Don't Tell the Band [Digipak]

Widespread Panic | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 19, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B00005KCFY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,116 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Little Lilly

2. Give

3. Imitation Leather Shoes

4. This Part Of Town

5. Sometimes

6. Thought Sausage

7. Down

8. Big Wooly Mammoth/Tears Of A Woman

9. Case Del Grillo

10. Old Joe

11. Action Man

12. Don't Tell The Band

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

While large parts of their generation were trashing blues-based rock and searching for alternatives, Georgia's Widespread Panic eagerly picked up where the Dead and a generation of other improv-driven musicians left off. But that sense was hardly reactionary; indeed, WP's musical utopianism seems to have gleaned as much from alt-rock as the Allmans, infusing this 2001 collection with a bracing sense of adventure. Their seventh album encompasses the stylistic diversity longtime fans have come to expect, with that diversity now underscored by the walloping hard-rock edge on "Give," "Imitation Leather Shoes," and "Action Man." With vocalist John Bell's expressive, character-rich voice evoking spirits as diverse as Steve Miller, James Hetfield, and Eddie Vedder, the band's tales of jaundiced romance and bleary-eyed life are ensconced in dreamy piano ballads ("This Part of Town"), neo-psych funk ("Thought Sausage"), and even rootsy Nashville-meets-Memphis novelty ("Big Wooly Mammoth"). Tellingly, WP infuse their cover of alt-rock pioneers Firehose's "Sometimes" with an infectious, Miller-esque pop groove that further highlights their sense of musical team play. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Ori Release '01 , the 7th album from Georgia Jam Band and the final studio album with Michael Houser , before his cancer-related death in 2002. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't tell the band.. to stop, May 24, 2002

By 

spiral_mind (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Tell the Band (Audio CD)

Another couple years, another Panic album. Another exercise in integrating traditional Southern rock into the current century. And true to form this one rocks, whispers, kicks and navigates through a variety of song styles that's even more.. err, widespread than before. There's some growling southern-fried funk, some quiet country, a touch of Spanish guitar, and more that flat-out contemporary-blues rock we all know and love. JB's voice sounds as heavy on the whiskey & cigarettes as ever. Only one warning: those who want more of the six-minute Panic jams that fleshed out their first few albums may feel like several songs are cut off too soon. On the other hand, the "let-em-save-it-for-the-live-album" crowd will find a lot to like; the tracks here have the usual scattered solos but don't stretch much past five minutes. Once again we're reminded that improvising is WP's cherry, but it's the songwriting that makes up the whole sundae.

Ah, but the double-disc package has something to please the fans in both camps. As a seeming concession to the jam-happy part of the fan base, the extra live disc is a 26-minute reminder that their dynamic stage energy hasn't gone anywhere. The instrumental "Action Man" roars where the studio version simply burns. I'm still sitting on the fence as to whether this or Till the Medicine Takes is the better album for neophytes, but I'm leaning toward Don't Tell the Band because of the second CD. Want a nice energetic ray of sunshine? This'll do nicely.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enough already with the enlightened pothead reviewers......, January 22, 2002

By 

Chris Mingledorff (ATHENS, GEORGIA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Tell the Band (Audio CD)

Yes, Widespread Panic is an awesome live show to see. Why does a great live performance take away from superior studio efforts? 'Don't Tell the Band' is another superior studio effort from the boys that Athens Georgia gave us. The opening track, "Little Lilly", is CLASSIC Widespread on the blues tip. I can't wait to here the extended 30 minute jam session live. "Imitation Leather Shoes" has gotten trashed as too "poppy" by many reviewers too lost in their 1987 Phish bootlegs, but this track, along with "Big Wooly Mammoth" bounce along (dare I say they're "fun"....but not innovative enough for some folks I guess) and are awesome to ride along down the road to. Widespread has done it again. More southern fried jam rock in the car cd changer. I couldn't be happier. Let the Birkinstock wearing phishheads eat me alive.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Widespread releases another solid album, February 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Tell the Band (Audio CD)

Widespread Panics newest release, Don't Tell the Band, is a great album. They show a wide variety of musical talent. Everything from blues to hard rock appears on Don't Tell the Band. Although they really have to be seen live in order to capture their true talent, they did a good job putting this album together.

The musicianship on the studio part of the album is perfect. All of the members of the band interact well with each other. The different instruments play their parts and support each other excellently.

The 2nd cd in the 2 cd album with the album captures Widespread in the environment they play best in. Live. If you are just getting into Widespread Panic this is a good way to hear them. You get the best of both worlds. The straight forward studio recordings and the awesome live performances.

Don't Tell the Band is a great choice for new or old Widespread listeners. Enjoy.