The trick is to listen to BT A.B., and not expect it to B.T. Love it for what it is. Its not so much an explosion of rythms bouncing off of each other, every beat covered with a different instrument, a chaotic synchopation, reaching a crescendo, exploding into a million peices and falling back into a swinging rock. Bobbies bass line worked in and out in a chaotic fashion, deliberately falling behind just to show you he could catch back up, all the while throwing in as many notes as a bass God possibly could to form a clever melody on the way back to the down beat. His spirit was Loki like, and I think it was a running joke between him and John to see who could be more clever, creative, and cool.
B.T. A.B. has room for the surviving band members to stretch out in. A lack of busyness, that is filled in with a slower groove, driven by Tads bass line that supports Hill's rock steady beats more, and leaves room for Chan to shine much more than he was able to if Bobby was still there. Listen to the song Rage on Bridge and you can hear an expressiveness that you never heard from Chan before. It is isn't an expression that he is trying to fit as quick as he can, like in Travelers and Thieves, which is an incredible album, but a calm expression of a musician unrushed for time within the groove. The beauty of it is, tempo wise they never slowed down, just bass line and drums share space on some beats. Ben's voice is that of a back up most of the time, most of the time John's the featured artist and Ben is the choir behind him. They still can take it to overdrive and blow it out, like a super bowl crowd and a last second touch down, best believe, but the thing you miss is the chaotic recklessness of Bobby's energy, which consistently pushed the Jam, primarily Popper.
What you need to listen too is the professionalism of their formula, and their ability to speak to you within it.
"I wanna try to play the way, that R2D2 beeps and squeaks and tells you everything." Popper
B.T.A.B. is still what you love, but it is a more mature band, that relies more on musical wisdom than reckless swagger. Listen for a band that is filled with seasoned Veterans not wrestling for control through out the Jam. You got to love it when they mixed it up in days of old, but it was all heart, all wing and a prayer, now they are an ensemble most capable.
I like all of their albums each one has different songs to trip on, so I am gonna point out the gems that I like from each B.T.A.B. album.
Bridge
Back in the Day - First track, they lay it out. This song is a statement about not being able to go back to what once was. He sums it up though always the optimist with this line. "If your alive, you didn't finish the ride, there is no telling where it is gonna go."
Girl Inside My Head- Love this song, not so much a jam, but a melancholy statement about the coming and going of women in their lives. I think.
Rage-This song reminds me of a smoke filled bar, steady groove, first time you can hear Chan really express himself completely. Great laid back Jam. John's lyrics leads from negative to positive, until the dick head pulls the plug.
Just For Me- This is my favorite Blues Traveler single. I love the optimism, they joy, the cleverness. John is singing about shamelessly making an effort to exploit the pop format for a payday, while doing what Blues Traveler does so well. The rant is formulaic but that is the point, what I love is the allegory buried deep inside, Hook was a blatant accusation, while this one is a subtle plea for another shot.
Pretty Angry-My daughters favorite Blues Traveler song. A statement about John and Bobby's relationship, the back and forth between the two, never ending competetion that was John and Bobby's relationship, the torrid love affair of two friends locked in eternal struggle to find the dominant one, culminating with John declaring that Bobby won, while making his friends tribute song "all about him". It will never end.
Bridge over all is a good album, some of the songs they phoned in, but most of them hit the nail on the head. It is the beginning of the A.B. era and I think they did well carrying on and redifining their formula, which in all reality was very much like 4, which was very much devoid of the basslines and energy that made Bobby's playing strictly his, toning him down for a more Pop Music sensibility.
Truth Be Told
Unable to Get Free- I love this song. I have never heard anyone describe being single as being trapped in your own freedom. The wish that someday, like Conquer Me, some woman can trap you and set you free.
Thinnest Of Air- This is the first time that Ben really sets out and lays it down out in front of the band, and he can really give it a swing. I know this song is a Single, but I love the jam on it, and live they take the Jam and run with it, and you can tell where they do on the album and pull back for sake of radio play. I love the lyrics on this song to, delves further into the idea that although longing for some sort of relationship he finds that he just can't seem to exercise what it takes to hold on to someone, while doing his best not to be held on to. The contradiction of longing to hold on but finding that love means not willing to do so, admitting that he is unprepared, scared, and alone. This song gave me such blessed heart ache to listen to when I got divorced, and my six kids were at their mothers for their first two day visitation. My house had never been empty before.
Let Her and Let Go- Cool song all in all, have it hear for this one line, love this line, one of the most memorable, "It's easy to remember, but it's better to forget, you never get the one you dream of, you get to dream with the one you get." To true, to true.
Eventually-This is a jam, not big on lyrics, but the timing in which the lyrics are sung play to the concept of the tune.
Blessed Pain- I love Chans guitar on this, it is subtle and mellow, with a wah that he tickles the rythm and drags it out in a rythm and blues sensibility that makes me say "play that funky music white boy." The lyrics are tongue and cheek jokes about what a pain in the ass his relationship is, with a chorus that apologizes for it all. I sing this song to my girlfriend and my daughters.
Mount Normal-The lyrics are what I dig about this tune, the idea that we are all trying to scale a never ending mountain of achievement called Normalcy our whole lives and never quite making it, but realizing that we need to try regardless. I like the crescendo they pull off, well produced.
Truth Be Told- My favorite A.B. album, it has jams all the way through, unlike Bridge which has some tunes that fall short slightly. Chan has some real killer licks, but they are never quite coupled with a killer set of lyrics or vocal melody like Carolina. It has my third favorite final song with "Partner in Crime", and just a great feel from beginning to end. This is the pentultimate so far of this era of Blues Traveler, and I wish I could hear more of these tunes at the show. Can I get some Blessed Pain fellas? Anytime you are in Cali.
I will let some one review Bastardos, I do not have that album, but I love Amber Awaits, and I love, love, love, You Can't Win True Love live, these songs are great live.
I will be back for North Hollywood Shoot Out when it doesn't feel like work to write, unless someone is willing to start paying me for these reviews.
and remember
"If you are alive you didn't finish the ride, there is no telling where its gonna go. " What ever it is you guys do next, I am sure I will love, I firmly believe that Blues Traveler is incapable of making a horrible album devoid of at least a few songs that makes it worth the bux to hear it. That is maybe why I love all their albums on their own, the eternal optimism that Blues Traveler is all about, and what connects with me the most, always has me looking to like their songs more than being critical of them.
