Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static (2008)
Sleep Through The Static by Jack Johnson
Career Overview
In a crossover worthy of soap star-turned-rocker Rick Springfield, professional surfer Jack Johnson emerged as one of the hottest pop stars of the early ’00s. The interesting thing is that, amid hordes of teen-poppers and nu-metallists, he came to fame with a spare, mellow, acoustic-oriented singer-songwriter sound influenced by Nick Drake and James Taylor. In a way, he can be seen as a successor to the easygoing beach-culture popster Jimmy Buffett, in both his music and his eschewing of media hype for grass-roots appeal in his rise to the top.
Biography
b. 18 May 1975, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Over the years, the music usually associated with surfing has been either Beach Boys-styled pop (circa the 60s), or hardcore punk (beginning in the 80s and through to the new millennium). Surfer turned musician Jack Johnson proves to be an exception to the rule, as his relaxed, spacious, and largely acoustic-based music has earned steady comparisons to Ben Harper.
Johnson was born on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, which naturally led to an interest in surfing at a young age. Just as he entered his teenage years, Johnson began competing in the renowned Masters Tournament, but a near fatal wipe out and subsequent recovery put his surfing career on hold. During the interim, Johnson studied at UCSB and became interested in film making, as well as music. Johnson’s musical break came when friend/recording artist Garrett Dutton III of G Love And Special Sauce recorded one of Johnson’s original compositions, “Rodeo Clowns‘, for his 1999 release, Philadelphonic. It was also around this time that a pair of surf documentaries that Johnson was involved in came out a year apart from each other, 1999’s Thicker Than Water and 2000″s The September Sessions.
Working with Ben Harper’s long-time producer, J.P. Plunier, Johnson issued his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, in early 2001, with Harper making a guest appearance. The album proved to be a steady seller and was particularly popular on the college circuit, eventually attaining platinum sales status. For the album’s subsequent tour, Adam Topol (drums) and Merlo Podlewski (bass) joined Johnson on stage. Another enjoyable collection, On And On, followed in 2003, with Johnson staying true to the feelgood vibe and relaxed, acoustic grooves that characterised his debut album. Johnson’s growing mainstream popularity was confirmed at the start of 2005 when his third album, In Between Dreams, reached the US Top 5.
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If I Had Eyes
Sleep Through The Static album tracklists are:
Buy the CD album Sleep Through The Static
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