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The Judybats - Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow Audio CD

A fair review of the The Judybats "Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Judybats reviews here, or go back to the The Judybats tabs.

The Judybats Band: The Judybats
Title: Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow
Rating:
Release Date: 1992-02-18
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Our Story 2: She's Sad She Said 3: How It Is 4: Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow 5: Margot Known as Missy 6: Witches' Night 7: Is Anything 8: Poor Bruised World 9: Animal Farm 10: Saturday 11: Lullaby, Weren't We Wild 12: When Things Get Slow Around Here

They're Waging War on Mercury
But if you're going to sample them, get this, their best, album: Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow. I actually got to see The Judybats in concert during their brief tour as a band, and let me tell you, they were even better in person than on disc. "Saturday," "Margot Known as Missy," and "She's Sad, She Said" are the strongest songs on the album, but the overall album has that magic of the sum being greater than its individual tracks. Others will claim Native Son is a better album, but for my money, this is The Judybats' masterpiece.


"Poor bruised world" indeed
They had a distinctive sound, filled with great melodies, and a special energy & wit that was unlike most other alt-rock bands of the time . For me, this is the best Judybats album in their all-too-small catalog. . . yet they could also delve into more contemplative & melancholy territory. Sometimes that melancholy was just below the surface of the bounciest songs, such as "Our Story" or "Saturday. " If I had to try & define their sound, I might suggest a cross-pollination of the B-52s' humor & several Southern jangle-pop bands, such as Let's Active or REM. But that's just a rough suggestion.

It's a shame that the music of the 1980s is largely relegated to images of big hair, bad clothes, and a handful of Top 40 hits. There was so much more going on behind that one-dimensional media facade, and the Judybats were right in the middle of it. But they didn't fit into some easily defined niche, and their label wanted something more mainstream from them. So these days all of their work is out-of-print, sad to say.

Still, the low prices for their used CDs make them easy & inexpensive to sample. And it's well worth it. Once these songs get into your head, they'll stay there for a long time, and leave you wondering why more people didn't appreciate just how good the Judybats were. Highly recommended!


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This is a great disc!
I discovered the bats in college as a DJ in MD during the 90's. I will jump on the underrated bandwagon. Their first two albums Native and Shacks are two of my all time faves (I like this one the best), and one of the two are in my truck at all times. Generally, mellow and folky with intelligent lyrics, however they can rock too. Unlike so many other bands these guys should have been giants. If you don't own this album, you should.


The Judybats were under-rated, but this album is not their best
As others have said, THE JUDYBATS were terribly underrated in the early 90s. I'm a bit surprised at the very high customer rating for this album. They deserved more attention. But compared to their previous release, NATIVE SON, only one year earlier, this album is, sad to say, a real disappointment.

Down in the Shacks is an inconsistent effort from a band that is capable of much better. Many of the songs have an unfinished quality to them - some have decent hooks but the lyrics are flat, others have a promising intro but just don't fully deliver. Perhaps there was a different production team on this album, perhaps this one was released too close on the heels of NATIVE SON, perhaps there were some personal issues they were dealing with or they had been touring too heavily, but whatever the reason this is just not in the same league. Where NATIVE SON was infectious, Down in the Shacks is simply lackluster.

However, I didn't say this album was awful, just that it was inconsistent. It does include some good tracks. My personal favorites are Our Story, Lullaby - Weren't We Wild, Saturday, Witches Night, and Poor Bruised World.

THE JUDYBATS should appeal to fans of other fun, alternative groups of the late 80s and early 90s like THE SMITHS, JAMES, THE LEMONHEADS, TMBG, or BNL. But I would highly recommend trying NATIVE SON rather than this album for a more consistently exceptional and enjoyable experience.


One of the 90's best CD's...
This CD and Native Son are my two faves. I've seen the Bats in concert twice in Chicago and actually met them backstage once. I agree with one of the other reviewers that Peggy should come back. They seem to have lost "something", I don't know what, after she left. Pain Makes You Beautiful has good lyrics, but is somewhat depressing - more of an autumn listen if you ask me. This CD and Native Son are much more upbeat and happy. I keep them in constant rotation in my car. If you haven't listened yet, PLEASE DO. You won't be disappointed. Too bad the JudyBats were overlooked in the 90's due to all that Seattle grunge crap that was so popular at the time.


You can see a complete list of all The Judybats discography, or go back to the The Judybats tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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