Customer Reviews

Don't Tell the Band [Digipak]

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Widespread Panic is somewhat of a musical phenomenon. I honestly can't think of another band to compare them too. They are incredibly diverse, covering many different styles of rock, sometimes all within one song. Singer John Bell can sing low, c high, and can even do a Hetfield-like growl.

The band have stayed completely true to their sound on every album while bringing something new and a little different to the table each time. Some may call them a "jam-band" but I don't really care. To me, they are just a great rock and roll band. I'm not into the whole classifying thing.

On "Don't Tell the Band" WSP deliver twelve great tracks that you can listen to in the order that the cd was intended to be heard. There are no filler tracks here. Not one. Every note seems to fit just where it belongs. I knew from the opening of "Little Lilly" that I was in for one hell of an album. If you liked "Till the Medicine Takes" you will love this one. It's definitely in the same vein. To me, it's like they took the approach that they used on that album and expaned. There are some heart-felt ballads "this part of town" and some good times rock and roll "Action Man". There is also a really great story song called "Old Joe". "Thought Sausage" is a funky bit that displays JB's vocal range even further.

I really hope that more people catch on to WSP. When I was fourteen, I had an "Everyday" t-shirt and everyone kept asking me "who the hell is Widespread Panic?" Oh well. Somep people never learn. It's really a shame. Maybe with this release and the tour with Dave Matthews Band, a whole crop of newcomers will find these guys. So get off your PC, pull on some jeans, head on down to the music store, and pick yourself up a copy. Or you could just order one.... Oh yeah, "Till the Medicine Takes" is also highly reccommended in my book.

One more thing. This album is also great to listen to if you're taking a road trip through the rural South. It fits the scenery and the atmosphere perfectly.

Being a Athens-raised Widespread Panic fan from pretty much day one, let me first say that after my first listen I was fairly unimpressed with this album. However, after a few plays my initial disappointment faded quickly. Although this album lacks the seemingly carefree and meandering persona of earlier releases, it does still look, feel, and sound like Widespread. True, the more produced sound does slightly mask the rambling guitar, jangling keyboard, and adventurous percussion fans have come to expect, but they are still there and the end result is tried and true Panic with a slightly more produced feel. Of course lyrically, as always, this album shines. All bands of this genre have seen changes of this sort as time goes by (very notably Blues Traveler and, yes, even the Dead). With Don't Tell The Band, the evolution enhances the experience instead of deadens it (i.e. Ballard's effect on Dave Matthews). I highly recommend this album provided you don't go out and buy it expecting nothing more than a rehash of Space Wrangler, et. al. Lastly, the haunting "This Part of Town" shows off the band's talents in a way we have not seen since "Mercy". I'm sure you will enjoy.

This album contains a basic 60 minute Widespread Pannic studio CD and a bonus 26 minute live CD. Some versions of this album don't advertise the live CD, so I don't know if they all contain it.

Widespread Panic is a group to experience live. Their live performaces don't always come through on CD. There are six musicians jamming away and the sound gets muffled. Unless you can see it and hear it at the same time, it is hard to appreciate. Some of the precussion is unnecessary and the keyboards can be down right awful at times. This can be ignored during a live show, but comes right out front on CD.

The live CD in this album is still very good (except for the Chopsticks piano solo on track 3).

The first two Widespread Panic studio albums were fantastic. At this time the main group was a quartet before adding a permenant keyboardist and percussionist. The sound on the first two albums was stripped down and had the energy of a live show.

All the later studio albums have been hit or miss, with some great tracks and some bad ones. Don't Tell the Band is just like that with great tracks, like the opening one and strangely bad songs like No Imitation Leather. This song is a cross between a militant heavy metal song and a sugary 60's pop tune.

As with all of the later studio ablums, I really enjoyed it the first time I listened to it, because the good songs jump right out and make a lasting impression. But, the more I listen to it, the less I like it because the bad songs start creeping into my brain.

"Don't Tell The Band" was my first venture into the world of Widespread Panic. I purchased the CD just about a week or so before I saw the band live in Milwaukee. Ever since I picked up the disc, it has been on constant play in my CD player. I love this disc, it is absolutely incredible. A couple days ago, a friend sent me "Till the Medicine Takes" and I had my first chance to compare two of WSP's studio albums. I remember seeing a review of this disc that had stated that this is terrible compared to the old studio stuff. I disagree, this disc absolutely blows away the other. The disc is perfect for your car or in the background at work since it's one of my few CD's that I can start and just let play through the end of the disc since every song is wonderful.

If you've never heard WSP before and are interested in getting a disc, this is the one. Absolutely incredible and powerful, you won't regret it!

Widespread Panic shows incredible musical reach and talent on this album. They take you to many places musically: hard rock (Imitaion), straight rock (Give), breezy pop (Lilly), southern rock (Down), latin rock (Casa), boogie (Woolly), gritty (Sausage), etc. The album is a collection of their more recent live editions. This one is very much unlike other Panic records in that it is very song oriented and lacks a true musical theme (other than changing it up). As always, the muscianship is tops and lyrics are true and meaningful without being preachy. If you enjoy rhythm-driven rock where each instrument and vocal blends in and out to create complex structure you will enjoy the Panic.

don't tell the band sounded fantastic during my first listening. I'm not sure yet whether it genuinely deserves five stars, but I have to give it a good rating to make up for the only review submitted so far, which gave them one star. If you are already a fan of the Panic, you will love it. Their studio versions of songs they've been playing live for about a year capture the energy of their shows surprisingly well. I am biased in that I am a Spreadhead myself, having seen them a dozen or so times in the last eight years. But I would definitely recommend this CD to someone who is thinking about buying their first Panic disc; it is full of good, rockin' songs. The best reason to get it now instead of later is the bonus live disc, which consists of the first half of the 1st set of 4/1/00 Athens, GA (Action Man (1st time ever)> Chilly Water> Pleas> Chilly Water> C.Brown). The live material, which will only be included with the first pressing, sounds better to me than either Light Fuse Get Away or Another Joyous Occasion. It is super-awesome! Those looking for more outstanding WP studio discs should check out Everyday or their self-titled second album, although you can't miss. OK, I'm listening to it for the second time, and actualy I do think it deserves the five stars...

The version of this album that I bought contained an unadvertised bonus live CD. I don't know if all versions of this album have this bonus live CD. There is another version of this album that does specifically list the extra live disc. You should get that one instead of this one to be sure you get the live CD.

The live CD is 26 minutes long and is a pretty good representation of how good the group sounds in concert. The music is fantastic, except for a horrible piano solo in the middle of track 3. When used as a rhythm instrument, the keyboards do add some depth to the songs. But, the keyboard solos can be pathetic. This one is on a par with Chopsticks.

The studio album is fairly typical, some great songs and some bad ones. Widespread Panic hasn't put out a perfect studio album since the first two.