other things start layering in as the vocals start. It never really goes anywhere interesting, though. I guess you could call it experimental. It gives J. Geils a chance to wank a little towards the end, but it just fades out with barely a climax. “Angel in Blue” is another of my favorite tracks. I like this sad story about the broken stripper from Chesapeake Bay. It has the feel of an old soul tune. “She never had dreams, so they never came true,” is a great line. That brings us to the closer called “Piss on the Wall.” You can imagine that as a young boy, I thought this was the funniest thing in the word. Who would write a song about taking a piss? “I’m just trying to hold it steady while I piss on the wall,” cracked me up endlessly. It still does. I’m laughing as I’m writing this. The song has this strange 1950s vibe to it.

I was trying to figure out why the lyrics on this album are so bonkers, so I looked up the writing credits. It turns out that Seth Justman wrote much of the record himself, with input from Peter Wolf on only four tracks. That makes sense to me, since Wolf was rooted in good-time R&B. Justman was probably exploring all sorts of new genres.

No matter how you slice it, this album is a fun listen, full of so much craziness that you will never be bored. If you’ve never made it past the singles, give it a go.

Line up:

• Peter Wolf – lead vocals
• Geils – guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonica
• Seth Justman – piano, organ
• Danny Klein – bass
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

 

You’re Gettin’ Even While I’m Gettin’ Odd (1984)

The band was enjoying their new-found success in the pop world, but Peter Wolf wanted to get back to their R&B and rock roots. Because of this, they parted ways and released this final album. Talk about going out with a whimper. Seth Justman wrote the whole thing, which isn’t too out-of-the-ordinary when you consider that he either wrote or co-wrote all of the band’s original material from the start. However, Wolf was such a huge presence that removing him from the picture really left them in a lurch for a good front person. I remember It being released, but I never owned it until now. The result is me hearing this for what I’m considering to be the first time, though I’m sure I had heard some it when I was younger.

As for the album, it takes the Freeze-Frame mold further into 1980s pop. The guitars take a back seat. It’s upbeat enough to be interesting, but it’s definitely lacking Wolf’s personality and prowess as a singer. The contrast between his and Justman’s vocals is too noticeable. The singing is thin, with no real power, soul, or swagger. The result is more Devo or Oingo Boingo than J. Geils Band. Maybe that’s what they were going for. That said, I do like the title track, which is fun and punny. I think it’s funny that they had a song called “Californicatin’” a long time before the Red Hot Chili Peppers thought they were clever. There’s a somewhat soulful “I Will Carry You Home” underneath all that production. I would have liked to have heard Peter Wolf’s take on that one.

So in the end, they decided to give it a try and see if they could forge ahead with Wolf, but the experiment backfired. The band’s recording legacy was punctuated with a mediocre album.

Line up:

• Seth Justman – keyboards, lead and backing vocals
• Geils – guitars
• Danny Klein – bass guitar
• Magic Dick – harmonicas, backing vocals
• Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, lead and backing vocals

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The Gut Check

• Peak Album: Freeze-Frame
• Deep Cut: “Detroit Breakdown”
• Skip It: You’re Gettin’ Even While I’m Gettin’ Odd

 

Leave me a comment below with your favorite album, track, or album ranking.