Customer Reviews

One Step Closer

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I hate to say it, but: this is the first SCI album I can't wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. They still kick live and their signature rock/jazz/bluegrass/Latin/tropical/pop jam-band gumbo is as vibrant as ever, but this time around, the studio work really doesn't convey just what an imaginative & multifaceted group they are. Too bad. It's still a fairly solid disc. It definitely has its strengths (the title track gets a very nice makeover) and I'm the first one to say we should let go of expectations and take something on its own merits, but I still can't get past what's missing here.

The idea this time around was to concentrate mainly on the songs & writing, stripping the production/embellishments to a minimum. The jams are absent. The arrangements are so bare that they leave little or no room for group interaction. It's admirable to let go of one's crutches now and then.. but it also means the album is missing one of the Incident's biggest strengths. It's almost like Leonard Cohen making an album with someone else's lyrics, or Eric Clapton making one with only rhythm guitar.

Overall it's more mellow than anything else, although the different elements (country, jazz/funk, world-beat) are still present. To be fair, most of the material here does stand up in terms of writing if you look past a couple duds, and it still approaches greatness in spots (see "45th of November," "Silence in Your Head," the sinuous "Rainbow Serpent"). And if it leaves us wanting more, we can rest assured the next one will be different yet again.

Start with Outside Inside; follow up with Untying the Not or a live release (or better yet, go see them live) if you want to discover the greatest jam band still going. If you want more you can still enjoy this, but I'm afraid it's not really essential Cheese.

In an effort to accomplish something truly humble and personal String Cheese Incident (SCI) has released this, their most recent album. A mistake obviously made by a prior review is to judge this work on scale with the band's energizing live performances. With past releases SCI has not reached the energy that their live performances are capable of, and this album is no different. In fact it is obvious that was not what they were attempting to do. But what they did do is take some time in the studio, an environment that is essentially new and rather exciting to them, and attempt to do something different. Utilizing, a producer with experience working with Dylan, SCI created a "rootsy" album with tracks that have been simplified and reworked specifically for the recording. Not to mention the subject matter of the work. Granted some of the tracks aren't something to call your friends about, but there is beauty to be had, and it is not hard to find. With collaboration with Todd Shaeffer of Railroad Earth, SCI accomplishes some rather profound writing, minus a couple of Travis songs. All in all if I had to say what it sounded like; a strange mix of The Beatles and Bob Dylan crossed with the String Cheese I know, and love. I can only ask that you let the disc spin a couple of times before you pass judgment, its too good not to!

With the exception of a few of their more recent live albums, I have just about everything SCI has put out. I became a fan only relatively recently, but once I got one (starting with their collaboration with Kellar Williams), I got hooked and can't stop. But this album left me disappointed. It was slow and stripped down. As several have said before me, none of the jams, none of the joy, none of the humor, nor the can't-stop-moving musicality of basically every other release by these guys, whether live or in the studio. Everything else - ANYthing else- they've done is just better. Buy if you want to have a complete collection of their work, but if you're a first-time buyer, don't go here, because it's not representative of just how fantastic they are. Had this been the first album I got from them, I would not have bought more and would've missed the unbelievable experience I have every time I listen to virtually everything else they've done.

A lot of bands are turning this type of sutff out. There is some good writing on this album, but it certainly does not showcase the unmatched musicianship and energy that SCI is about. Why do something that everbody else is doing, when you can do something extremely more moving that no one else can even come close to? There have been good studio albums, eg. "Born on the Wrong Planet." However,I don't think that you can successfully argue that this is anywhere in the same league. Don't get this album; see them live!!!

The stretched long-form jam sessions are gone. No more 20-minute freeform jam tracks recorded with immense spontaneity and immediacy. Enter new producer Malcolm Burn who has some Bob Dylan discs under his belt. His influence on String Cheese Incident is indisputable. Not only did he produce the album, but he also arranged, wrote and even performed on it. The result is a very stripped down piece of work, aiming to gear towards a mainstream audience. But, will they succeed in it? I somehow doubt it.

The liner notes in the CD explain that the band has utilised a democratic structure to their music, allowing each member to equally contribute to the final product. All members provide vocals, write lyrics and throw in their own melodies. Some of the lyrics have been written with outside talents including the amazing Robert Hunter from The Grateful Dead camp and Jim Lauderdale from Nashville. "Big Compromise", as the title itself shows, is one of these songs - a very vocal-driven country piece with no room for any instrumental input. "Until the Music's Over" and "Silence in Your Head" also follow the same songwriting formula, the former being the necessary country ballad, whilst the latter one is the band's more atmospheric side. "Father" has an awful chorus that is so unlike what this band has done before and the lyrics are pedestrian at best. Sure, the band has every right to evolve, but was this the only option they had? "Drive" is classic rock with a huge groove and blues piano, and the short "Betray the Dark" has its moment of interesting percussion work. "45th of November" is one of the better tunes, though it will still fail to impact the long-time Cheese fan. The dancing jazz motifs on "Rainbow Serpent", on the other hand, seem like one of those cut-out sections from their earlier albums, but at least, it stays true to what they're known for. The guitar and synth combination is powerful and the lyrics have more substance.

Bottom line is I'm sure there are people out there who may enjoy this release, but it just doesn't do it for me, especially when I know their full potential. On second thought, these cuts may be a better choice for a live performance, where you can enjoy the moment together with the band. Recorded on tape, however, they are far from interesting and even a bit dull.

Prior to this album coming out, I heard they would take it into a more song-oriented direction. And they did just that. This isn't the most exciting Cheese album, but its a very pleasant listen. No crazy jams or extended solos, just concise, well-written songs. While fans to the Cheese know they have the chops to jam until the cows come home, they showed much restraint and tastefulness over the course of the record. The bonus DVD documenting the recording of One Step Closer is a joy to watch also. Malcom Burn was able to really get some unique sounds from the band. And this album was recorded at a friends house in the mountains of Colorado. How appropriate.

THE COVER OF THE CD REFLECTS THE MUSIC INSIDE: STARK, LIFELESS AND BORING.

My copy came with a 30 minute "making of" DVD. Since other reviewers don't mention it, I don't know if it comes with all copies.

The included "making of" DVD explains it all. The theme of the DVD is the Big Compromise. I feel the group compromised their musicial abilities in search of a hit.

The group says they were looking for a certain producer, with the intention of making an album of just songs. I think you can interpret that to mean that they are looking to make a hit. In any case, that is what you get: just songs. The arrangements are stark and have very little backing music.

The music has that jangle rock style that has been the rage for the last 8 years. It is similar to something like the Wallflowers or Toad the Wet Sprocket. But, it has that LA country rock flavor to it, similar to groups like the Eagles or Poco, only not as good. It is what gets airplay on the radio, especially, on the female oriented national network of radio stations known as Alice.

The songs end up being over produced, taking any life out of them. It is not that they are over produced in that horns or back up singers are added. It is that they are over polished and boring. Any interesting back ground music has been muted or stripped out of the songs all together.

The DVD plays many of the songs in the original raw format. They are much better than what ends up on the CD. There is a great version of One Step Closer on the DVD, but the producer says he is not done with it. It made me cringe.

The DVD shows the producer mapping out the songs and getting the band members to change the songs to his vision. Whatever happened to artists just being creative?

So, does it work? Some people obviously like this CD. Some people really enjoy this musical style. Will it increase record sales? Everyone is playing in this style now and the field is getting pretty crowded.

First off let me say I am a pretty big Cheese fan. I have seen them countless times live and have listened to even more shows, being an avid live show collector. With that said I move One Step Closer to my review.

I give this CD 4 stars but rate it a 5 to bring up the low scores of all the haters I have seen review this disc. I do this because I feel strongly about this peice of Cheese and feel interested individuals should not overlook it.

Yes, the CD is different from what the casual Cheese listener would expect, and that is why it shines. Most people are probably expecting some rehashed jam band twenty minute cosmic monstrosity of a space jam song and that is nowhere in sight in any of these tracks, which is refreshing. If you want to here "Rollover" then buy Outside Inside.

If any of the other reviewers were even familiar with the individual band members incredibly diverse styles then they would see where a lot of these songs are coming from. What the Cheese did for this album is simple yet effective. They took themselves out of the carbon copy recording studio and entered a breathtaking Colorado cottage in the mountains. Here they sat down and worked together to attain The Big Compromise: to make simple, pure and crisp music.

All of the songs clock in around five minutes which is odd for SCI but not a bad thing. After a few spins and a viewing of the DVD which comes with the CD, I gained a whole new appreciation for the album and what the boys were trying to do with this disc.

If you are actually in to the Cheese and know where these guys are coming from with this disc it is not hard to find yourself drawn into it's mediocre magnificence. Although I would prefer a live show to a studio album, I really like to see something new from a band that as of late feels a little stretched thin.

All of the members have thier own influence on specific tracks that reflect their musical adventures and influences. Which makes for a diverse yet unified experience that one would not expect from SCI. Cheers for a break from the norm.

This is another great album by the cheese. Up there with outside inside, the songs are much more focused and feature a new sound, however, listen closely and i'm sure you'll appreciate them. The dobro, acoustic mando, and additional percussionist all sound great. After listening to the cd 3 times all the way through you will realize how much effort and skill the band shows. All songs are catchy, yet still contain a distinct, original, string cheese style. The boys came through big with this one and any true fan will enjoy this album.

Very creative writing, and the it takes a few listens to really appreciate what went into this album. Anyone who's been a fan for a long time will tell you, this isn't typical cheese. They're really trying to do something different here, by incorporating many styles that the band hasn't really explored in the studio before, like the new gospel flair in 'one step closer'...

But this album is definintely geared more towards the 'mainstream', and I do agree with some previous reviews that the lyrics at times do sound a bit forced, especially Billy's as much as that pains me to say. But I think there is a good reason for that sound, and it's only a matter of time before I can digest all the elements to get the whole picture, and understand the inflections.

There are several track here that could eventually rise to #9 on the charts for 1 week (the best the dead ever did) if given the right exposure, and this album could very well might draw some coldplay fans into drum circle at the next incident, and isn't that a goal of the whole idea? To pull people back from the crap that corporate media has been dishing out, and to expose them to the love, community, and peace that cheese fans enjoy? I hate seeing my favorite band rise to popularity as much as everyone else does. But if cheese can breakthrough with this album, then it gives me hope that the other artists on their label will be helped as well, and eventually, maybe, all artists can one day make their music and retain creative control as well.