Who Says Jambands Don’t Make Good Albums?
Dan Greenhaus
2006-05-14
Quite a long time ago, maybe 2001 or so, I wrote a review of an Uncle Sammy show at Wetlands, with Brothers Past opening. In the review, I noted that while Brothers Past certainly had potential, I felt that their songs were lacking depth and complexity, although I don’t recall if I used those exact words. Subsequent to its publication, Brothers Past’s drummer contacted me via email to say he’d read the review, and the band felt along the same lines and they were consciously attempting to write some songs with more sections and depth to them. Many years later, the band would release This Feeling’s Called Goodbye and with it they managed to address the observations and concerns of a few fans, and managed to put together a phenomenal album at the same time. So one wonders, where did the idea come about that jambands are incapable of making quality albums? Call my crazy, but I don’t think that’s true. What is certain at the outset is that jambands, as a whole, are often at critical disadvantages when it comes to major label artists. Studio time is far from unlimited and often times, as a result of the costs, a jamband must get in and get out without racking up thousands of dollars in studio costs. When you consider that Pink Floyd reportedly spent anywhere from four to six months on the song “Dogs” alone, it puts the disparity in context. But even with such disadvantages (ignoring the fact that in many cases, jambands are, shall we say, less than exceptionally talented), several bands have managed to churn out quality albums, and in some cases, exceptional ones. Going back to the 60’s and 70’s, one need look no further than Workingman’s Dead and Santana for a quick refuting of this argument. Both albums are stellar from start to finish and helped propel each respective band to international fame and legendary status. Now, I know someone is going to say that the bands that made those albums “don’t count” for some reason, and neither do the Allman Brother’s Band, even though they started out as twenty-somethings just like today’s jambands (granted, each band had Jerry, Santana and Duane respectively). So with that in mind, let’s focus for a moment on today’s bands. Ignoring the aforementioned Brother’s Past release, today’s jambands have released more than their share of quality albums, none of which should be overlooked or dismissed. Most recently, The Derek Trucks Band released Songlines and with it, Derek proved once again that he is every bit the musical force everyone says he is. The Duo’s release Best Reason to Buy the Sun is also an accomplishment, and if “Becky” and “9x9” aren’t songs that should be played at every concert, than I don’t know which songs should. To this day, moe’s No Doy remains one of the most played albums on my Itunes, and I imagine many more people out there feel the same. Combining moe’s propensity for jamming with their always interesting songwriting, No Doy is a landmark in the jamband world and fans should count this among their most haves. Percy Hill’s two standout albums Color in Bloom and After All are arguably two of the best albums to be released on jambandom, with the former on many people’s list as the single best jamband album of all time. Discounting the fact that Percy Hill may not actually be a jamband, Color In Bloom is an absolutely mesmerizing album and one that even friends of mine who don’t like jambands can enjoy. And while the follow up isn’t CIB:II by any means, it is an exceptional album in its own right. On the heavier side of things, Gov’t Mule’s first two releases Gov’t Mule and Dose are required listening for any hard rock fan, with enough jamming to thrill even the most ardent jamband fan. With Allen Woody on board for both albums, the original Mule, as I’ve repeatedly noted, was a tour de force and these two albums are perfect representations of their ability. Whether it’s “Rocking Horse” and “Temporary Saint” on the first album, or “Blind Man in the Dark” and “Larger than Life” on the second, Mule’s power is on full display and both albums are powerful albums through and through. Even with all the albums I’ve named, we could go further and talk about Laugh, Clone, Artifact, Eudomonic, Last Chance To Dance Trance, A Town Called Earth, Born on the Wrong Planet, Anchor Drops, A Go Go and Angels Come On Time to name a few. And all that without naming a single Phish, Widespread Panic or Grateful Dead album (ignoring Workingman’s Dead). So next time someone remarks that jambands done know their way around the studio, pop on “In the Kitchen” or “Freaker by the Speaker” and remind them that’s not always true.
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