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THE JUJUs – You Treated Me Bad (Ray Hummell III, Switzerland) LP
Michigan’s JuJus have already been the subject of several retrospective collections, but this new vinyl set is still a very worthwhile addition to their canon. If you own any of the previous JuJus releases, chances are you already have the best songs here: “You Treated Me Bad,” “Come On Children,” ‘Fine Day,” and “Hey Little Girl,” but these ‘hits’ are supplemented by some very fine previously unreleased material. Ray Hummel III’s piping, vibrato-inflected voice was particularly well-suited to ballads, a strength demonstrated here on versions of three slow-dance specials, “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying,” “Donna,” and “As Tears Go By.” The latter is especially effective—perhaps the best version I’ve heard, in fact. There’s also a raw alternate take of “She’s My Girl,” and a solid instrumental surf jam, “Flake Out.”
The high-class packaging makes this LP even more appealing, with a cool full-color shot on the front and artfully arranged live pictures on the reverse of the band playing at a high school gymnasium. Two inserts are also included, featuring a full biography, track-by-track liner notes and more vintage photos. (MS)
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