Golden Smog

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Golden Smog

Rock group

Golden Smog was a roots rock and alternative country super group before either genre was even named. Featuring moonlighting members from such groups as Uncle Tupelo, The Jayhawks, The Replacements, Big Star, Soul Asylum, The Honeydogs, and Wilco, Golden Smog became a side project for the members to alternately follow their individual muses and let their hair down to perform covers of songs by their favorite artists. Categorizing the results, however, is difficult, due to the ever-changing lineups of the band and the continuous musical exploration of core members Dan Murphy from Soul Asylum and Gary Louris from The Jayhawks. The music produced has ranged from loose adaptations of Eagles, Kinks, the Faces, and Rolling Stones' songs to highly refined original collaborations between Louris and Uncle Tupelo and Wilco founder Jeff Tweedy.

Golden Smog first formed in the heady Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, music scene of the late 1980s. The so-called Twin Cities had been put on the map musically by such post-punk bands as The Replacements and Hüsker Dü, and had become a draw for music talent from throughout the Midwest, including members of the Jayhawks. The latter group featured members formerly associated with area rockabilly bands Mark Olson and Gary Louris. The Jayhawks earned national attention with the release of their Twin/Tone debut, Blue Earth. Louris formed the Golden Smog side project at around the same time, with vocalist Kraig Johnson of the Twin Cities' band Run Westy Run and Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy. The group played shows based on such themes as covering songs by the Eagles and the Rolling Stones. The Stones-based show was cheekily titled "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck," after the Rolling Stones' late 1960s foray into psychedelia, Her Satanic Majesty's Request.

Louris, Johnson, and Murphy entered the studio to cut the 1992 extended play release On Golden Smog, which featured reworked versions of songs by such groups as Bad Company, Thin Lizzy, obscure 1960s band Michelangelo, and the Rolling Stones, as well as a cover of "Easy to Be Hard" from the musical Hair, which had previously been a hit for the pop band Three Dog Night. Soul Asylum member Dave Pirner provided vocals for the remake of Bad Company's "Shooting Star," and Soul Asylum roadie Bill Sullivan contributed vocals to the remake of Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song." Replacements' drummer Chris Mars contributed drums and created the album art work; and bass guitar was performed by Jayhawks' member Marc Perlman.

For the group's first full-length album, 1996's Down by the Old Mainstream, Louris, Murphy, Perlman, and Johnson were joined by Uncle Tupelo veteran and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and by Honeydogs' drummer Noah Levy. A parody of typical rock band press releases appeared on the website of the Rykodisc record label, inventing pseudonyms and fictional histories for the group members. Since the group's individual members were under contract with other record labels, they decided to adopt aliases. Like fellow "supergroup" The Traveling Wilburys (featuring Beatle George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne disguised as the fictitious Wilbury family), Golden Smog members took license with creating fictional personal biographies. The group premiered some of the songs on Down by the Old Mainstream at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, building buzz for the band among alt-country and roots rock critics and fans. Among the original songs on the album are "He's a Dick," which takes to task the archetypal so-called friend who borrows albums and never returns them. Reviewing the album for All Music Guide, critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "Unlike most supergroups, the members of Golden Smog improve on their regular bands…. The musicians are relaxed and loose, giving the songs a raw, rootsy kick."

In 1998 Golden Smog released their second full-length release, Weird Tales. The lineup this time around consisted of Louris, Tweedy, Perlman, Murphy, former Big Star drummer Jody Stephens and violinist and singer Jessy Greene. Guests on the album included Dave Pirner, who provided backup vocals on "Keys," and Memphis musical and production wizard Jim Dickinson, who contributed Wurlitzer organ accompaniment on "Until You Came Along."

For the Record …

Members include Kraig Johnson, vocals; Noah Levy, drums; Gary Louris, guitar, vocals; Chris Mars, drums; Dan Murphy, guitar; Marc Perlman, bass; Dave Pirner, vocals; Jody Stephens, drums; Bill Sullivan, vocals; Jeff Tweedy, guitar, vocals.

Formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, late 1980s; released extended play single On Golden Smog, 1992; released first full-length album, Down by the Old Mainstream, 1996; released Weird Tales, 1998; released Another Fine Day, 2006.

Addresses: Record Company—Lost Highway, Universal Music Group, 54 Music Square East, Nashville, TN 37203.

After an extended recording hiatus, Golden Smog entered the studio to produce the 2006 album Another Fine Day. Tweedy returned to the fold to contribute co-writing credits on two songs with Louris, but the Wilco leader appeared on only six of the album's 15 songs. The impetus for the group's reunion was an offer from General Motors to write and record a song for a new Corvette commercial, which was to be directed by Guy Ritchie and premiered during the Super Bowl broadcast. The song, "Corvette." was rejected by General Motors and advertising agency Campbell-Ewald, but became the first song written for Another Fine Day. The album was recorded at Louris's vacation home in Puerto Santa Maria in Spain. The band experienced several hardships, however, despite the idyllic surroundings. "Their gear and luggage failed to arrive, rains delayed the promised studio upgrades and Tweedy was called home, so the musicians slogged through the early sessions grumpy and frustrated," according to Paste reporter Bud Scoppa. "About ten days into it," Louris told Scoppa, "we … decided to listen to what we'd done from start to finish. We were just blown away—the songs were cool, the sounds were not standard, and it was not something we could've ever planned, which is what's so great about it." The group returned to Minneapolis to finish the album with Tweedy back onboard, and released it on the Lost Highways label. The album consisted of original songs by the band members, with the exception of "Strangers," the Dave Davies song written and performed with the Kinks. Summing up the advantage of recording a side project with other musicians, Louris told Scoppa: "For us, it's almost a relief to become part of an ensemble, as opposed to leading the charge…. It works with the Smog; it's hard to do outside of that. There's more of a letting go—that's why there's a danger of ever taking it to the next level."

Selected discography

On Golden Smog, Crackpot, 1992; reissued, Rykodisc, 1996.
Down by the Old Mainstream, Rykodisc, 1996.
Weird Tales, Rykodisc, 1998. (Acadia, 2000s).
Another Fine Day, Lost Highway, 2006.