My Trip to Ohio

[Jason Neely <bondibox at bellsouth_net>]

Random, Repeat.  So I'm not building a learned expectation when the song ends.  Big stereo only, maximum fidelity.  Ohio has grown on me since the moment I first listened, and liked it.  I now rank it among the most important albums of All_Time.  Seriously.  The strongest album since Quah.

When I bought the album I told them in the record store that OtR is one of a select group of artists who are able to seamlessly blend spirituality with double-entendre.  They're doing something a little different than the rest.  But OtR is more diverse, deep, accessible and honest than their peers - Bob Marley, Jorma, Santana, and the Verve.

Maybe these are obvious Gestalt comparisons, but to me there are distinct moments when I hear material from Bonnie Raitt _Streetlights_, Carole King, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Pretenders, Traffic "Dream Gerrard".  I can hear musical influences from the last 30 years but they aren't reminiscent, OtR takes a token sound and they rhineify it.  Ohio is a timeless classic.  It's so easily likeable, and it's also
the kind of album with which you can live with yourself.  You know, that maturing moment of critical introspection when you say "I wanna do better, I wanna try harder, I wanna believe down to the letter".

I could write a whole page on BPD.  It reminds me of ELO's "Telephone Line" with the same pace, lonely 1 sided conversation and build up to the full band.  There's that uneasiness gnawing away, like a conversation I've had with (one of) myself(s).  It's an indulgent depression caught in a Ben & Jerry's moment, but the absolute beauty of it is the unconditional, forgiving concern.  If I had to pick 2 songs that
really hit home, this would be one of them.

Favorite songs (most recent first):
Lifelong Fling
Long Lost Brother
Suitcase
Professional Daydreamer
Cruel & Pretty
Remind Us
HLHYBS
BPD


In the concert spot, the acoustic opener of "Latter Days" could be replaced with "Remind Us".  And I can see "Nobody #1" and "Lifelong Fling" both being done a la "My Love is a Fever".  Guess I'll know in a couple of days ;-)   Hope someone else rolls tape because I'm going for the experience.

2 Sets?

-jas



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