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At Least We Got Shoes

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At Least We Got Shoes
Studio album by
Released1986
LabelMirage
ProducerJohn Rollo, John Lyon
Southside Johnny and the Jukes chronology
In the Heat
(1984)
At Least We Got Shoes
(1986)
Better Days
(1991)

At Least We Got Shoes is an album by the American band Southside Johnny and the Jukes, released in 1986.[1][2] It was the band's final album for Mirage Records.[3] At Least We Got Shoes peaked at No. 189 on the Billboard 200.[4] Southside Johnny and the Jukes supported the album with a North American tour.[5]

Production

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The album was produced by John Rollo and John Lyon.[6] Southside Johnny thought that he was more attentive during the production of At Least We Got Shoes, and had resolved the personal problems that were present during the making of the band's previous two albums.[7] Bobby Bandiera replaced guitarist Billy Rush prior to the recording sessions for the album.[8] The band, which numbered nine members for the sessions, had tested many times in a live setting all of the album's songs.[9][10] "Walk Away Renée" is a cover of the Left Banke song.[10] "I Only Want to Be with You" is a version of the song made famous by Dusty Springfield.[11]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[6]

The Gazette wrote that "the world's unluckiest R&B band reaches for the brass ring, but grabs it only" on the cover songs.[13] The Kingston Whig-Standard concluded that "the band's roots have been rediscovered on this album; the zesty horns are back... The result is perhaps the best Jukes' album ever."[11] The Houston Chronicle determined that Southside Johnny "sounds happy, rejuvenated... The upbeat horn section polishes his New Jersey rock 'n' soul, updated only slightly by keyboard programs."[14] The San Diego Union-Tribune deemed the album "straight-ahead beer-sweat bar rock," writing that "this white T-shirt and blue jeans stuff swings like a sledgehammer."[15] The Omaha World-Herald noted that "the horn section, which continues to be the band's driving force, seems more focused than ever."[16]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Hard to Find" 
2."Tell Me (That Our Love's Still Strong)" 
3."Walk Away Renée" 
4."Take My Love" 
5."You Can Count on Me" 
6."Till The End of Night" 
7."I Only Want to Be with You" 
8."Lorraine" 
9."I Can't Wait" 
10."Under the Sun" 

References

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  1. ^ Benarde, Scott (30 May 1986). "Here's a New Playlist for Top 40 Stations". Features Showtime. Sun Sentinel. p. 26.
  2. ^ Gutterman, Jimmy (Jul 17, 1986). "Records: At Least We Got Shoes". Rolling Stone. No. 478/479. p. 125.
  3. ^ "Southside Johnny Biography by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of July 12, 1986". Billboard. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  5. ^ Habich, John (22 Sep 1986). "Johnny Lyon and the Jukes". Star Tribune. p. 3C.
  6. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 630.
  7. ^ Brown, G. (September 19, 1986). "'Southside Johnny' Lyon makes return to soul roots". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. Denver Post. p. 66.
  8. ^ Heim, Chris (23 May 1986). "Southside Johnny and the Jukes: At Least We Got Shoes". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 66.
  9. ^ Metella, Helen (29 May 1986). "Albums' titles tell the story of the hard-working Jukes". Edmonton Journal. p. C7.
  10. ^ a b "Southside Johnny and Jukes a band designed for the stage". Toronto Star. AP. 29 June 1986. p. E2.
  11. ^ a b Burliuk, Greg (12 July 1986). "A Band Back with Brass". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
  12. ^ "At Least We Got Shoes Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  13. ^ Griffin, John (3 July 1986). "Summer Gems Sparkle". The Gazette. p. F3.
  14. ^ Racine, Marty (June 8, 1986). "Records". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 12.
  15. ^ Hawkins, Robert J. (July 23, 1986). "It's a long way from the Jersey shore to Solana Beach...". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C11.
  16. ^ Healy, James (July 27, 1986). "New Guitarist, Focused Horn Section Give 2nd Wind to Southside Johnny". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald.