Umphrey's Mcgee - Anchor Drops
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Free Music Notes for Anchor Drops
Free Music Review: I was impressed from the very first track
Hit: 4 Stars
Umphrey's McGee is one of the leading "jam bands" on the scene today. Live, they're nothing short of electrifying. On CD they're, well, close to that. But some of the "holy cow, this is amazing!" feeling is missing on the CD.
Yet, isn't that how all jam bands are? The studio CDs are okay. Some are good. A few border on great. But I can't think of any jam band studio CD that captures the magic and virtuosity of the band live on stage.
Anchor Drops is no exception. The music is fantastic -- intricate, clever and compelling -- but what's lacking are the jams, not to mention the on-stage humor and fun that you experience when the band is standing 10 feet in front of you.
That said, I admit Anchor Drops had me from the first song. This CD is very well recorded -- with lots of nice dynamic highs and lows -- and it held my attention throughout. The are various styles of music here, but the most prominent stripe is one of progressiveness. Meaning, they're (as one reviewer put it) "pseudo prog" in their approach to music. There's plenty of time signature changes, instrumental virtuosity and obscure lyrics for everyone's enjoyment. They're not as guitar heavy as, say, Dream Theater. But they're heavier than Phish and the Grateful Dead. And, to my way of thinking, more technically proficient than either band.
I say go ahead and buy this CD. If you love jam bands, guitar-driven, technically compelling songs and lots of variety in your music, Anchor Drops could be just what you're looking for.
But, by all means, see them live. That's where you'll really see what these guys are made of!
Free Music Review: If you like these guys, check out...
Hit: 4 Stars
Umphrey's has more musical ability than they know what to do with. In the past, this has been their blessing & curse. NOW, they're finally starting to shed the excess wankage, and focus on what matters. they still have plenty of blistering technical passages, but there's a concerted effort to meld with timeless melodies and deeper meanings. The next album, should really be the payoff- like Phish '94, The Dead '72, even SCI '99, now its Umphrey's 2004- they're peaking, so check em out before they start the downward slide.
If you're looking for more jambands that actually make good studios albums, you HAVE GOT TO CHECK OUT...
GROOVIN GROUND from Austin TX. BUY their debut album "DOME" right now! Vintage funk meets psychedelic art rock. The album is bubbling with creativity. Trippy and melodic with powerful instrumentation. Glide magazine says, " It makes you think, and it gets deeper with every listen...Making a solid album is a difficult task for most jambands - Groovin' Ground did it on their first try...It just works so well on so many levels." http://www.groovinground.com
Free Music Review: I love chocolate! This album is my caramel!
Hit: 4 Stars
I'm not sure that means...This album is sexy, but not quite as sexy as local band.
Here's the breakdown. I like it alot, but it is a bit heavy (dense if you will) at times. The playing is flawless, the songs are wonderfully written. I LOVE LOVE LOVE:
Anchor Drops
In the Kitchen
Wife Soup
Plunger
Jajunk
Walletsworth
Uncommon
The rest however is not on my LOVE LOVE LOVE list. still good however
Miss Tinkle's should have never been put on an album, sure its recorded and played very well, but once you hear it live there is no longer any use for the studio version.
All in all, awesome, get it. If you like UM get it, if you don;t buy it for your parents. If they don' want it mail it to me, and I will start a collection of UM cd's that were mailed to me by pagans who for some reason dislike it...
How I loathe pagans
Free Music Review: Umphrey's McGee - Anchors Away......
Hit: 4 Stars
Umphrey's continues their exploration of modern jam band and progressive rock with their 2004 release Anchor Drops. This one is similar to their previous effort with a mix of vocal and instrumental songs that cover a wide variety of musical styles. The jam band thing is prominent, but there are also songs here like "Miss Tinkle's Overture" that are pure progressive rock. The band even throw in a country ballad (actually a duet with an excellent female vocalist) that almost sounds like something Alison Krauss might do. The band feature chops galore as all the instruments are in fine form. The band still seem to have a hard time capturing their live energy in the studio and none of the songs go much beyond the 5 minute mark here, but overall this is a good album that grew on me with repeated listens.Free Music Review: Love Me Some Umph
Hit: 4 Stars
Umphrey's is definitely one of my favorite bands, and this album is just a great example of their true talent. Like many other, I too had never heard of this band until a few years ago, and never truly admired their talent until I saw them live. That being said, I don't want to take away from the awesomemness of this album, but the live experience is completely different. However, the heart-pumping speed of this album cured with the audibly sensual riffs and notes, this is definitely one of Umphrey's better albums.
Catch them this year at the Wakarusa Festival in Ozark, Arkansas June 2-5, 2011!!