Customer Reviews

Folktales

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This new set by Minneapolis`s Big Wu shows the band maturing in both their songwriting and playing. Like their previous studio recording Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub, this CD is filled with great hooks, humorous lyrics, and an incredible 3 guitar attack. Though three of the songs appeared on their Live CD, they sound great in the studio. A good CD from one the great bands from the jam scene, I recommend this to anyone one likes great groove and jam music.

The Big Wu has a nack for creating both jam friendly and masses friendly music. My friend who are 'jam band' fans (for lack of a better term) love this album and so do my friends who listen to mostly pop music. The music isn't weird like a lot of the stuff put out by many bands on the jam band scene. It is pretty simple and straight-forward for the most part and yet provides excellent structure to use as springboards for improvising. Big Wu has found a was to be as close to radio friendly as possible while still keeping intact their jam band style. On another positive note, the music of "Folktales" just makes me smile. If you are new to the jam band scene I highly recomend this album because it is easy on the ears and not too far out there. On the other hand, if you love jam bands then I highly recomend this CD for you too. Big Wu's "Folktales" will not dissapoint you. Stand out tracks are "Minnasota Moon", "Boxing Day" and "Oxygen", although all the other songs are good too.

Boy I'll tell ya, I was unsure of this CD when I bought it at a Wu show in Santa Cruz. Then I listened to it while driving to the desert and it is one of the best CD's around!!!! I can imagine Boxing Day as a radio single. Minnesota moon is just too much fun,Two Person Chair and Oxygen crawls into your brain and hits the nerve to tap your feet and S.O.S will sail into your side that loves a great extended song. All the songs are great! The Wu is a great and welcomed band in the world of 12 song only radio stations!

Big wu is awesome. Buy this cd! even if you are not acquainted with bands of this nature you will like it. It is nice to have the big wu around to help fill the gap left when phish took a break. Also, if you have a chance get out and see these guys live, they're a lot of fun.

The Big Wu write ... good songs. This album is a showcase of those talents. I love all the songs... each one makes ya want to get up and dance. Great melodies. Some nice lyrics, and all done with a lilt and bounce that is only the Big Wu. Check it out!

i'm not really sure if the person that gave this cd a bad review actually listened to the correct album, because i think that this is an amazing cd. its very similiar in style to Tracking Buffalo, in fact, i hear many similiarities in rifts and so forth between the two albums. they are both excellent products of a relatively new band. if you like god street wine, ominous seapods, percy hill, string cheese incident, ekoostik hookah...give The Big Wu a chance. and if you want to trade some shows (got lots of cheese and phish, looking for smaller bands), write me at bgr1@jhu.edu. hope this was helpful. keep the groove alive!

After hearing the Big Wu's first album, "Tracking Buffalo through the Bathtub," I immediately sought out their other music. This being their latest studio CD, I expected a lot. The biggest problem I found was a lack of exciting or even catchy songs. And the playing isn't bad, just a little boring. Supposedly (source from Rhombus Web forums) the producer was going for a "pop" feel, which is accomplished in a polished sound. The problem is, by polishing away the instrumental sections in which the Wu excels, you place the burden on the songwriting. And to reiterate, the straight songs aren't bad, just a bit unexciting. To the album's credit, song 2, "Minnesota Moon" has a real swinging feel to it, which I really enjoy. I'd like to also add that in the context of the band's natural setting (a live performance) some of these songs such as "Boxing Day" are given new life. Still unless you're a die-hard Wu fan and have to own every CD, put this one at the end of your list.

I don't actually have this album yet, as it came out today, but I do know all of the songs because they are all live songs. 1)Angie O'Plasty - cool song, not amazing but a fun listen. 2) Minnestoa Moon is an awesome bluesy tune. 3) Boxing Day - a great ballad, one of my favorite Wu tunes. 4) Two Person Chair - old song, another fun one. 5) Oxygen is even older, another cool song. 6) Elani is pretty weird but once again it's fun and bluesy. 7) Kensington Manor is one of the best songs on here. 8) House of Wu is a cool bluegrassy song. 9) SOS is amazing. I'm sure they shortened it a lot for the album but the jams in it are great. and finally...10) Shantytown is the most upbeat of all these songs, it has a sort of ska feel and overall excellent. I'm looking forward to getting this cd.