Customer Reviews

Elko (Dig)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having seen Railroad Earth live, having worn out several CD players playing their first three discs, and having driven friends and neighbors to distraction by constantly touting RRE's praises, I greeted their new live CD with joy and fear.

Joy at the idea that their quarter-hour live raveups and spontaneous creativity onstage would now be available to hear over and over, and fear that the CD might somehow disappoint. What a waste of worry. "Elko" is a Masterpiece. It is so good tasks stay undone, the dog goes unwalked, the TV stays off, and the wife all but ignored while I sit in my earphone cocoon and listen to it again and again.

Is "Elko" the album of the Decade so far, as suggested by an earlier poster? Damn Skippy it is. The only trouble is what category does it belong in. For starters, it's the best live album I've heard in ages. Bluegrass? The best Bluegrass album I've heard in ages. Jam Grass? Well yeah, except how can you call RRE merely a Jam Grass band when they are so far beyond that? Elko also has jazz elements, World Music chops, Celtic, folk, pop, Southern rock, Credence Clearwater Swamp rock and Lord knows what else. The album shows this extraordinary group of musicians is not reigned in by convention. In an age of musical stultification, RRE is that rarest breath of fresh air, taking acoustic (and mildly electric) music to areas it's never been to before.

The music is amazingly layered. Unlike so many bluegrass outfits which trade leads while everyone else strums along in the background, RRE plays like each member is being paid by the note. Plus they manage to sound precise and improvisational at the same time, no mean trick. As a result each tune demands repeated playing while the listener is constantly discovering new joys in the music.

The two CD set contains more than two hours of music, mostly up- or mid-tempo. There are a few new tunes--the title tune is especially appealing--plus great performances of previously unrecorded tunes like "Warhead Boogie." Add to that some amazing workouts on familiar numbers, such as "Seven Story Mountain" and "Bird in the House. The duel between the amazing fiddler Tim Carbone and mandolin master John Skehan on "Head" is worth the price of the CD itself.

The rhythm section rocks, the playing is a magnificent blend of exactitude and flights of fancy, and as usual, the unique voice of lead singer/ primary songwriter Todd Shaeffer give the songs their emotional cues.

It's not a matter of picking a favorite tune on the CD, it's a matter of finding one that isn't a favorite. So far, little luck with that.

A couple times each decade, I discover a musical artist that completely captivates me and takes over the music listening part of my life (and that is a huge part of my life). In the past it's been artists as different as The Band, The Grateful Dead, Shawn Colvin, Sarah McLachlan, and Patty Griffin. Ten days ago I discovered Railroad Earth and I've listened to nothing else since then.

On first listen, Railroad Earth sounds like traditional bluegrass, but it soon becomes evident they are much more than bluegrass. Their music is quality folk-rock played on bluegrass instruments, with touches of awe-inspiring Grateful Dead style jamming and improvisation. Each of these guys is a master of his instrument(s), but I'm especially blown away by Tim Carbone and his magical violin playing. The songs, mostly written by lead singer Todd Sheaffer, are sometimes sad (Bird In A House), moving (Railroad Earth), or just plain fun (Head, Like a Buddha). And they all have interesting, non-trivial, and beautiful melodies. Did I mention these boys can jam? If this music doesn't get you dancing, no matter where you're listening to it, you better get yourself a doctor!

This live CD is a wonderful collection of inspired performances of great songs. The music is so rich and full of instrumental nuances, it can be listened to over and over without growing wearisome. And that's exactly what I've done since I got "Elko" -- listened to it over and over and over and over...

This is my favorite Railroad Earth album, and a "must" for any dynamic music collection. Its a phenomenal quality live CD and shows how truly talented all the musicians are....they really jam-out! Its hard not to want to dance to most of the songs- they are all pretty much up-beat, peppy songs you'll probably end up (like I do) humming constantly after hearing the CD.

If you have a chance to check them out live, I highly recommend it as well. I've seen them a few times and they are amazing in concert. They are really tight and amazing musicians. If you are deciding amongst their various albums, I can't recommend this one highly enough!

I preordered Railroad Earth's ELKO and rec'd it in the mail yesterday. I must say this is something truly special!!!
This band puts on great live shows and this collection really captures that special feeling that virtually everyone that sees this band perform walks away with.
The music is kind of a hybrid mix of Bluegrass, Celtic, Folk, Rock, Pop, Americana. I know that sounds like a lot but they have a very unique sound that anyone that loves really good music and musicians will truly apppreciate.
If you ever have the opportunity to see Railroad earth play, jump on it. Till then buy this CD and revel in the beautiful songs and playing that make this band so special.

Railroad Earth is best experienced live and this CD captures them at their best. Its easy to see why people are saying they are the best thing to come out of NJ since Springsteen.

The two disc set of live Railroad Earth from a tour of The Americas in the spring of 2005, is about the most refreshing batch of music that I have listened to in many a moon.

These six musicians of the wood and the wires, are the masters of a style of playing that I refer to as: "Industrail-Slamgrass-Boogie". Guitars, fiddles, banjo, mandolin, dorbo, bass, drums, tinwhistle and flutes are played to perfection. Strict bluegrass arrangements erupt into free-form, Cosmic-Jams that travel to some interesting places.

Everybody playing here stands out as great. And with two hours of fine tunes, this is time well spent. "Colorado", "Bird In A House", 'Mighty River". "Warhead Boogie", "Railroad Earth" into "Seven Story Mountain" are only a few of the highlights herein. The violin of Tom Carbone is a featured soloist but he shares the stage with everybody else. The runs are of breakneck speed, and then they flow into long and interesting passages of music that tend to hypnotize, at least a little.

The second disc flows and meshes into a Musical Suite that never lets you down, muck akin to the music of The Grateful Dead in their heyday. But this is so much different, as this Groove Music has a sound that would have had a home 150 years back on that lonesome and dusty trail. This is homesprung American Music that does indeed boogie and rock.

This record is way outta place in the drum-machine and Boy-Band World of this Time. But, if you want to try something way out in left field that really sounds fantastic, take the drive on that backroad to Elko. You will really enjoy the ride.
Four Stars !!!

This is a totally unbiased review; until tonight I'd never heard of this band. To say that I was totally blown away by this band would be an understatement. Imagine that Jerry Garcia took the reins of some kind of diabolical Marshall Tucker Band/Ozark Mountain Daredevils hybrid, unplugged their instruments, and turned them loose to careen with a "purposeful recklessness" through some of the most vital, most soulful, most "American" music written since Garcia/Hunter and Dylan. It nearly brought a tear to my eye. I didn't think they made music like this anymore.

Charlie Daniels was wrong when he said "there ain't no ramblers anymore" - they're right here in Railroad Earth. Don't get me wrong; this isn't Southern Rock, not by a country mile, but it shares the same folksy roots and the deeply-ingrained sense of place.

Anyone interested in downloading shows - free and legal - of this amazing band, check out www.archive.org. Just don't hog all my bandwith!

For a bunch of Jersey boys, the six-piece band, Railroad Earth, truly captures a unique Americana sound. Their choice of instrumentation, like the mandolin, upright bass, penny-whistle, dobro, and banjo, should make them a bluegrass band. But throughout their debut live album, Elko, they explore various musical idioms ranging from Celtic to rock and country to folk. With their knack for lyrical storytelling, songs like Colorado and The Mighty River incite visions of traveling across the country. Web link: railroadearth.com.

The references to the "jam" scene in other reviews are relevant upon listening to this live set. "Elko" has a place in my repeat listening pile. There are new musical impressions and discoveries after each listen and it continues to grow on me. The freshness and originality of the arrangements are welcome in the bluegrass scene as well as the jam scene. The only flaw is in the production quality which has a bit of a "taper" sound to it but I am sure this endears this set to jam lovers.

Above all Railroad Earth sounds like AMERICA. If Mighty River doesn't just wash you away, and if the Hunting Song and Bird In A House don't speak to your heart, then you must be numbed to everything. A fine album - there's not a bad song here.