| The Jayhawks | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | the Jayhawks |
| Cover: | Jayhawks.jpeg |
| Border: | yes |
| Released: | 1986 |
| Recorded: | Minneapolis, MN |
| Genre: | Alt-country, country rock |
| Length: | 37:54 |
| Label: | Bunkhouse Records |
| Producer: | Charlie Pine |
| Next Title: | Blue Earth |
| Next Year: | 1989 |
The Jayhawks is the debut album by the Jayhawks, released in 1986.[1] [2] [3] It is also known as the Bunkhouse Tapes. The 1986 pressing was limited to 2,000 copies.
Out of print for many years, the album was digitally remastered from reel-to-reel and reissued by Lost Highway Records on May 18, 2010.[4] The re-release features an eleven-page booklet designed by Mark Olson.
"Falling Star" is available on Music from the North Country – The Jayhawks Anthology.
In his review for AllMusic, Mark Deming contrasts the early Jayhawks sound with their later work and noted "though it captures some strong and confident performances from a fine band, it's clear they were still a few years away from finding the sound that would make Blue Earth and Hollywood Town Hall some of the most memorable music to come from the first wave of alt-country." Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the songs sometimes bland out, but Mark Olson and Gary Louris’ vocal harmonies still shine."[5] Trouser Press wrote that "the band stakes out its derivative style with so much spirit that it almost sounds original."[6]
All songs by Mark Olson, except 1, 2 and 4 by Gary Louris and Mark Olson.