Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes - Jukes (CD)

All Music Guide

After none of the Jukes' first three records got higher than number 85 in the charts, Epic Records dropped the band. The feeling was that Southside was too closely identified with Springsteen and Van Zandt and needed to establish a separate identity. So, the band dumped its producer and songwriter and moved to Mercury Records for its fourth album, on which Jukes guitarist Billy Rush took over the songwriting. Given that, however, the result is not half bad. Southside and Rush collaborate on the excellent leadoff track, "All I Want Is Everything," and Rush contributes "I'm So Anxious," "Living in the Real World," and several other respectable numbers. The glory days were over, and the band really wouldn't make a big success on its own, but they remained workmen making the best of a bad situation.

- William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide