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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timothy B. Schmit's brilliant new CD, "Expando", October 20, 2009
"EXPANDO", Timothy B. Schmit's long-awaited 5th solo album, is purely delightful in its fun, upbeat delivery! This is a very different styled addition to his "portfolio" of albums. It has a very personal feel to it. Previous fans of TBS will love the opportunity to again hear his trademark beautiful, smooth tenor-alto voice. However, his obvious aim was to produce something truly personally HIM, exploring several different genres of music and displaying a very happy, comfortable effort. Our favorite soloist/bassist from The Eagles EXPANDS his repertoire in this recording to give us more of a glimpse into his early roots in folk & bluegrass and early California southern rock. He combines these styles with the ballady style most of us TBS fans are accustomed to and love. The most surprising choices on the album made me feel like I'd just been shot straight into some small, comfy L'siana bar for some good ol' jazz and rythym & blues. (When was the last time you heard a tuba in a southern rock song?)
At least one of his inclusions on this collection speaks directly to his devout and genuine feelings of love for his family, and its importance to him. He has long silently portrayed the consummate easy-going, "simple life," married family man, not so easily found in today's rock culture. This window to his soul illustrates the importance of that love of family to him. The sweet song "Ella Jean" is a tribute to the obvious love-of-his-life, Jean, his wife of (I think?) 25 years; and his son, Ben, also adds his guitar skills on one of the songs.
The second track on the album, "Parachute", has great guitar offerings and immediately brings us back to the beauty of TBS' voice, as well as offering a welcome familiar voice, as Graham Nash is easily recognizable in the background vocals. "Friday Night" is a pleasantly folksy romp which is really fun to listen to. "Compassion" harkens back to the very familiar stylings and vocals we have loved so much, while incorporating a really comfortable folksy feeling. "Melancholy" also is reminicent of TBS' familiar ballad style and beautiful voice. Having said all this, last but not least, I have to say that so far my favorite song on this truly eclectic album is "White Boy from Sacramento", a really fun, fast-paced "biographical" song which Timothy very obviously had a blast writing (and performing!) You almost won't recognize his voice in most of the song, as he takes to much lower-pitched, drawling vocals. It's a real kick!
Congratulations, Timothy -- you've created and shared with the world a truly notable and enjoyable addition to today's musicsl offerings! Best wishes, and, oh yeah, happy 62nd birthday October 30th!!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A triumph, at long last!, October 28, 2009
"Expando" is the solo album Timothy B. Schmit fans have been waiting for since 1980. Finally, Schmit has fully tapped into his great talent and experience, to produce a consistent set of songs that are thought provoking and entertaining. This time out, Schmit took charge of the production duties, wrote all the songs himself and played most of the instruments as well. The production is warm, but not slick, and the songs are mature and personal.
Schmit shows his instrumental prowess, playing quite an array of instruments on the album, including bass, acoustic guitar, lead and rhythm electric guitar, dobro, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, electric piano, percussion and drums. For those vocal and instrumental parts he wanted some help with, he imagined the ideal collaborators and simply called them up and asked. Being very well-respected in the industry, Schmit's offer was accepted by nearly everyone he called: Graham Nash, Kid Rock, Dwight Yoakam, Van Dyke Parks, Keb' Mo', Jim Keltner, Benmont Tench, Garth Hudson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Gary Burton, Greg Leisz and the Blind Boys of Alabama.
It might be easy for such a project to turn into more of a showcase for the individuals involved than a cohesive artistic statement. However, Schmit was committed to serving the songs and successfully guided all that talent to produce a fine album that is at turns rootsy, charming, fun, introspective and sweet. And of course there is Schmit's gorgeous, expressive high tenor voice, still in fine form. This is an album not just for fans of Schmit and his current and former bands (Eagles, Poco), but for fans of folk-rock, country-rock, singer-songwriters and old-fashioned professional singing and musicianship.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timothy B. Schmit stikes a new chord, November 13, 2009
I've been a fan of Schmit since his early days with Poco, into his solo days and throughout his tenure with the Eagles so I was anxious to hear his latest work. EXPANDO is definitely a departure from anything he has done before, all original songs recorded without the pomp and circumstance that is the norm these days. This effort, to me, is raw Timothy B. Schmit at his best, a reflection of his musical roots that (no doubt) date back to his childhood when his father played with a folk group up and down the California coast. The songs are introspective (Compassion, Secular Praise, Melancholy), at times the listener can almost feel like a voyeur (Ella Jean, Friday Night, A Good Day), he makes no apologies for getting "in-your-face" (I Don't Mind), and enjoys taking a shot at himself (White Boy From Sacramento). The inclusion of artists Graham Nash, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kid Rock, Dwight Yoakam, Hank Linderman, Benmont Tench, Van Dyke Parks, The Blind Boys of Alabama and even Schmits' own son, Ben, adds an interesting blend of harmonies and edge to those songs where they appear while the multiple voice overlays of Schmit alone provides the listener with an insight to the true depth and talent of a singer-songwriter who has been greatly overlooked thru the years.
I think the listeners who will appreciate it the most are those who grew up in the days of The Kingston Trio (one of Schmits' favorites, by the way), the folksy simplicity of early Dylan and enjoy a broad spectrum of music in general. Schmit went out on the edge by stripping away the gloss and modern-day technology today's younger generation expects and demands (you can actually HEAR the melodies and understand the words!), putting out a finished product that is a gutsy step backwards in a day when other artists are pushing the envelope. While I still love listening to his more youthful endeavors (I'm partial to Poco's Rose of Cimarron, never take my Eagles CD's out of the carousel and often listen to Schmits' earlier solo albums), EXPANDO is a refreshing and welcomed change of pace!
If your music taste draws you to synthesizers, reverberations, an over-abundance of amplifiers and the techno-tweeking of voice enhancement, I suggest you go elsewhere because EXPANDO is pure, natural voice (the man has great pipes and a remarkable range!) and a lot of acoustic guitar.
I've read a lot of critical comments since the release of EXPANDO last month, and while I respect the opinions of others it angers me that the writers throw out their negative reviews as if it were the last word. EXPANDO isn't for everyone. But I suggest you listen for yourself and decide.
My last comment: Kudos to Timothy B. Schmit for throwing caution to the wind and taking a stand for what he loves...and sharing it with us.
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