Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 16:23:15 +0200 From: "Planet Harmonica" Subject: Collard Greens and Gravy - More Gravy
Here follows a mini-review of the recently released album by Collard Greens and Gravy entitled "More Gravy". Interested non-Australian parties can check out http://www.collardgreensandgravy.com for more information on how to acquire said album. I have, of course, no affiliation with the band.
Ben FELTEN, Editor http://www.planetharmonica.com ***********
I had liked the debut album of Collard Greens and Gravy (the guys who work on revolutionising blues in the Australian Outback) so much that it seemed unlikely I could appreciate their second release as much. And I must say that despite its evident qualities, a strong drive, a sound as dark and raucous as ever and tasteful musicians, I didn't like "More Gravy" as much. Not that it's a bad album, far from it ! But it doesn't have as much space around the music as the previous one did, and is less intelligently structured : the first eight tracks are fast, rugged amplified pieces and don't let you breathe for a second. Only on track nine ("Gonna wait 'til a change come") do you hear an acoustic harp and on the track after that, you can finally relax on a slow tune (a vocal and harp solo bit in the grand tradition of SBW2 and Sugar Blue.) The end of the album is quite different in spirit and atmosphere, and allows the listener to relax a little. The final track "Goin" home" is qui! te superb and proves if need be that the (small) defects of this album are more due to production issues than they are to the talent and inspiration of the band, which remain intact.
