Believe it or not, this is an excellent CD. Jones has written the material himself and hence he called this album Just Me (as a take off of the Monkees' 1996 release, Justus). It is obvious that Jones has been working on this for quite some time, as some of the songs were first heard on the Monkees' Justus CD ("It's Not Too Late" and "What a Night") and other arrangements date back to his 1999 Just for the Record, Vol. 4. But here the songs are produced and arranged beautifully and have new life breathed into them. Strong melodies are present throughout and his backup band is not only tight but utilize instruments not heard in 2001 (such as the mellotron and sitar). The arrangements are also fascinating. A song like "I Ain't Gonna Love You No More" begins as a beautiful ballad, but ends as a grunge rocker; it has same tune and melody, but he is able to move the song from melancholy to anger in about two minutes. It all mixes well to produce an easy listening CD with an edge. Jones has learned from Nesmith, as the production borrows from him, but that is an extreme plus. Also, Jones' voice has not sounded this strong in years. Emotion throughout, but he also knows when to pull back and let his backup singers fill out the sound (especially on "Whata Night"). He also uses his voice to full effect on such songs as "So Goes Love," where he sounds almost sinister at times. Brilliant stuff. It is amazing that after so many years of performing, Jones was not afraid to take some chances and mix many different sounds to a very positive effect. This is by far his best release, and one that deserves to be heard.
© Aaron Badgley /TiVo