As long-term readers will remember, unless you actually have more important things going on in your lives, I wasn’t averse to doing a shady deal or two involving a friend’s big brother’s LP collection in order to snag Montrose LPs. As part of the deal where I grabbed the mighty Montrose, I also got Jump On It, basically for the same reason people have been buying this LP from time immemorial* – the front cover is a close-up of a lady’s crotch and the back cover is a close-up of her (assuming it is the same lady) arse. Kids today won’t understand it, but in those heady pre-internet times this was hot stuff. I was also surprised to note that it was a Hipgnosis cover, shame on you Storm!
Jump On It was Montrose’s third LP and original members were starting to get pretty thin on the ground. Bob James had replaced Sammy Hagar and they had added a keyboard player, Jim Alcivar. You get the idea. Even Jack Douglas’ production can’t save Jump On It from wimpiness. Although they do get 1537 bonus points for turning an LP that’s only 32:28 long.
Actually for all my griping opener ‘Let’s Go’ is excellent, courtesy of some very good vocals by Bob James and some absolutely killer fuzzed-up slide guitar from Mr Montrose himself. In fact any LP that begins with the lines,
I was riding down the road in my automobile
I was sitting in the backseat, my baby’s at the wheel
surely has to be a belter? alas not. although that’s not to take anything away from ‘Let’s Go’, which I had totally forgotten ever existed before yesterday and which ha now been added to my ‘Rowdy’ playlist. In fact, being charitable, the Dan Hartman-penned second track, ‘What Are You Waiting For?’ has melody, drive and tunefulness aplenty, but it lacks what the rest of Jump On It does – any real cojones. Don’t get me started on, ‘Music Man’, or ‘Rich Man’, both of whom are as appealing as a turd in a swimming pool. Even the rockier, ‘Jump On It’ misses a gear somehow.
Just stick Montrose on the turntable after listening to this, as I have just done and there’s simply no comparison at all, 30 seconds of ‘Rock Candy’ should do it. Ah well. I suppose it’s not fair to blame Jump On It for not being as good as one of the best hard rock LPs ever, but I can’t help wishing it would grow some bollocks.
There is one final mystery I would like cleared up about this LP, please don’t think me naive** I am an experienced man of the world but for two days now I have been trying to identify what part of the female form this inner sleeve is:
Answers on an electronic postcard please. First correct answer drawn from the hat wins an entirely imaginary prize; terms and conditions apply.
248 Down.
P.S – apologies for photo quality again, Goddamn Fotoroom isn’t letting me resize and crop stuff properly – I’ll redo these when I get a chance. It matters to me.
*1976, that’s actually the official definition of ‘time immemorial’.
**It also has Mrs 1537 stumped and she is one of those women things.
CB did not buy this because of the cover! He’s above that kinda shit. “Turd in a swimming pool”. See it’s gems like that that keep me coming back. CB was referred to as “turd in a punch bowl” a few times in his life.
I think overall, I’d rather encounter a turd in a swimming pool, than one in a punch bowl … not the easiest choice though!
Cool song, takes me back and I now need to hear more Montrose
You can’t beat their first LP
32 minutes is still 4 minutes longer than Diver Down…
I’ve never heard ANY Montrose without Sammy. (yet)
Just stick with the one song, would be my advice. I like Diver Down too.
Dear ‘Not Naive’,
I cannot see an image of anything after the colon in your ‘identify’ competition.
Do I need to upgrade my subscription?
Confused.
Curses! When I updated it I obviously managed to delete it, I’ll fix it tonight. Grrrr!
As your platinum subscription upgrade has now been processed, you should be able to see the image now. Thank you for your custom.
To be contrary (and honest) : Montrose? Really? OK, you’re allowed to like music I don’t, but, this time I just don’t get it. At least you didn’t say Three Dog Night (it’s OK if you like that, too, I won’t get it either).
The photo: is it a magical place that every heterosexual teenage boy seeks and, once found, has no idea how it works?
Fair enough but I was born with the hard rock receptor gene, some guitar noises just chime with me.
As for photo, accidentally deleted, not sure which street on Teenage Paradisville, FL it is.
Photo now restored for your viewing pleasure.
Whee! So there’s teenage fantasy (the lower set of photos) and pre-teen fantasy (the upper set). Do I get a prize?
You’re through to the next round of our super giveaway 1537 prize draw.
Woohoo! I’m hoping for a rasta Lego!
Nothing comes close to that debut record, or Hagar’s voice. And doesn’t Mick Mars owe the Ronnie Montrose estate some money for swiping from “Bad Motor Scooter”? Am I the only one who feels that way?
I never moved past that debut. Felt it wasn’t necessary. Ted Templeton produced that didn’t he?
He did, modesty forbids referring you to my own, genius, review which alos points the finger at the Crue.
I like the song ‘let’s Go’, but that’s your lot.
Well I vaguely recall discussing, or at the very least reading about that debut in these very hallowed halls.
I’ll visit “Let’s Go” tomorrow morning.
I remember that debut lovingly as the only local radio station i have used to have a rock show on Saturday nights when I was 13 or 14 years old. One of the stalwarts played was Ronnie Montrose, and that debut in particular. “Rock Candy”, “Bad Motor Scooter”, they were played often. As was Judas Priest’s ‘British Steel’ and Iron Maiden’s ‘Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son”. Those were the days.
Cool, proper rock just like grandma used to bake.
I can almost smell the power chords baking in the oven.