What not to buy: Yonder Mountain String Band – The Show
Why?: Bob Ross’s PBS painting show has left me more inspired…
Okay, that’s pretty bad but seriously; why?: Read what I wrote for Creative Loafing:
Last month The Yonder Mountain String Band released their tenth album, The Show. Normally I don’t write bad reviews, but when you take on an assignment for Creative Loafing they expect you to write something regardless of whether you like the album or not. And the truth is, I don’t.
To me The Show seems so generic; so utterly bland and palatable that I could buy that it was engineered in some back office at Clear Channel so as to achieve maximum appeal. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a fan of Kenny Chesney this is probably your bluegrass…err…newgrass. But if you prefer your bluegrass with passion, emotion and a little magic, then The Show is going to leave you wanting.
I’m not trying to tell you the band sucks. As musicians they certainly seem to have talent to spare, but as a band they seem to lack any sense of authenticity.
Creative Loafing has allowed me 300 words to write this review, but I think I’ve pretty much summed up my feelings about the cd and to continue typing would just be redundant. So, in closing I’ll sum it up like this: If you find yourself happy with the country on FM radio, then this cd is right up your alley. Personally, I’m about to go listen to some .357 String Band and try to wash this vanilla taste out of my mouth.
Yonder Mountain String Band – Complicated
Yonder Mountain String Band – Dreams
Yonder Mountain String Band – Rain Still Falls
5 Responses to “WHAT NOT TO BUY: YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – THE SHOW”
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[...] Ninebullets.net says you should steer clear of Yonder Mountain String Band’s tenth album, The … [...]
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Agree on all counts. Never been a fan and don’t get the appeal. Preach on!
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Thanks, but no thanks, review was horrible. You shouldn’t write anymore.
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See. Even Peter the supporter can’t be inspired to come with a worthy defense of the cd.
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True. Yonder has never been a studio band. They haven’t had a decent album since their first, Elevation, in 1999. That being said, like most bands, they are to be seen live. They are extremely talented musicians, two of whom I’d put on any stage.
It has been impressive to personally watch these guys go from playing to an audience of 20 to hundreds and thousands in ten years. Who’s to blame them if the majority of the people in the world love processed music served to them. If they can tap into that, great.
Personally, I’ll stick to the live shows. Check out the archive for their better stuff:
http://www.archive.org/details/YonderMountainStringBand