Customer Reviews

Green Winter

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

 

 

This is the second installment in the LT trilogy that started with Black Hole, and you can kind of see the bridge that Mike Richmond and Co. are building here. Green Winter still has the prog touches that were all over Black Hole, but it seems like the band might be sneaking in a bit of the old LT twang. It might be a while before we find out, but here's to hoping that part 3 will be a re-birth of the LT and an advancement at the same time.

Though I liked 2005's Black Hole a lot, it is easy to hear that Mike Richmond's new lineup is getting better and better at playing together. This album takes you on a trip, drifting effortlessly through the realms of the earthly and the ethereal, floating through the upper atmosphere and into space with such songs as Saturn Rings, and pulling you back down to earth with such songs as Turqoise and Yellow. I also like the cover of 3 and 9 better than the orginial Roxy Music version. Definitely worth a buy.

As good as Black Hole was, the re-organized Love Tractor is back with a stonger, more cohesive effort with Green Winter...their second outing in less than a year. The songs and musicianship are first rate, but there is a better flow, the songs fit better together for a stonger album. Definitely one of the best outings from LT regardless of you favorite period. Right up there with Love Tractor and Themes From Venus

Saturn Rings is great opener, and would be the first single, if singles were still released these days. A swirling song that takes the theme of love on a trip through the universe.

Wrong Turn is a Allman Brothers like workout with guitar and keyboard solos woven tastefully into the song.

LT has covered some great songs in the past including Party Train, Neon Lights. 3 and 9, the Roxy Music song, is not one you'd want to cover unless you had something to add. The acoustic guitar and synthesizer version here is one of the highlights of the album.

Green Field Rock is a straightforward Blues tune. Pain and Suffering a humorous look at love with a steady, steady beat.

The album closes with the mournful Green Winter.

If you are a Lover Tractor fan or just a music and musicianship, you owe it to yourself to buy this CD. Hope that Love Tractor goes on tour to support this release and look for the next CD that is apparently close to complete

Continued evolution and development of one of Athens, GA's greatest bands. Songwriting continues to be highly creative and the musical chops are at a level never seen in the early L.T. days. This disk is true "fusion" (perhaps a bad choice of words!) in that it captures the myriad musical influences that have touched the band members over the years....from prog to rock to punk to dance....they perhaps have invented their own format. It will be interesting to see where these guys continue to go, given the talent and the no-holds-barred approach to exploration of new terrain. One of the more creative disks you're likely to purchase. Highly recommended.

I got all Love Tractor's stuff. Every single bit.
This is the best record they've ever done, hands down!

Mike's vocals are up front,the drums are big but don't have that cliche' eighties sound.

The songs are smart. It has a variety of cool grooves, and it totally flows from beginning to end. I have it on
" repeat ", and have been chillin' by the pool to it.

"Saturn Rings" is a fave,"Turquoise" and "Pain" are great too. And I cn start 2 see where the story is going. It was hard to see after not having a record for several years and then just hearing "Black Hole" alone( which was kind of a hard rock extention of "Sky at Night")w/ no explanation that it was the turbulent dark beginning of a 'space trilogy' concept thing. With Green Winter, its starting to make sense. ( Those clever fellows r messing with us ! )

The best thing is that along w/ totally new directions, ("Wrong Turn" is a Derek Trucksish jazzy hippie jam w/ flute) its got elements of all the earlier CDs in it too:
"Turquoise" ( Venus and Spaceship ), "Slow Down" (LT, Cows)Inventor"(Black Hole), "Green Winter" (Sky atNight )

LT has come out of the black hole and have come around the bend...again.

No doubt. This one is destined to be a rock classic.

Green Winter will take you higher. Taking cues from the Love Tractor past, there's a terrific cover of Roxy Music's Three and Nine, which I like even better than the original. There are some weird keyboard moments across the whole record that take me back to old LT records, while remaining vigilant in the pursuit of this trilogy of records. It's an amazing trip and should be listened to in full - like classic rock albums of the past.
Old fans don't seem to realize - the old band was asked if they wanted to record with Mike. They all said no. Since Mike was/is the frontman, vocalist, guitarist - he kept going! You're going to get down on him for that? Come on - I got multiple words - Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Heart, etc. etc. Comfortablity isn't compatible with creativity. This is a trip of a record. Don't take the trip if you don't want to.

Decent enough tunes, but without the two crucial founding members who co-created the first five Love Tractor albums, (over a twenty year period no less), the magic of previous era is certainly missing. A Mike Richmond project does not a Love Tractor album make. Check out 'Sky at Night' or previous works instead to see what this once awesome group really sounded like.