Customer Reviews

Grand National (U.S. Version)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been a big fan of JBT for many years and was ecstatic that they were finally doing a worldwide release instead of the altered American export versions they have released in the past. That being said, I think it is interesting that they decided to announce themselves worldwide with this twist from their traditional style. I grew to love JBT for the heavily acoustic driven politically charged songs that inspired me to take a good look at myself and the world we live in. This album does maintain some of this through the excellent "Fire in the Sky" and "Used to get High", but the general theme of the album is definitely more funk then fight. While this does make the album a little more radio friendly, many of the loyal JBT fans that I associate with seem to miss the "in your face" lyrical style of the past 10 years or so. I also think this album does not showcase John's amazing 12(or 11)-string guitar talent as much as JBT has done in the past, but rather incorporates much more of the other musicians providing for a much more mature sound overall at the cost of some of JBT's traditional flare. This is not to negate the albums positive attributes. This album has definitely been in my rotation since the day I purchased it and will certainly be one of my feel good discs of the summer.

Bottom line: If this is your first JBT experience then you are certainly getting a wonderful start, but please don't stop here because you will be missing out on some of the most amazing music of the past decade.

I first heard the John Butler Trio on KGSR Radio in Austin, TX. They played at SXSW Music Conference and the ACL Music Festival after that. They've got a funky Aboriginal sound that's totally their own. I honestly didn't think I'd like anything more than "Sunrise over Sea" but I obviously was wrong.

There aren't any political statements here, just good, solid rocking fun. If you haven't heard them, start with this CD.

John Butler's sound continues to evolve, and Grand National features the band's most eclectic album yet: from the Bob Marley-esque vibe of "Groovin' Slowly," to the hard rock of "Devil Running," to the smooth ballad of "Losing You," and even the beat-boxing and turntable scratching of "Daniella," John manages to squeeze as many styles of music as possible into one album.

It's also great to hear the band incorporating more elements into their music, such as the horn section in "Gov Did Nothin'" to signify the music scene of New Orleans (in a song referring to Hurricane Katrina), or the harmonica and turntables in "Daniella" and ukulele in "Groovin' Slowly." While fans typically cringe at first mention of an artist trying to expand their sound, John stands true to his roots as a musician interested in talking about important issues--singing about the senselessness of war in "Fire in the Sky," loving his wife in the beautiful "Losing You," his naivety as a young man in "Used to Get High," and teenage suicide in "Caroline."

The only area I think the album falls short is in the inconsistent production of each track; some tracks sound over-produced, while others have that "indie" feel of an amateur recording. That aside, the album is amazing, and definitely worth you taking some time out of your day to listen to.

Key Tracks:
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Used to Get High
Losing You
Fire in the Sky
Better Than
Gonna Take It

I first heard the John Butler Trio on XM radio's XM Cafe. I like this CD because the songs are upbeat, nearly all of them are good, they do not all sound the same, and the disk passes the criteria of I like listening to it over and over again. My music taste runs from O.A.R., Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, some Beck, to the first (not the most recent) Maroon 5 disk, etc. so you get an idea... suggest you listen to the sample clips and if you like them, try it - you'll like it!

This album starts off rockin and never stops. The Trio delivers again with a bunch of great tracks and a sick jam out on "Gov Did Nothin." Better Than, Daniella, Used To Get High, Fire In The Sky, and Gonna Take It are all awesome songs. The rhythm of Groovin Slowly is sweet too cause it defintely makes you want to move around.

This album is great from start to finish and more people need to experience the John Butler Trio. See you and the Trio at Bonnaroo...

Though I think it's too early to coronate "Grand National" as the best effort by the John Butler Trio, I think one could argue that it is their most consistently musical effort to date. Augmenting John Butler's whiplash playing of his acoustic guitars with a fuller array of instruments layers the band's sound, and his trio mates really step up as well.

Sometimes the marriage of rock `n roll and social and environmental injustices either smacks of self-righteousness or ceases to be graceful and fluid. For the most part, Mr. Butler sidesteps those hindrances yet he does stumble a bit on the awkward, even embarrassing second track Daniella.

But it's pretty easy to put those sorts of moments in the rearview mirror when the JBT hits full throttle on Funky Tonight, the kind of song that energizes the inner whirling dervish in us all.

If I were to sum it up in two words, I would offer eclectic and energetic.

Honestly, the John Butler Trio has not gotten the stateside welcome that they deserve. In fact, "Sunrise Over Sea" was one of the best jam band releases to date. And it almost didn't get airplay in the United States.

Thus, the John Butler Trio is back to jam again with their third album, "Grand National," which is a delightful funk/roots band masterpiece.

With all the funk guitar riffs that John Butler pulls off, one can now officially call them the Red Hot Chili Peppers of the jam band scene. In fact, with the coolest banjo and electric guitar licks in the song "Gov Did Nothin'," John Butler is on fire.

Even though this album is less raw than "Sunrise Over Sea," the band makes up for it by bringing in a horn section in "Gov Did Nothin'" and a string ensemble in "Caroline." John Butler also switches to playing smooth and quiet raggae in "Groovin' Slowly," with a banjo and Sharon Birchall playing a snazzy bass guitar line.

The band is also playing with editing effects too. Probably the coolest sounds come in the introduction to "Devil Running," featuring guitar tracks played backwards before kicking the drums in. There's also moments in "Fire in the Sky" where the guitar sounds are bent out of tune and resonating with long echoes.

Most of all, though, John Butler is showing a softer, intimate side of his persona in this album. Songs such as "Losing You" and "Caroline" are touching acoustic songs with almost no other instruments backing him up. And even though "Fire in the Sky" features some menacing electric guitar strums, most of the rest of the song has beautiful consonant guitar strums and riffs.

This is a great album that shows more of the trio's persona, with both loud jams and some soft bluegrass songs. The loud songs in the first half of the album are complemented by some soft, peaceful jams. And while John Butler's lyrics are nowhere near as catchy as "You better treat yo' mama with respect" in the previous album, this is an album that shows that Butler can sound cool, even when he's not in a passionate mood.

Grand National, the perfect cd for driving 100km on a sunny road, it's one of those cds that you can hear a thousand times, great songs, personally loved used to get high... absolutely would recommend.

I heard JBT on our local progressive radio station and liked some of the grooves. I was looking for some new music and gave Grand National a whirl. It's excellent. It's easy to call them a jam band, but the mix of influences, including blusey slide guitar, funky grooves, a little celtic beat with a few rap-sytle vocals mixed in for some songs is very nice. Add some thought provoking lyrics and I love the combo. Now I'm jut deciding which JBT album to buy next.

Also, after listening to the disc for about a month, I was able to catch JBT live and whoa, they were awesome! Those 3 guys put out some serious sound. If you get a chance, don't pass it up.

I haven't heard an album this well done in a long long long time. I agree with the previous poster that it is eclectic, but at the same time very tastefully done. My only conclusion as to why this trio is not huge in the US is only because they're about to be. The music talent in this band is in the top 95th percentile of all living music artists, in my opinion. Buy the album, you're gonna love it.