Earth to America (Jewl)

Widespread Panic | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 13, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B000FJA9OS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,104 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Earth to America marks the 20th anniversary of Georgia's premier road warriors on record (they actually formed in the early-1980s). To reward fans for their support, there's a lot of bang for the buck on this 62-minute recording, including 11-minute space-funk jam "Second Skin," which gets the party started. Sadly, 2006 also marks the fourth anniversary of Michael "Panic" Houser's passing. That year, they added George McConnell on guitar, recorded 2003's Ball, and then took an uncharacteristic 15-month break. For their next effort, the sextet decided to shake up their usual production process by trading John Keane's Athens for Terry Manning's Bahamas-based Compass Point Studios (whose clients include Lenny Kravitz and ZZ Top). Manning also loaned the band Robert Johnson's Dobro for the Canned Heat-meets-Blues Traveler jaunt, "Ribs and Whiskey," another album highlight. Despite the loss of their co-founder, Widespread Panic's ninth studio effort isn't a downer—a thoughtful enterprise perhaps, but not a pessimistic one, as John Bell affirms in the penultimate track, "You should be glad." Fittingly, it’s followed by "May Your Glass Be Filled," an adaptation of a poem dedicated to Houser. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Late Than Never...., June 13, 2006

By 

Thomas D. Ryan "American Hit Network" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Earth to America (Dig) (Audio CD)

As a music critic, I am expected to have an opinion about everything. In theory, that is all well and good, but what am I to do when I listen to something, like it, but can't quite put my finger on why? Every now and then, can't I be impressed or entertained without trying to put into words the various reasons I feel this way? "Earth to America," the new disk by Widespread Panic puts me in this semi-awkward position. I like this disk a lot, but it's hard to say exactly why it appeals to me. My main reason for hesitation is that I don't feel particularly qualified to spew out my impressions; Although they have been around since the late `80s, this disk marks my introduction to Widespread Panic. Now, don't get me wrong, I've heard of them, but I never heard anything on the radio, and I don't know anybody who listens to them. I only had my own impressions to go by, and I presumed them to be a third generation jam band, which is a genre that usually bores me.
Now that I hear them, I realize that this was an absurd oversight on my part. Approximately fifteen CD's by Widespread Panic, and I never heard any of them? What makes this even more ridiculous is that they suit the tastes of my own musical profile. I've always been a fan of Americana, especially the southern variety, and I love good guitar playing. I also love a band that understands the nuances of interplay, and knows how to utilize exotic instrumentation without sounding ostentatious. Furthermore, they don't `noodle'. Their songs are well-constructed, with good melodies and intriguing lyrics. The interplay of guitar, keyboards and horn charts, all layered over an impressively tight rhythm section, is nearly faultless, with no signs of overplaying or excess.
Second Skin" opens the album, and yes, it is eleven minutes long, but it's a beautiful eleven minutes, and necessary for the song to convey the expansive melody. If this song were thirty-one minutes long, I would not complain. Their version of Bob Dylan's "Solid Rock" is faithful to the original, with a slightly harder rhythmic edge that pushes the song's lyricism to a harder, more convincing place. "Solid Rock" is also a good way to describe the band's musicianship, because virtually everything on "Earth to America" rocks with a solid confidence that only comes with experience. In the dual lead-guitar interplay and tasty keyboard work, you can hear traces of their southern-rock influences. "From the Cradle," "May Your Glass Be Filled" and even the acoustic-based "Ribs and Whiskey" hint toward the arrangement ideas of classic Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd, without sounding derivative of either.
So, these guys have about fifteen other albums, huh? I guess I have some catching up to do. At least I know what to think about them now, and I suppose it's better late than never. A- Tom Ryan

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just Good Music, July 29, 2006

By 

Jam Band Fan "zzquik" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Earth to America (Dig) (Audio CD)

Being the Spread-Head as I am, I can say that this album just goes to show that Panic can still make some great music. For those of you who don't listen to or have only heard once, then this album probably isn't for you. I suggest purchasing one of their earlier albums such as their self-entitled one, Space Wrangler, or Ain't Life Grand. Some of the highlights in this album are:

"Solid Rock" -- 8/10
"Second Skin" -- 8.5/10
"Time Zones" -- 9/10
"Good People" -- 8/10


And for those of you who took the time to rate this album one star as well as write a horrible review, I feel sorry for you. You obviously don't like good music and should go listen to some emo. The instrumental ability of each Panic member is unparalleled and should none of their music deserves below three stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lyrics Driven Funk Fest, June 15, 2006

By 

Bplus (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Earth to America (Dig) (Audio CD)

I am very impressed by this album. This album doesn't disappoint. Not a bad song in the bunch.

The songs on this CD all fit together and it just flows better from start to end than their past two efforts, Ball and Don't Tell the Band. On those albums it seams like they were trying to take a Ben Harper approach, trying to make a lot of songs from different genres and styles fit together. This one is nearly seamless, starting with "Second Skin" and ending some sixty-five minutes later with "May Your Glass Be Filled." At first, I thought the album was short, but now I think it's a perfect length because the songs just blend so well together that time slips by as you listen to it.

The funk fest is led by "Second Skin", "Time Zones", and "You Should be Glad" with the trippy "When the Clowns Come Home" helping too.

But I think the song that deserves some attention is "From the Cradle." The lyrics drive the song, and JB sounds great. The build-up from the beginning until the end of the song is amazing, and I love the irony of how the tempo builds as JB whispers and then later screams "keep your voice down." Who can't enjoy a line like: "As stable as a drunk on shaky ground"?

My only complaint is that I'm a bit disappointed with the different version of Goodpeople, and I wish JoJo was still singing and leading the song.

The horns are great on this album, the strings don't bother me and fit well. The album has a good balance between upbeat funk-sway and a lyrics driven sound.

The acoustic style on Ribs and Whiskey is a surprisingly welcome change and JB squeaks out the lyrics, really getting into character.

If you're ready to give up on this album, give it another chance. Personally, I'm having a hard time listening to anything else.