Revisiting Southside Johnny’s “At Least We Got Shoes”

f you’re a Southside Johnny fan, you already know the man’s got soul—plenty of it.
But by 1986, the road had been rough, and his sound had strayed a bit from the rootsy, horn-laden fire that made the Jersey Shore music scene a phenomenon.
Enter At Least We Got Shoes, the eighth studio album from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
It wasn’t just another release—it was a return to the band’s organic sound, reminding fans why they fell in love with these blue-collar poets in the first place.
A Comeback Without the Frills
By the mid-‘80s, the music industry had largely moved on from the soulful, gritty sound that defined the Jukes in their Hearts of Stone era. Southside Johnny’s last few albums leaned heavily on polished production, reflecting the slick, synth-driven aesthetics of the time.
While those records weren’t without merit, they left some fans yearning for the rawness and authenticity of the Jukes’ earlier work.
With At Least We Got Shoes, Johnny and the band stripped things down and recaptured that unfiltered spirit. Recorded at Shorefire Recording Studios in Long Branch, NJ, the album ditched overproduction in favor of a looser, live-in-the-room feel.
You can hear it in every note—these songs aren’t trying to impress; they’re just trying to be.
The Tracks That Shine
The album kicks off with “Harder To Find,” a track that feels like a mission statement.
With its tight rhythm section and not-so-understated horns, it’s the Jukes doing what they do best: telling stories with grit and heart.
“Tell Me (That Our Love’s Still Strong)” is another standout, balancing vulnerability with groove in a way only Southside can.
But the real gem? “Walk Away Renée.” Yes, it’s a cover of the Left Banke classic, but the Jukes reinvent it with a soulful swagger, turning the wistful original into something deeply evocative.
Jersey Pride, No Apologies
Throughout At Least We Got Shoes, there’s a palpable sense of Jersey pride.
This isn’t just a sound—it’s a lifestyle. Johnny’s voice aches and roars like a Springsteen sermon, and the Asbury Jukes play like a bar band with something to prove.
It’s not glossy, and it’s not perfect—but that’s precisely what makes it work.
This record might not have produced a major hit, but it didn’t need to.
For longtime fans, it was a reassurance: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were still standing tall, still telling stories about the hard roads and fleeting joys of everyday life.
Final Word about At Least We Got Shoes
If you’re revisiting At Least We Got Shoes, or if you’re hearing it for the first time, give it your undivided attention.
It’s an album that speaks not just to a moment in time but to the enduring power of authenticity in The Jersey Sound!
So, grab a drink, turn up the volume, and let the Jukes remind you why organic, soulful rock will never go out of style.
Buy Southside Johnny on Amazon
Stream At Least We Got Shoes on Spotify
Sources:
1. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. At Least We Got Shoes. Mirage Records, 1986.
2. Santelli, Robert. Asbury Park’s Musical Legacy: A History of the Jersey Shore Sound. Backbeat Books, 2003.
3. Simels, Steve. “Southside Johnny: Jersey’s Hardest Working Band.” Stereo Review, 1987.