The Best of John Doe: This Far [LP]

by John Doe

Overview

John Doe released his first solo album in 1989, and after 25 years, his career on his own is certainly worthy of an enthusiastic appreciation. Doe is still best known as the bassist and co-lead singer in X (not to mention his work as an actor in film and television), but pretty much everything that made his music with X so powerful is clear and present on his solo recordings -- tough but emotionally compelling melodies, deep focus lyrics, outstanding and soulful vocals, and gifted collaborators. If Doe's music is sometimes subtler and more cerebral than X's more straightforward punkabilly attack, it's not hard to see his more recent albums as a more mature variation on X's themes, and that certainly comes through on The Best of John Doe This Far, a 21-song overview of Doe's recorded work. This Far offers a well-balanced sampling from Doe's albums, though there are a few curious gaps -- there's nothing from his excellent 2012 collaboration with the Sadies, Country Club (perhaps because it was dominated by covers), and Doe's over-produced but satisfying 1989 debut Meet John Doe is represented by two tunes that didn't actually appear on the album, a scruffier alternate take of "Dyin' to Get Home" and a new solo acoustic version of "Take #52" (which is one of two new tracks on the album, the other a guitar-and-vocal recut of X's "Poor Girl"). But the album does offer three tracks from 1992's overlooked and underrated Kissingsohard, and it shines as an index to Doe's 21st century solo renaissance, cherry-picking the best moments from 2002's Dim Stars, Bright Sky, 2003's Freedom Is..., 2005's Forever Hasn't Happened Yet, and 2007's A Year in the Wilderness, among others. Between first-class rockers like "Never Enough," powerful love songs like "The Golden State," emotionally forceful mood pieces like "This Far," and languid journal entries like "Sueltame," this collection is a potent reminder that John Doe can write and sing as well as anyone to emerge in American rock & roll since 1980, and if you need a guided tour of his back catalog, The Best of John Doe This Far is just what you need. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	05/27/2014
Label:	Yep Roc
UPC:	0634457238114

Tracks

1. Telephone By the Bed
2. A Step Outside
3. The Golden State
4. Catch Me
5. Take 52
6. Highway 5
7. Safety
8. Love Knows
9. Never Enough
10. Poor Girl
11. Forever for You
12. Far
13. Twin Brother
14. 7 Holes
15. Worried Brow
16. Faraway (From the North Country)
17. A Grain of Salt
18. Beat-Up World
19. Dying to Get Home
20. Tragedy By Definition

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Doe   Primary Artist,Guitar (Electric),Dobro,Guitar,Vocals,Bass (Electric),Guitar (Rhythm),Guitar (Acoustic)
David Piltch   Bass (Electric)
David J. Carpenter   String Bass,Bass (Electric)
Joey Waronker   Drums
Jill Sobule   Vocals
Mark "Money Mark" Ramos-Nishita   Keyboards
Richard Lloyd   Guitar (Electric)
Kathleen Edwards   Vocals
Neko Case   Vocals
Michael Ward   Guitar (Electric)
Stuart Johnson   Drums
Abe Laboriel, Jr.   Drums
Aimee Mann   Vocals
Dave Way   Loops,Drum Loop,Percussion
Grant-Lee Phillips   Vocals,Guitar (Electric)
Tony Marsico   Bass (Electric)
Jamie Muhoberac   Piano,Keyboards
Bryan Head   Drums
Jon Dee Graham   Guitar (Electric)
Chalo Quintana   Drums
Jeff Donovan   Drums
Lori Golstun   Cello
Ben Peller   Mandolin
Eyvan Kang   Violin
Steve Berlin   Saxophone
Brad Houser   Bass
Bob Thomson   Bass
Chris Bruce   Guitar (Electric)
Ryan Feves   String Bass
Smokey Hormel   Guitar (Electric)
Greg Leisz   Pedal Steel

Technical Credits

John Beverly Jones   Engineer
Davitt Sigerson   Producer
Howe Gelb   Producer
S. "Husky" Hoeskulds   Mixing,Engineer
Niko Bolas   Mixing
Nick Luca   Assistant Engineer
Chris Schultz   Engineer
Dave Way   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
B.C. Smith   String Arrangements
Don Gilmore   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Jane Wiedlin   Harmony
Tim Hale   Photography
Ethan Hill   Photography
Edward Cervenka   Composer
Neil Kellerhouse   Design,Art Direction
Autumn de Wilde   Photography
Jim Herrington   Cover Photo,Photography
Pete Magdeleno   Assistant Engineer
Travis Dickerson   Mixing,Engineer
Bob Vogt   Mixing
Joe Henry   Engineer,Producer
Smokey Hormel   Harmony
Exene Cervenka   Composer
Dave Grohl   Composer
John Doe   Composer,Producer