this is a great release from the frontman for the old 97’s, a band i have have recently been enamored with. in my opinion rhett’s vocals are one of the more distinctive and authentic voices you will hear from the americana movement. he is backed here by black prairie, which is to a large degree the decemberists without colin meloy. there is also a small dosage of peter buck, of r.e.m. fame. solid songwriting, great arrangements, and heartfelt production. it has been in and out of my rotation for about four months.
most dead fans will agree that 77 was a special year for the band, and this blogger will not contest that. but as archivist dave lemieux argues in the liner notes, there is reason to believe that the strength of the band’s live performances carried over into the following spring. it is his contention that this show marks the end of that period. whether it was jerry’s furthering spiral down the smack hole, or keith’s version of the same, the band seemed to go downhill fom here until the addition of brent mydland. the first set is solid. bertha gets off to a slow start but eventually gets into gear, setting the pace for the rest. candyman and tennessee jed have the crowd cheer tennessee references. the jack straw is a real barnburner. the only real detraction is a version of deal that goes on for about 25 refrains too much at the end. donna is close to her home of alabama, and she is very good here until she tries to compete with bob in the sugar mag/saturday night finale. second set has a great estimated/eyes and one of the best wharf rats you will hear. all of the 2015 releases in this series have been great so far, and this one is no exception. dp 16 is a march 73 show from massachusetts. should be in my box any day. if you are a dead fan, i highly recommend subscribing to this series. i will be signing up for my fourth year.
redeyegin 