Just last year Jack Johnson seemingly appeared out of nowhere. While his CD Brushfire Fairytales was released in 2001, it took nearly one full year for it to gain any attention. Jack's songs Flake and Bubble Toes became Modern Rock and Triple A radio hits and suddenly Universal Records took notice and re-issued the CD nationwide and by the end of 2002 Jack Johnson had something that his good friend Ben Harper has yet to attain, a Platinum Record (One Million Copies sold/shipped)- Harper played slide guitar on Flake.

Compared to many yet strikingly different than any modern artist, Jack Johnson released his first Major Label CD, and first for his own Universal subsidiary The Moonshine Conspiracy (the label is also his surfer movie production house) on May 6, 2003. Like Brushfire Fairytales, On and On takes its name from a line in the first track on the CD (Times Like These). The album has sixteen tracks and all, but one track, are under four minutes long which makes Jack Johnson the king of modern music brevity. Not even Country music singers are that good at writing complete songs under 3 minutes anymore (JJ has a few under 2 minutes).

The Best Tracks:

Times Like These picks up where "Fairytales" left off and The lyrics are poetic as usual and JJ says that things are always the same no matter what seems to be happening. Times like these, times like those, what will be will be, and so it goes, it always goes on and on and on and on.....

Currently rising up the Radio and Records adult rock chart (and college rock for that matter), Horizon Has Been Defeated tackles the subject of capitalism and mass-marketing and how it is a problem. this social topic is layered over a funky chord progression and bass line that will make rap fans smile (it hits the Subwoofer hard!).

Taylor is the most logical choice for the second single and is the closest thing to "Flake" on this record. JJ's acoustic guitar intro will pull you in until you hear his sugary sweet vocals wrap around somewhat dark lyrics about two people who "just wander around." It's got a hook and a unique melody which is all I require of a song to be an instant classic which "Taylor" is in my mind.

Sounding somewhat like Harper on Wasting Time, JJ takes an acoustic blues riff and sings about how people think about other people and never themselves: "but everybody thinks that everybody knows about everybody else but nobody knows anything about themselves because they're all worried about everybody else"

Holes To Heaven is another groove-filled track with some tasty and greasy guitar licks. The song talks about the complicated lives everyone lives these days and JJ yearns for a simpler time when stars were simply "Holes to Heaven.

Another Instant Classic is Cookie Jar. Taking the theory of "Free-Floating Responsibility" and running with it, Cookie Jar is an effective but subtle look at how we blame everyone else for our own problems. To understand this great song one must read the lyrics, here they are.

I would turn on the TV but it’s so embarrassing
to see all the other people, I don't know what they mean
it was magic at first, when they spoke without sound
but now this world's gonna hurt you better turn that thing down

well "it wasn't me" says the boy with the gun
sure I pulled the trigger, but it needed to be done
because life’s been killing me ever since it begun
you can't blame me because I'm too young
well you can't blame me, sure the killer was my son
but I didn't teach him to pull the trigger of a gun
it’s those video games and his TV screen
you can't blame me, it’s those images he sees

you can't blame me says the media man
I wasn't the one who came up with the plan
I just point my camera at what the people wanna see
it’s a two way mirror man, you can't blame me

you can't blame me says the singer of the song
and the maker of the movie which he based his life on
it's only entertainment as anyone can see
it's smoke machines and makeup man
you can't blame me

it was you, it was me, and it was every man
we've all got the blood on our hands
we only receive what we demand
if we want hell then hells what we'll have

and I would turn on the TV
but it’s so embarrassing
to see all the other people
don't even know what they mean
and it was magic at first
but let everyone down
and now your souls gonna hurt
you better turn it around
turn it around
©2003 Jack Johnson.

Rodeo Clowns might be noticeable to people who remember G. Love and Special Sauce. they had a hit with this song (that JJ wrote). Much like fellow adult rocker, Jason Mraz JJ can sing and write verses that are fast passed only JJ's songs don't seem to go on forever (even though I Love Mraz's CD).

Mediocre Bad Guys is a very bluesy ballad about the way people like to stab others in the back: you beat me up and break me down, hoping I don't come around,
kick me when I’m on the ground, beat me up, break me down, hoping I don't come around, kicking me when I’m on the ground he sings in the chorus of the song.

Final Analysis While some just wont like or allow themselves to like Jack Johnson or acoustic rock music, those who do like him know that this surfer-film maker-musician is one of the best and most honest men out there today. Think of him as a modern day Jimmy Buffett: a man, who tells stories with a sunny and happy outlook, even when he tackles worldly topics.

Songs
1. Times Like These
2. The Horizon Has Been Defeated
3. Traffic In The Sky
4. Taylor
5. Gone
6. Cupid
7. Wasting Time
8. Holes To Heaven
9. Dreams Be Dreams
10. Tomorrow Morning
11. Fall Line
12. Cookie Jar
13. Rodeo Clowns
14. Cocoon
15. Mediocre Bad Guys
16. Symbol In The Driveway
All Songs Written by Jack Johnson excep Wasting Time which was written with Jack's band Adam Topol and Merlo Podlewski.

Great Music to Play While: chillin' like ice cream fillin'

Recommended: Yes