while Eisenhower may eventually prove to be just another step in a larger, ongoing Slip journey, it proves to be the band's monumental achievement nonetheless. Not so much for it’s distinction from previous efforts, but for proving that a fledging band that debuted with such spark could persevere, and ultimately, a decade later, change the way you look at rock.
Post reviews of IKE here
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carini
glide's review
http://www.glidemagazine.com/index.php? ... section=94
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JEFFfromNC
- Moderator
- Posts: 250
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My 2 Cents...
I finally got a chance to pick up the new album yesterday and have been checking it out all morning. I can understand why this album is receiving mixed reviews. I imagine the old school fans will not have a whole lot of positive comments, while the fresh new fans will rave over the album. It’s been engineered for the main stream, for the pop culture, to be push by those that like to tell us what good music is. But guess what, that’s where the larger fan crowd and money is. They may loose some older fans that were in tune with there older stuff, but in return they will see a rise in a new and different fan base. This album will defiantly be a good thing for them, but at the same time I almost feel like it is an injustice. These lyrical tunes are all fine and everyone likes to sing along, but to me BAM really shines with their instrument manipulation. The bridges/transitions and fan driven jams are what use to make me take a step back. The music is still there to an extent, but it’s not what is being showcased on this album. Could they pull this off live, I have to say NO, what they can pull off live is much better because it’s simpler but yet more complex. The album is a little over produced and I know that raw slip sound is hiding under all of it somewhere. More sound(s) doesn’t correlate to better music in my book. Sometimes that clean sound of one instrument brings more emotion then several. This is what has kept me hooked for so long, the emotion (which has be a muse of mine for some time now), the feeling as if they are telling a story without opening their mouth. I don’t feel that in this album and I have yet hit a section that makes me want to stand up and scream “Hell Yea”. I even burped up vomit in my mouth when Mothwing Bite came on. A good friend of mine just looked at me with an expression that screamed “what the hell is that”. Now don’t get me completely wrong, I don’t think it sucks. It’s a great album that has very catchy tunes that will be accepted buy a very large crowd, but each to their own. A lot of the songs just don’t do it for me, but it will probably stay in the CD player for a while. Hopefully as time passes I will discover that raw beauty I am not hearing right now. Will I stop listing to them or supporting them anyway I can? Hell no! These three gentleman area probably the most talented musicians I have ever heard and you never know what’s coming next. Not that is any of my business, but I just hope that this is the direction “they” want to take and I hope they truly love what they are playing. That’s what is most important in my book! I wish them nothing but the best and a big congratulations on getting the new album out.
I’d like to share a little part of an interview between Kathy Foster-Patton and David Grisman from JamBands.com (take it for what is worth): http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=9411
Grisman has been profiled in numerous publications, and it has been written that he started his quintet due to perhaps feeling that he was an outcast and didn't fit in anywhere else. He's outspoken in his opinions when questioned about the subject. "I don't know about an outcast, but we don't fit in if you turn on the T.V. and hear music. It's probably not going to be something that resembles anything I do. I don't particularly care. Early on you run into people in the music business who want you to conform to whatever is selling. Most musicians get steered in commercial directions. To me that's what's wrong with the — see I can't even call it 'the music business.' 'The entertainment business' is better. It's gotten so far away from musical values or artistic values. I find that abhorrent. I'm really turned off by that. I think that has nothing to do with creativity or expression. There are so many styles that are underneath this really bad façade of manufactured crap. Underneath it all, it's all supported by the foundation of — like the blues, country music, classical. All the real music of the world holds up this garbage. Usually they have to involve real musicians somewhere in the process, but it's gotten so distorted by the business people, that are just trying to make a buck, I just can't relate to popular music. I don't listen to it. I don't like it. I don't see any value in it other than providing income for a bunch of people.
I finally got a chance to pick up the new album yesterday and have been checking it out all morning. I can understand why this album is receiving mixed reviews. I imagine the old school fans will not have a whole lot of positive comments, while the fresh new fans will rave over the album. It’s been engineered for the main stream, for the pop culture, to be push by those that like to tell us what good music is. But guess what, that’s where the larger fan crowd and money is. They may loose some older fans that were in tune with there older stuff, but in return they will see a rise in a new and different fan base. This album will defiantly be a good thing for them, but at the same time I almost feel like it is an injustice. These lyrical tunes are all fine and everyone likes to sing along, but to me BAM really shines with their instrument manipulation. The bridges/transitions and fan driven jams are what use to make me take a step back. The music is still there to an extent, but it’s not what is being showcased on this album. Could they pull this off live, I have to say NO, what they can pull off live is much better because it’s simpler but yet more complex. The album is a little over produced and I know that raw slip sound is hiding under all of it somewhere. More sound(s) doesn’t correlate to better music in my book. Sometimes that clean sound of one instrument brings more emotion then several. This is what has kept me hooked for so long, the emotion (which has be a muse of mine for some time now), the feeling as if they are telling a story without opening their mouth. I don’t feel that in this album and I have yet hit a section that makes me want to stand up and scream “Hell Yea”. I even burped up vomit in my mouth when Mothwing Bite came on. A good friend of mine just looked at me with an expression that screamed “what the hell is that”. Now don’t get me completely wrong, I don’t think it sucks. It’s a great album that has very catchy tunes that will be accepted buy a very large crowd, but each to their own. A lot of the songs just don’t do it for me, but it will probably stay in the CD player for a while. Hopefully as time passes I will discover that raw beauty I am not hearing right now. Will I stop listing to them or supporting them anyway I can? Hell no! These three gentleman area probably the most talented musicians I have ever heard and you never know what’s coming next. Not that is any of my business, but I just hope that this is the direction “they” want to take and I hope they truly love what they are playing. That’s what is most important in my book! I wish them nothing but the best and a big congratulations on getting the new album out.
I’d like to share a little part of an interview between Kathy Foster-Patton and David Grisman from JamBands.com (take it for what is worth): http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=9411
Grisman has been profiled in numerous publications, and it has been written that he started his quintet due to perhaps feeling that he was an outcast and didn't fit in anywhere else. He's outspoken in his opinions when questioned about the subject. "I don't know about an outcast, but we don't fit in if you turn on the T.V. and hear music. It's probably not going to be something that resembles anything I do. I don't particularly care. Early on you run into people in the music business who want you to conform to whatever is selling. Most musicians get steered in commercial directions. To me that's what's wrong with the — see I can't even call it 'the music business.' 'The entertainment business' is better. It's gotten so far away from musical values or artistic values. I find that abhorrent. I'm really turned off by that. I think that has nothing to do with creativity or expression. There are so many styles that are underneath this really bad façade of manufactured crap. Underneath it all, it's all supported by the foundation of — like the blues, country music, classical. All the real music of the world holds up this garbage. Usually they have to involve real musicians somewhere in the process, but it's gotten so distorted by the business people, that are just trying to make a buck, I just can't relate to popular music. I don't listen to it. I don't like it. I don't see any value in it other than providing income for a bunch of people.
“We search for acceptance, yet we give not freely...”
"There is a lot more to people, then you might give them credit for."
Addictions: I spent many years unknowingly acquiring them, now I spend every minute trying to fight them.
"There is a lot more to people, then you might give them credit for."
Addictions: I spent many years unknowingly acquiring them, now I spend every minute trying to fight them.
I don't want a Slip studio album to sound like the live experience. I want it to be produced and have lots of instruments and obscure sounds and overdubs and all of that. they already do the live thing well, everyone knows that; now they're trying to master the studio setting. makes good sense to me. I'd rather see them do that then see them settle into the usual comfort zone every other jam band gets into, doing the same jammy shit their whole career and churning out fucking awful studio albums every few years. I'm really glad that The Slip decided to try something new and push their limits further. it's not like they gave up their instrumental skills in favor of playing three-chord pop-punk or anything, either. saying this album is "marketed for the masses" seems to be a bit of an exagguration. they're still great musicians and I think it does show up on this CD. they might be "indie" now but Brad can still make more interesting music with his eyes clothes and one arm behind his back than that guy from The Shins. I'm starting to ramble so I'll end with this: the album has a different sound than past Slip albums, yes, but the fact is they're still great musicians, they're just applying their skills to a new way of doing things. It's not perfect by any means but I don't think it's anywhere near a failure, either.
"I imagine the old school fans will not have a whole lot of positive comments." - Jeff from the Great State of North Carolina.
You just don't get it do you, Jeff.
C'mon man, listen to the album. It's not about politics, its about the music. And the music is superb.
And this whole business of the record being overproduced for the masses is NONSENSE.
As an OLD-SCHOOL Slip fan, I can tell that I am absolutely thrilled and near ecstatic that BAM is hitting the mainstream.
You just don't get it do you, Jeff.
C'mon man, listen to the album. It's not about politics, its about the music. And the music is superb.
And this whole business of the record being overproduced for the masses is NONSENSE.
As an OLD-SCHOOL Slip fan, I can tell that I am absolutely thrilled and near ecstatic that BAM is hitting the mainstream.
I really like the new album. That said I do think it is a bit over-produced. (don't kill me Phrazz! 
) It's not a lot over-produced and I like a lot of the deep aural scapes of the music but there are a few touches here and there which I would have held back on.
As far as David Grisman's opinions I love the man's music but when he talks about modern music he comes across as being an unbearable snob. His preferences in music are quite respectable but his attitude is annoying. I don't think a lot of teenagers are getting turned on to his music however.
There is a great little spoken bit in the video "Anthem to Beauty" about the Grateful Dead's process in making Anthem of the Sun (which for its time was very produced though unlike Ike didn't have a lot of commercial viability) where Croz talks about sneaking little nuggets of truth and beauty into the great stream of commercial shit which I kind of feel like Ike does.
My girlfriend's 18 year old brother was by here the other day with his buddy and I was playing Eisenhower. They both were bopping their heads and asked "what is this?" These guys listen to hip-hop and heavy metal mostly but I am trying to turn them on to good stuff and he has gotten into Gov't Mule (heavy enough for him I guess) but I doubt these guys would have asked me what was playing if I was playing Live is My Jumby or some older show. I think that's a good thing, people can like the short catchy tunes but if they go to a Slip show they can hear some epic 20 minute Get Me With Fuji or Wolof or one of the softer songs and see what the Slip are really capable of.
I do think the Slip crowd will grow as a result of Ike and probably some different types of people will be drawn in but they won't stay around long if they don't have an ear for good music and in the long run I think that's what really matters.
) It's not a lot over-produced and I like a lot of the deep aural scapes of the music but there are a few touches here and there which I would have held back on. As far as David Grisman's opinions I love the man's music but when he talks about modern music he comes across as being an unbearable snob. His preferences in music are quite respectable but his attitude is annoying. I don't think a lot of teenagers are getting turned on to his music however.
There is a great little spoken bit in the video "Anthem to Beauty" about the Grateful Dead's process in making Anthem of the Sun (which for its time was very produced though unlike Ike didn't have a lot of commercial viability) where Croz talks about sneaking little nuggets of truth and beauty into the great stream of commercial shit which I kind of feel like Ike does.
My girlfriend's 18 year old brother was by here the other day with his buddy and I was playing Eisenhower. They both were bopping their heads and asked "what is this?" These guys listen to hip-hop and heavy metal mostly but I am trying to turn them on to good stuff and he has gotten into Gov't Mule (heavy enough for him I guess) but I doubt these guys would have asked me what was playing if I was playing Live is My Jumby or some older show. I think that's a good thing, people can like the short catchy tunes but if they go to a Slip show they can hear some epic 20 minute Get Me With Fuji or Wolof or one of the softer songs and see what the Slip are really capable of.
I do think the Slip crowd will grow as a result of Ike and probably some different types of people will be drawn in but they won't stay around long if they don't have an ear for good music and in the long run I think that's what really matters.
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january_collection
sorry, but what does 'over-produced' mean? is that a jamband term for a non-live album or a studio record made with more than protools LE in the band's basement?
Is there a great album that is under or medium-ly produced you can use as a comparison? I just want a frame of reference - that term seems rather loose.
Is there a great album that is under or medium-ly produced you can use as a comparison? I just want a frame of reference - that term seems rather loose.
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_tote
In all fairness, the allman brothers "Eat a peach" was well produced, but definitely not "Over produced". If the great Tom Dowd were still around, he could certainly walk the line between raw live energy and studio listenability with our boys. I see what people are saying, but the slip are simply not the allman bro's or Eric Clapton.. or the dead. They're quite a bit younger for one...
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rhythmicstorm
- Get Me with Fuji
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 5:02 pm
over-produced could imply many things. examples:
1. too many parts to the arrangement, too many extras, too many frills.
2. over-compressed, which is flattening out the levels making it less dynamic.
3. highly-polished sound as opposed to a more live, raw sound.
4. a very predictable, stale arrangement
by the way, it is not my opinion that ike is over-produced.
cheerio!
1. too many parts to the arrangement, too many extras, too many frills.
2. over-compressed, which is flattening out the levels making it less dynamic.
3. highly-polished sound as opposed to a more live, raw sound.
4. a very predictable, stale arrangement
by the way, it is not my opinion that ike is over-produced.
cheerio!
You that love lovers, this is your home. Welcome!
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omg
I think people say it sounds over produced because it sounds hardly anything like what The Slip sound like live. Brad's voice sounds like it has been put through many wires and computers before coming out on Eisenhower.
I have no idea if that's what actually happened, but the surprise I felt when I first heard the album was solely due to the production, especially on If One Of Us Should Fall.
Basically, everything sounds slightly fuzzy.
I have no idea if that's what actually happened, but the surprise I felt when I first heard the album was solely due to the production, especially on If One Of Us Should Fall.
Basically, everything sounds slightly fuzzy.
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Dan
- Camp Shuey Counselor
- Posts: 1060
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:15 am
- Location: The Inner Ear
- Contact:
i would say it has a lot of saturation.
Everything bleeds into one another, yet if you sit with a great pair of headphones or a wild car stereo, you can hear each individual part much more thorough. To be able to extract these sounds was before easier at slipshows where i felt as though there were 20 men on stage. But now there are more sounds, each with very specific tones and meanings. It is a wonderful array of sonic assault and I'm just finding more each listen
-ah.d.o's
-dan
Everything bleeds into one another, yet if you sit with a great pair of headphones or a wild car stereo, you can hear each individual part much more thorough. To be able to extract these sounds was before easier at slipshows where i felt as though there were 20 men on stage. But now there are more sounds, each with very specific tones and meanings. It is a wonderful array of sonic assault and I'm just finding more each listen
-ah.d.o's
-dan
<a href="http://www.theslipstream.org">
<img src="http://www.theslipstream.org/images/ban ... stream.gif"> </a>
<img src="http://www.theslipstream.org/images/ban ... stream.gif"> </a>
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tote_
yo
to OMG: this Allman Brothers' album. Definitely not two disc, and definitely not live.
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Peach-Allman- ... hisProduct
But the way it was recorded is totally different. They played live in the studio. I don't think much of Eisenhower was recorded that way. Does and From the Gecko were a different story. Even Angels was recorded live in the studio I believe. And what a tour de force that was btw. All I was saying, you don't hear anything except a master producer capturing the instruments of some stellar musicians perfectly on eat a peach. It has virtually no frills whatsoever. All in the mix. That's all I was saying. That was partly Tom Dowd's vision and partially common sense for that particular And considering the slip's past work, it used to make sense to record them in a similar fashion. For these songs, the meticulous construct definitely was needed. I just hope its' beauty isn't lost on all of us purists.
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Peach-Allman- ... hisProduct
But the way it was recorded is totally different. They played live in the studio. I don't think much of Eisenhower was recorded that way. Does and From the Gecko were a different story. Even Angels was recorded live in the studio I believe. And what a tour de force that was btw. All I was saying, you don't hear anything except a master producer capturing the instruments of some stellar musicians perfectly on eat a peach. It has virtually no frills whatsoever. All in the mix. That's all I was saying. That was partly Tom Dowd's vision and partially common sense for that particular And considering the slip's past work, it used to make sense to record them in a similar fashion. For these songs, the meticulous construct definitely was needed. I just hope its' beauty isn't lost on all of us purists.