Thursday, September 3, 2009

Frozen in time

All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.
All work and no play makes Randal spontaneously combust.

Combustibly golden -- relax, I'm not going to axe murder anyone; no axe -- is the new Crowes, Before the Frost...Until the Freeze, aural late summer afternoon, likely their finest since Amorica. You know, that drugged-out genius of a platter with the American flag bikini crotch shot. Recorded "live" up at Levon Helm's sprawling ramshackle compound (don't sue me, Bubs, I can't compete with cop cash), the sweaty, grimy consistency of a veteran band aimed for and only partially hit on the pre-hiatus Lions and post-slack Warpaint is slathered over all twenty (eleven on the physically groovy and rockin' hard copy, nine on the mellow, sporadically countrified free download) tracks, extra crisply produced; good job, Stacey. Rambunctous opener Good Morning Captain is the closest they tread to head-knocking, bar band riffery, but there's a sly playfulness -- helped by Chris Robinson's vertically-shrinking, horizontally-expanding range, thank ye, old age, you ain't so bad -- that carries over to Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love) which, after barreling in and out of a rumbling organ furrow, wraps up with a slick Allmans/Thin Lizzy lick flicking duel between Rich Robinson and Luther Dickinson. Hell, son, I Ain't Hiding doesn't even try and conceal its thumping, cosmic disco core, but don't fucking ask me how, it works. A couple of tracks on the second 'disc' venture a bit too far into hillbilly land for my tastes, most notably Roll Old Jeremiah (but that's quickly offset by the beautiful Lady of Avenue A) but these are confident, skilled players at the height of their personal zeitgeist. Bring on the cryogenics tube, this is potent stuff and I wanna soak in it for awhile before going back to pretending I'm working.

21 comments:

Holte Ender said...

Stop holding back, do you like it or not?

Christopher said...

OK, you've convinced me to give them a serious listen.

Ubermilf said...

I get Thin Lizzy and Molly Hatchet mixed up. Maybe your next blog post could be a discussion on the key differences between Thin Lizzy and Molly Hatchet.

La Belette Rouge said...

If I listen to this album will I find my thumping, cosmic disco core? I lost mine and would like it back.

Randal Graves said...

holte, it's a piece of smelly arse, really.

christopher, for my money, a great band, and they've always been.

übermilf, why waste an important post on something so easily answered:

Thin Lizzy = kicked ass.
Molly Hatchet = did not kick ass.

LBR, there's really only the one disco thumper, but wouldn't LA be full of retro, platformed leisure suit n' lamé places? They might have stolen it to sell for a bit of blow.

Ubermilf said...

I thought "wasting important posts" was the theme of this blog.

My bad.

Randal Graves said...

I know. I really have to stop sinking to the level of my readers.

Shit, there goes my ad revenue.

Mary Ellen said...

I think it's so cute when you youngins' get all excited about a new album coming out. I'm excited when I wake up and realize that all my limbs still work and I can walk downstairs to get a cup of coffee.

Mary Ellen said...

Oh...and when I saw the first part of your post I was expecting to see a picture of some dude exploding with blood and guts everywhere...instead I see an album cover. Where's the excitement? Where's the blood and gore? C'mon!

themom said...

I'll give it a listen...always up for new tunes. Like Mary Ellen, I too was expecting to actually see you or "something" spontaneously combust. What a letdown...LOL

Randal Graves said...

nunly, I'd get excited at 80 - assuming I defy the laws of logic and live that long - I'd just have my grandkids pick the sucker up for me. And jeez, I have to provide blood and gore all the time? Dance, monkey, dance?

themom, you too? No pleasin' you goddamn wankers, is there? More death metal tomorrow!

Tom Harper said...

All right, quit goofing off. (Pretend you're getting) back to work now.

S.W. Anderson said...

Amazing you should use the appellation "vertically-shrinking, horizontally-expanding range," Randal. I immediately knew I'd seen or heard that used somewhere before. What a small world!

It took some time scouring the memory banks, and then it came to me. Somewhere, at some time it was used to describe one of adult filmdom's most . . . uh . . . durable personalities. And hey, check out his curriculum vitae. ;)

Dr. Zaius said...

"...after barreling in and out of a rumbling organ furrow..."

What exactly are trying to allude to here?

Tengrain said...

Graves, you swine!

I like it when you write about music. Now when are you going to give Cold Play some of your mojo?

Regards,

Tengrain

Frederick said...

illegally downloading it as we speak.

Commander Zaius said...

I'll have to check it out, sound good.

susan said...

Got a copy of Rolling Stone last weekend to read the Matt Taibbi article but couldn't help but see the top selling albums on the back page. I'm amazed at how out of it I've become. Did you know the Beatles broke up?

Randal Graves said...

tom, can't talk now, busy increasing library productivity by 3.8% this quarter!

SWA, I'm just damn glad I wasn't in the midst of a swig of coffee, you bastard. ;-)

dr.zaius, oh, like you've never used keyboard instruments to plant a vegetable garden?

tengrain, when they put out an album that doesn't make me want to vomit.

Thank you, thank you!

frederick, you bastard, now how will the band be able to afford their next line?

BB, well worth the illegal download.

susan, who are the Beatles?

Distributorcap said...

so did you spontaneous combust?

Dr. Zaius said...

Everyone knows that gardening is best done with a woodwind. ;o)