Customer Reviews

The Strange Remain

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After a few false starts, the Other Ones solidified their lineup and took to the road for a rousing summer tour. The recorded result of that tour is the recent release, The Strange Remain. Comparisons to the Dead and Jerry are inevitable, but this needs to be judged on it's own merits. The playing is crisp and tight, the song selection is great and the sound quality is superb. The guitars are sometimes low in the mix and one could argue that there is too much sax where more guitar would be optimum, but that is minor irritations. Ellis is a great sax player, the combo of Hart and Molo is energetic and precise, Hornsby is a master, Kimock and Karan are tasteful without overplaying and Lesh and Weir have found a collective that plays as "weird" as they do. This disc is a winner from start to finish and deserves it's place in the continuing story that was once the Grateful Dead. These guys do Jerry proud.

I get so tired of hearing people complain that The Other Ones are band of musicians "trying to be the Grateful Dead without Jerry." But this band is NOT the Grateful Dead...these are the "other ones" from that fabled band. I was fortunate to have witnessed the group both times that they had toured (Summer '98 and Late Summer '00), and this disc does capture, as well as any recording can, the spirit and music that had came out on the '98 tour. The idea was to take the songs made famous by the Grateful Dead and transform it into something different.

Highlights of the discs for me, include the following: A transformed "Saint Stephen-->The Eleven", a rip-roaring "Corrina", a sinewy "The Other One", and the latest Bob Weir-Robert Hunter collaboration, the ethereal "Banyan Tree". In addition, the band has re-arranged several of Bruce Hornsby's songs. It sounds as if they had been written for the Grateful Dead. Listening to "Rainbow's Cadillac", I had almost thought the band was heading into "Franklin's Tower."

The band members are playing extremely well, perhaps in part to the new (and sometime old) players, particularily Bruce Hornsby and Dave Ellis. The guitarists are excellent. Steve Kimock captures the essence of Garcia's silvery-tones, while Mark Karan infuses the music with a touch of rock and blues. Bob Weir sounds "grate", vocally and instrumentally.

In short, buy this disc. It may not be the Grateful Dead, but its still good.

The music never stops...

Where the Grateful Dead was consistently inconsistent both live and on disc, the OO's are like a luxury cruiser,rocksteady...bouncing...and still gets you there, whether truckin, flyin' or groovin... John Molo's sharp, rhythmatic attack contrasts sharply with Micky Hart's fluid beats, Phil Lesh still lays a bombastic floor to the proceedings, Bob Weir has matured and seriuosly takes on the mantle of leader of the band...Bruce Hornsby's reedy voice channels the essence of Garcia, the twin guitar work of Mark Karan and Steve Kimmock fill in the trills and florishes we all thought were gone forever, and Dave Ellis adds a lush aspect to Grateful Dead music I never thought possible. Not a cover band, nor nostalgic mongering posers but legitimate heir apparent to the legacy of the Grateful Dead...a suped up Lexus van upgrade from the VW history of America's longest lasting and greatest muse. For all the unconvinced and for all interested, check it out!

I went to this tour in 1998. Unfortunately I was 9 years old then. This is a great way to remember the things I don't remember. I've listened to most albums by the Grateful Dead and this is the Grateful Dead. The only thing I wish was on the tour/CD was Jerry. The White Wheeled Limousine and St. Stephens were unbelievable. I think this CD captures the more jam band aspect of the Dead, which is what they're known for. If you want to hear good live music from this band, this is the CD to get.

I bought this disc knowing full well what to expect. The Dead was The Dead and with Hornsby they were magical. The Other Ones are equally talented and blend together like a group of old jazz buddies who have been playing together for years. Sure China Cat/Rider doesn't quite carry the weight of the Garcia/Weir version, but Bobby's new tune: Banyan Tree is lyrically wonderful (thanks Mr. Hunter), and Mickey's Baba Jingo begs the question: why didn't you sing more in years past. I missed this tour last year and each time I listen to this disc I think to myself, "how stupid you were." I can only hope that The Other Ones gas up the Bus and take us all furthur down the Golden Road. It is still about the music, and this music is damn good.

Not terrific all the way through, but the standout tracks on here make up for the crap (corinna, phil's vocals, and mickey's "singing" for the most part). It's a known fact that Garcia had a musical connection w/Hornsby-listen to some of the east coast fall '90 run for examples aplenty-and it really is the talent of hornsby and the teamwork of Karan/Kimock that makes this set shine. The Jack Straw>Sugaree is pretty much as good as it gets pre or post jerry (alot of heads will beg to differ, but the only Grateful Dead Sugaree that compares is the 12.10.89 LA Forum version-breathtaking!) However, the Jammed-out conclusion of Jack Straw and the tension-and-release style of jamming on the subsequent Sugaree is not to be missed. The Eleven is really well-done, too, and it's lyrics are kind of tough to phrase correctly but Bobby shines here. The Hornsby contributions, particularly White-wheeled limosine, are killer-and modified a bit to suit the particular taste of picky heads.

Complaints? Mountains of the Moon is a welcome tune, and one that the Dead had abondoned long long ago, but Lesh's singing is horrible to be blunt. And alot of people dig Estimated Prophet, but I for one never felt it was that great-more annoying than anything. But the energy and teamwork on display here is easily worth the price. A worthy live double-disc set for any music fan.

Fortunately, I caught these guys @ the outrageous Further Festival and came away mightily impressed. They proved any great musician can play great music, STILL. Certainly, Jerry Garcia's spirit is alive and well! It was as if the Other Ones had been together longer the the Grateful Dead existed. And, I've been telling (to anyone who'll listen) they could supplement dearly departed Jerry with TWO guitar players. Thank God, MY wish come true. Now, the wonderous, whimsical, Grateful Dead music can play on, and on, and on, etc. Bobby Weir can still belt 'em out on any given night. Phil Lesh still shows who had the classical training. And Mickey Hart - why did you wait so long to start singing? - oh, yeah, an excellent percussion geek, too.

I like this CD, it's great to hear the old tunes with new energy. The sax player reminds me of the guy from Saturday Night Live. I dunno if that's a good thing. Phil & Bobby sound awesome, though Mickey is somewhat lost in the mix. The guitar players seem to be fighting for space all the time, to me, there just seems to be too much going on sometimes. A good disc though and definitely worth a spot in your collection.

Although the song list of this record may not draw your attention let me assure you that the music will. Songs like the eleven, corrina, and estimated prophet seem to make you bounce with their great improv and new jazzed up sound. New faces like Dave Ellis, saxaphone, and old faces like Bruce Hornsby, piano, fill in nicely where Jerry used to. Overall this disc is filled with tremendous energy and amazing music. This is definately one of the better dics that I have heard in a long while.

I remember reading an interview with Bob Weir years ago. Someone had asked him how long he thought the Dead might keep playing (or something like that) and Weir answered by talking about Count Basie and how he kept playing until he died. Not just that, but as Basie's band members lived out their lives there was still some sort of need to keep the music alive, and so others came and kept things going. I think that this CD is the beginning of the future of the Dead - the new energy is so obvious and its effect so astonishing and electrifying that a whole new life has been breathed into this great band. I got to see them play this past summer in Ohio and it was non-stop fun from the word go - frankly, it was the best "Dead" show I'd seen in years. No disrespect meant toward Jerry at all, but in its later years the band often sounded as if it was in need of a jolt of energy. Well, they got it.

This CD is great. Go get it, clear out some space in your living room, wake up the kids, whatever, and DANCE to it.

And turn up the bass so you can really appreciate Phil Lesh - the guy's just too much.

Great!