A Jackknife to a Swan

A Jackknife to a Swan is the seventh studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released on July 9, 2002, by SideOneDummy Records. This album marked the band's return to an indie label, and was the last album released by the group before their four-year hiatus between 2003 and 2007. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones would not release their next studio album until Pin Points and Gin Joints in 2009.

The album title is a reference to both the elegant Olympic high dive and the death of something beautiful. Dicky Barrett has said in interviews that the title of the album upset his mother greatly, as her maiden name was Swan, as well as her mother's.

An earlier version of "The Old School Off The Bright" was originally featured on a promotional EP titled Fabled Barney and The Population given out at the band's Hometown Throwdown in 2002. The promotional version of the album features an alternate version of the song "Seven Ways to Sunday". "Sugar Free" was later featured in the 2006 movie Beerfest.

The track "I want My City Back" is a lament about the loss of The Rathskeller, commonly called The Rat, the club in Boston where the Bosstones got their start.

Reception

The album reached #131 on the Billboard 200, and #9 on the Top Independent Albums.

Track listing
"A Jackknife to a Swan" (Barrett, Burton, Gittleman) – 2:48
"Mr. Moran" (Barrett, Gittleman, Katz) – 3:04
"You Gotta Go!" (Barrett, Gittleman, Katz) – 2:42
"Everybody's Better" (Barrett, Gittleman, Rhodes) – 3:41
"Sugar Free" (Barrett, Gittleman) – 2:44
"I Want My City Back" (Barrett, Katz) – 3:16
"Chasing the Sun Away" (Barrett, Burton) – 3:28
"You Can't Win" (Barrett, Katz) – 3:19
"The Old School Off the Bright" (Barrett, Gittleman) – 2:26
"The Punch Line" (Barrett, Katz) – 3:15
"Go Big" (Barrett, Gittleman) – 2:52
"Shit Outta Luck" (Gittleman) – 2:57
"Seven Ways to Sunday" (Barrett, Gittleman, Katz) – 3:58

Personnel
Dicky Barrett – lead vocals, artwork
Lawrence Katz – guitar, backing vocals
Joe Gittleman – bass, backing vocals
Joe Sirois – drums
Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton – saxophone
Roman Fleysher – saxophone
Chris Rhodes – trombone
Ben Carr – Bosstone, vocals
Mike Denneen – keyboards, backing vocals
Rolf Langsjoen – trumpet
Jim Fitting – harmonica, backing vocals
Tanya Michelle – backing vocals
John Seymour – backing vocals, producer, mixing, engineer
Matt Tahaney – assistant engineer
Jon Pebsworth – production coordination
Carl Plaster – drum technician
Andrew Lenoski – graphic design
Christian Clayton – cover art
Josh Dalsimer – photography

References

Category:2002 albums
Category:The Mighty Mighty Bosstones albums
Category:SideOneDummy Records albums