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Re: Thoughts on OtR...

Pretty Boy Kyle writes:

> > i didn't know otr in the "good old days."  i first heard them 5 years ago
>  > when my brother made me buy Patience, and the only concerts i've been to
>  were
>  > the emery concert in 97 and 3 shows this year.
>  
>  and you are telling me that you don't think there is a huge drop off 
between
>  the stuff on Patience and their recent attempts?   OtR's music used to be
>  lively, with rhythm and spirit. not to mention Karin's voice used to be so
>  much clearer.  Jack's lackluster guitar playing cannot hold the candle to
>  what Rich used to do for the band.  There were songs last Saturday where i
>  saw Jack playing the guitar, but he had very little contribution to the
>  music.  and it was comical when everyone went nuts over his strumming the
>  guitar, yeah, that's hard to do...And of course their recent insistence on
>  playing mostly as a trio without a drummer or a bassist hasn't helped their
>  case any.

I'll agree with you that Jack isn't the guitarist that Ric is.  I don't know 
if any of us on here would argue that point.  It does not necessarily follow 
that OtR sucks now though.  I can also agree that regularly having a drummer 
and bassist would help them sound better, but here again, not having them 
doesn't necessarily mean that Over the Rhine isn't worth listening to.  Yeah, 
it'd be nice if they'd cut loose and tear it up with a really rockin' number, 
but slower, mellower music has its place too.  The way I look at it, although 
OtR isn't the same band as they were with Ric, all that really means in the 
long run is that we now two bands worth listening to, not just one.  
(Speaking of Monk, anyone know how a California boy like me can get hold of 
their new disc?)
  
>  >so - my perspective isn't as
>  > broad as it could be, but to say that OtR is lifeless . . . good God!
>  where
>  > were you Saturday night?  surely you weren't at the same show.
>  > the band _is_ evolving into something that it wasn't previously.
>  
>  actually, at this point, I'd say you are pretty clueless, maybe even go out
>  on a limb and say you are on Crack!!!  OtR is evolving into another 
mediocre
>  band.  As far as i can tell, there has been a slow decline ever since Eve,
>  maybe even Patience, but Good Dog Bad Dog was definitely the beginning of
>  the end.  I think Lindford's attempt to get rid of everyone in the band who
>  is just as talented maybe more so than him is destroying the band.  He'd
>  probably get rid of Karin, except that they are married...

Are you sure you're not the one whose judgment is impaired??  Although TWHF, 
Patience, and Eve were my introductions to the band, and have many of my 
favorite songs of theirs, I regard GDBD as their best album.  No, it doesn't 
rock, but it doesn't have to either.

Steve
oncleboo at aol_com

np:  Pierce Pettis - "Chase the Buffalo"

"I alternate between fantasy and the cold hard truth; I oscillate between the 
cool and the uncouth; but I resonate to the piercing eyes of God I sought in 
my youth." -- The 77's