Customer Reviews

Liquid White Light

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

 

 

If you have not been fortunate enough to experience Poi Dog Pondering live, this will give you a taste of what you're missing. I've seen Poi Dog twice, and this 2-disc set is almost like being there. Poi Dog has so much energy onstage that you can't help but get wrapped up in the music. The live versions of their older tunes still keep a little of the old flavor, but they definitely adapt well to the newer dance rhythms Poi Dog has embraced over the past few releases. And the songs here from Pomegranate and Volo Volo surpass the studio versions. This is my favorite PDP disc and one of my favorites in my collection.

If you already own it, buy it for someone you love!

PDP is beyond description but it is outstanding, sort of what the The Blue Man Group is to theater. Every PDP album is vastly different from the next and Liquid White Light gives you a taste of most of it. I am not a musician or a critic but I love music and this is one of my alltime favorites.

PDP has appealed to almost everyone I have exposed them to, including my 13 year old son who likes rap, and my friends in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s who have extremely varied musical tastes. PDP's music is upbeat, creative, soulful, it contains dozens of instruments, it is lots of fun to listen to.

Four thoughts for you.

1. I have never written a review before.

2. The guy from Tokyo who reviewed this album actually meant to review PDP's other live album, "Soul Sonic Orchestra". This is evidenced by the fact he referenced the song 'That's the Way Love Is', and his review was dead on for that album.

3. Buy this album!

4. Go to Chicago and experience PDP live.

This is the best Poi Dog cd I own. This band is best when they are live and this cd really proves that. The variety of instruments they use in producing their music gives them a great sound on such a variety of songs. Whether you want to relax or jam to another song this cd has it all and the best part is that it is live. One never really knows what they are buying when they purchase live music, but this is the best live cd I own and believe me, I have an extensive collection of Phish, Moe, Dave Matthews and Freddy Jones and this Poi cd beats them all. A definite must have.

It's hard to categorize this big, loud Chicago band, but on this live 2-CD release they could be considered a sort of cross between Sly and the Family Stone and Santana with house and techno elements. Which of course, makes them unique. Not many bands attempt to blend horns, strings, keyboards, guitars, percussion and vocals and fewer still succeed in doing so. PDP has been a Chicago favorite for years. Disc 2 especially has as much energy as you'll ever get on a little piece of plastic; if you're not moving to that; you're beyond help. Check out the monologue on "Shu Zulu Za", Frank Orral's snarling vocals throughout, and especially the last two tracks on Disc 2, "Platetectonic" and "Complicated"; the latter their best-known number. You'll wish you were at the concert! Pop it in your CD player, turn it up and protect your fragile valuables!

Words cannot describe the power in this Poi CD. There is so much "white light" energy throughout the entire set and the vocals will not let you down! God's Gallipolli is my favorite song off of CD two - makes you wanna get up and dance with them...Jackass Ginger, Platetectonic and Complicated are all booming with bass, violin, horn, and Frank Orrall's amazing deep vocals - even if you are not a die hard fan of Poi, this is one CD for every person with an ear for good music not to miss!!!

This is the record that sold me on PDP. When I lived in Chicago PDP was absolutely huge there. I couldn't help but fall under their spell. This set shows the various sides to the band. The second CD just burns throughout. It lifts your spirits and makes you want to dance and sing along...

For veteran Poi Dog fans this album is the logical next step in the band's evolution. But don't look for many of the foot-stomping, hand clapping music that many of us have come to expect. This album has great melodies and the usual thought-provoking lyrics, but it lacks the zip and punch of "Volo", or the stunning orchestrals of "Pomegranite".

Frank Orrall's distinctive vocals, supplemented by an ample chorus of female singers, comes through with muted vigor. But he seems somehow subdued -- almost like he's performing as a part of a lounge act. Adding to the "lounge feel" is a pervasive use of xylophone, piano and flutes. The instances of full orchestral feel, with brass and strings wailing away are few.

In certain cuts of the album, it sounds as if the listener has intruded in some New Age jam session where the musicians are playing just for themselves, just because it feels good. The listener is an after thought. The first cut sets the mood for the entire album: slow, soft introduction leading to a bearly definable melody and a whisper of a beat. Xylophone and flute are used in excess.

Don't get me wrong, there are some sparkling performances on this album. "The Way Love Is", for example is vintage Poi Dog, with Frank's vocals providing the core around which the other band members wrap their own distinct voices. Great chorus sound, with punch provided by brass, strings and winds.

All told, this is good effort from one of my favorite bands. But don't listen to this with your dancing shoes on. It's better heard on a cold rainy night in front of a fireplace with a glass of brandy.

This is a concert from 1996 after Poi Dog Pondering moved from Austin to Chicago. It is just under 2 hours long. The sound quality is pretty good, but not perfect. The audience noise is kept to a minimum but sometimes cranked up a the beginning and end of songs (audience noise is not necessary on a live album. To get it, they have to put up audience microphones. Then they mix up or down the audience noise to get the effect they want want. Some live albums actually have audience noise edited in from a completely different concert.)

For most of the first CD, the band is very laid back. The music soft, slow but beautiful. It doesn't have the primal energy that I remember when I used to see the band in Austin in the early 1990s. Then, they were much more like Rusted Root (but probably better). I like that they are playing these songs in a new way, and this live album is just a retread or copy of the study album or past live performances.

On the second CD the energy level does pick up and these really rock at the end.

What I don't like is that this CD set contains most of the "hits". Poi Dog Pondering never really had any hits, but these are the most popular songs by the band. There are only a few surprises on the album. However, since the band plays many of the songs in a different, more deliberate way, that makes up for not having any "new stuff".

Poi Dog is one of the best live bands to see and Liquid White Light shows why.

There are two reasons to buy this album: You must hear Frank in the beginning of the album say "Hello my friends, thanks so much for coming." It sounds like he's welcoming people for Sunday mass--priceless. Secondly, I've introduced these guys to at least a dozen people and every single one has become a fan to some degree. Warrants mentioning. Plus, gotta love that album cover!