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Industry News
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Golden Smog
Somewhat unexpectedly, a five-cut covers EP, On Golden Smog, appeared in 1992. While the closing track, a rendition of Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song" sung by Soul Asylum roadie Bill Sullivan, followed in the project's original devil-may-care spirit, the remainder of the record was considerably more focused, keeping in line with the primary musical work of the band members--who, this time out, were essentially Johnson, Murphy, Louris, Jayhawks bassist Marc Perlman and ex-Replacements drummer Chris Mars, along with Soul Asylum vocalist Dave Pirner (on a cover of Bad Company's "Shooting Star"). Even more unexpectedly, the next Golden Smog effort--1996's full-length Down By the Old Mainstream--was made up largely of original material composed strictly for the project. With a line-up that included Johnson, Murphy, Louris, Perlman, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and Honeydogs drummer Noah Levy (all of whom recorded under pseudonyms as a result of contractual obligations), the record bore few reminders of the Smog's beer-soaked origins, instead revealing a more mature and thoughtful band breaking free of the restraints of their day jobs and having some serious fun in the process.
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