Customer Reviews

Bobby & The Midnites

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bob Weir, rhythm guitarist for the Grateful Dead, has always had a slightly sick sense of humor and a complete disregard for making the kind of music Dead fans think they want to hear. For this solo project, Weir got together with a stellar group of musicians including Bobby Cochran on lead guitar, jazz greats Alphonso Johnson and Billy Cobham on bass and drums respectively, and the Grateful Dead's Brent Mydland on keyboards. With lyrical supervision by John Barlow and some harmonica contributions from Matthew Kelly, they proceed to make music that perfectly straddles the fence between parody and excellence. Combining influences from reggae, seventies arena rock and California country rock, this CD often makes you wonder how serious they are being. Aside from a straightforward cover of the reggae classic "Book of Rules", every song is just a little over the top both lyrically and musically. Are they being serious? It's hard to tell. If not, the joke is being told very well. Having seen this band live, I can affirm that the musicians played these songs to work the crowd. The biggest problem with this CD, in my opinion, is a lack of stylistic continuity; the jumps from arena hair music to reggae can be a little jarring, but maybe that is the desired effect. And if nothing else, this CD has some of the best examples of Bob Weir's patented screaming. I like this record, but I have a sick sense of humor too: there is definitely some cheese here, but it is really good cheese.

Good music
sit back and enjoy
take a trip --or-- be where
you are. It will be there
with you whatever you choose.

Bobby & The Midnights stands out among the several varied solo efforts by ... founding member, Bob Weir. Backed by a crackerjack rhythem section including Billy Cobham on drums, Weir cruises his way through some interesting orginals. He even manages to sound conviencing on a delightful version of The Heptones Book Of Rules, something many ... artists have failed at. Bobby & The Midnights won't leave you mezmerized, but it won't leave you cold either. All in all this is a fun package with more highlights than lows.

Psst - hey you. Yeah you. Look, it's a tough cut for musicians who want to sell records; the record biz is a high-stakes gamble for investors, and the radio stations just want people to not switch stations. You gotta make a quick impression in an increasingly glutted (and narrow) market. The solution is to front-load your album with whatever might catch attention. This satisfies the reps, the A&R, the radio stations, who really haven't time to to listen to the whole thing anyway.

But side 2, you can do pretty much whatever you want.

And so it is here. Side 1 is competent commercial rock of the sort that dominated the late 70s on non-disco stations (the exception being the infectiously loopy "Book of Rules", a cover tune); "Haze" is agreeable enough, although I don't think you'll sing along with the chorus. On "Too Many Losers" you might, and on "Book or Rules" you should (this could have been a single, but then they would appear to be a reggae band). "Far Away" was ten years past its prime even then, and "Me Without You" sounds like incidental music from a second-rate 80s movie.

But side 2 shows a band that finally woke up: "Josephine" is dynamic, tight, and totally capable of getting yer ya-ya's out. Where side 1's songs that went on too long, "Josephine" justifies every second and leaves you wanting more. "Fly Away" finds the band navigating Bobby's strange mixture of hard rock, reggae, and complex chords with real enthusiasm & drama. "Carry Me" tones it down without losing heart, and "Festival" takes us out on the strummy easy-rock note we'd expect from a Grateful Dead-related band.

As a whole, this album has both peaks and valleys, and suffers by putting all of its weaker points up front. But the peaks are very real (owing largely to the very real talent of a band of strong players) and well worth hearing. Not so much an overlooked gem as half of one, but that half belongs in your ears.

note: not to be confused with their 1984 album, which is much more a mid-80s product.

Great mix of Billy Cobham, Alfonso Johnson, Bob, et al. This is one of Weir's best works!!!

I will not lie about this. This album is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's crazy that the follow up to this album sucks. The seconed album had some key lineup changes, like Brent was no longer apart of the collaboration. But every single song on this album rocks. It kinda gots a Jackson Brown feel to it, but way more rockin'. I would say to just buy it and take the risk and if you do not like the album you can be mad at me. In my opinion it's the best solo work from a Dead member that I've ever heard. I feel in love listening to this album, and this was 20 years after it's release. It's the most underrated Bobby effort of all time. You gotta listen I guess to hear what I'm trying to say. This is a most for all Deadheads. This is a must for anyone into late 70's early 80's Jackson Brown. This album is simply THE BEST!

Dammit I spilled my bong !