Diggin’ Up Bones

Description

Diggin’ Up Bones is a compilation album by the American rock band Jacob’s Trouble, released on Alarma Records in March 1994, an alternative imprint of Frontline Music Group. This retrospective focuses on unreleased material and offers a selection of demos, rarities, and live recordings, as well as a sixteen page commemorative booklet.

It’s surprising and sad that, just as things seemed to start rolling for Jacob’s Trouble, they break up and all we have left is a collection of demos, rarities and previously unreleased tracks. After three albums of 60s’-inspired retro-rock (which met with varying degrees of respect and success) and then an album of more current, post-wave rock that met with hurrahs, JT called it quits this past summer.

Which leaves us with ‘Diggin’ Up Bones’. There’s nothing here to make any new fans miss the band, but this lengthy family album will be necessary to those who want to complete the collection: Of the 20 tracks, highlights include tracks from their original independent EP, assorted alternate versions (including a meaner take on «Church Of Do What You Want To»), a coupl’a covers («Turn, Turn, Turn», «Let It Rain»), and just plain lost tracks (like «About Sex», pulled at the last minute from ‘Knock, Breathe, Shine‘ and replaced with the enigmatic «About Sex, Part II»).

Those who thought the best Jacob’s Trouble moments came after they left the 60s might be disappointed with the memorabilia here – the vast bulk of the album reflects the hippy-trippy band of the first three albums. On the other hand, once you hear some of the raw, personal visions the band had before being tainted by demands for sales and airplay, you might find that ‘Diggin’ Up Bones’ is actually the strongest Jacob’s Trouble release of all. [Chris Well, Syndicate # 41, 1994 (Vol. 9, Iss. 5)]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/diggin-up-bones/387921942)

CD tracklist:

01. If You Believe – 3:26
02. Eden Again – 3:51
03. Wind And Wave – 5:19
04. Million Miles – 4:21
05. Psalm 151 – 3:49
06. Church Do What You Want To Do – 4:27
07. Dreammaker (Demo Version) – 3:53
08. Is It True? (Demo Version) – 2:48
09. Cosmic Mailman – 3:54
10. Let It Rain – 3:31
11. About Sex – 5:23
12. Wounded World (Demo Version) – 3:34
13. Terry’s Theme – 0:18
14. If Superman Got Saved – 5:06
15. Turn, Turn, Turn (Live) – 3:42
16. Lovehouse (Demo Version) – 4:09
17. Wild Wild Ride (Demo Version) – 4:51
18. Better Days (Demo Version) – 4:51
Bonus Tracks:
19. Church Of Do What You Want To (Dance Mix) – 1:05
20. Awfully Familiar (Awfully Redundant Mix) – 2:59