Big Head Todd & the Monsters Albums (10)
'Live at the Fillmore'
Release Date 9/14/2004
Tracks 17
Label Sanctuary
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Still slogging it out in the jam band asylum, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, like Blues Traveler, had that one uncharacteristic big hit ("Bittersweet") that gave them a taste of the big time, but didn't allow them to keep basking in its glory. That said, the band has a loyal following that's large enough to warrant it playing San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium . This live double-disc set is drawn from two evenings of performances at the fabled venue. The trio of Todd Park Mohr, Rob Squires, and Brian Nevin is augmented by keyboardist Jeremy Lawton, percussionist Gary Greene and backing vocalist Hazel Miller. Sonically this joint rules! It's loud, proud, and full of a righteous raw ambience. The material ranges from across the band's studio catalog but the majority of tracks are taken from the band's last album, Crimes of Passion, with six from Sister Sweetly -- among them "Bittersweet," and "Broken Hearted Savior." There are also cuts from Riviera and Beautiful World to round out the package. These performances are edgy, overdriven, and the true measure of what the Monsters are like as a live band. If they've been cleaned up, they don't feel like it, and the sheer raucousness of the presentation, even on the softer material, gives it a freshness and immediacy that is sorely lacking in other live albums. Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On "Dirty Juice," the opening track from Big Head Todd & the Monsters' Crimes of Passion, one has to do a double-take to make sure it's not a ZZ Top album in the player. This happens in two other places on the set as well, on "Conquistador" and "Love Transmission." No, this is not a good thing, but there is plenty of good news as well. The other eight cuts here are among the most ambitious and beautiful that Todd Park Mohr and company have ever put to tape. It is shot through the album with the beautifully woven acoustic and electric guitars, the subtle synthesized ambiences and rhythms, and the organic juxtaposed with the electronic on tracks like the streetwise, shuffling, Caribbean-kissed strut of "Beauty Queen"; the sci-fi country music that emanates from "Drought of 2013"; the shimmering soul of "Angela Dangerlove"; the driving, off-kilter funk blues of "Come On"; the wispy, late-night folksy lounge groove of "Imaginary Ships"; the paranoid, post-Boz Scaggs R&B of "ICU in Everything"; the wispy, haunting, elegiac rock of "Lost Child Astronaut"; and the drifting, lilting, poignantly wrought folk song that is "Peacemaker's Blues." In all this is a very strong record that features three tracks that seem more a nod to the ghosts of the boogie jam band that was Big Head Todd rather than having much to do with the cats who laid these other tracks down. This album gives up its secrets slowly, but the payoff is big despite the cloying big rock & roll setbacks. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For a while there, it seemed like every town had a band like Big Head Todd & the Monsters -- and, if you live in a college town, you probably still have at least one that does. They're a roots band in the post-R.E.M. age, turning out serious, melodic, lightly jangly guitar rock that's very earnest and straight-ahead. At the height of alt-rock, they were on the cusp of success, but they pushed too hard -- hard enough that they wound up compromising their sound without the commercial rewards. This happened on two successive efforts, and they eventually retreated for a long, long time, taking five years between studio records before reappearing in 2002 with Riviera. This is a modest affair, never pushing too hard toward radio or to their jam roots. Frankly, after two deliberately calculated albums, the return to their simple roots is welcome, especially since they've cut away all excessive tendencies and made a clean, rather melodic, enjoyable record. There is no "Bittersweet" -- and even if there were one, it probably wouldn't get them radio play in 2002 -- but the songs are all sturdy, whether they're rockers (like the first-rate opener "Julianna"), or contemplative ballads, and they resonate because the group no longer is swinging for the bleachers, they're simply playing the game the best they know how. And, by doing so, they've wound up with their best record in nearly a decade. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
College-circuit faves Big Head Todd & the Monsters save the best for first, opening their overlong live disc Live Monsters with their best track, "Bittersweet." Several other tunes approach the melodic hook of this great song. ~ Tim Sheridan, All Music Guide
'Beautiful World'
Release Date 2/11/1997
Tracks 12
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Strategem was an unexpected failure, delivered exactly at the moment when Big Head Todd & the Monsters could have broken into the mainstream. With its follow-up, Beautiful World, the group regained its musical strengths. The Monsters jam with an expert grace throughout the record, particularly with guests John Lee Hooker and Bernie Worrell, and producer Jerry Harrison helps keep things focused. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Midnight Radio is Big Head Todd & the Monsters' second indie album. The group was inspired by listening to board tapes of their live shows and decided to record their second album at concerts. Midnight Radio is not a live album as much as it is a record that captures the band in their element. It ended up in Top Ten lists for many national publications, before the band signed a record contract. The two-track live recording created a wonderful ambience, which is much different than the band's major label debut, the gold Sister Sweetly. Though Sister Sweetly is the better sounding album, Midnight Radio is often considered the band's best by many Big Head Todd & the Monsters fans. Song highlites include the original version of "Bittersweet," which was re-recorded for their debut and is the band's most popular song. "Vincent of Jersey" is the one-minute solo song that opens the album. Despite its brevity, it is one of the album's better songs. "Midnight Radio" is also a strong song, with vocals similar to Mark Knopfler and blazing guitar solos. This album prioritizes Todd Park Mohr's guitar work more than the bass or drums, but it is his skills around which the band -- and its songs -- is based. The stark recording sounds a bit tinny at times, but the material and performances make Midnight Radio one of the best of the jam band genre. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
That big head of Todd Park Mohr's is full of country and folk guitar licks (played on electric guitar à la '60s folk-rock) that give his music a relentlessly familiar feel, even if he does get his riffs secondhand from R.E.M. albums. Similarly, his husky voice and slightly slurred enunciation evoke generations of rock singers. So, his band's debut album, while pleasantly recognizable on first listen, also has trouble distinguishing itself. After a while, though, the subtlety of his lyrics becomes more apparent, and while the result isn't as impressive as, say, the Smiths, Mohr proves to have an individual world view beyond the chiming guitar chords. (Originally released in 1989 on the group's own Big Records label, Another Mayberry was reissued by Giant Records in 1994.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With guitars remaining firmly in the forefront, Colorado's Big Head Todd And The Monsters ease into their album Sister Sweetly with a laid-back gait. The best of this loping stuff - like "It's Alright" - makes for catchy, radio-ready fare, as does the more rollicking "Bittersweet." Todd Park Mohr's vocals drawl smoky and inviting. But it's not until track 10 ("Circle") that the warmly glowing embers do more than wind hypnotically around a song, finally erupting into full, flaming guitars and vocal pyrotechnics. Along the way, The Monsters touch on breezy funk ("Groove Thing") and acoustic roots ("Soul For Every Cowboy"). ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide
