Leftover Salmon Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Colorado's Leftover Salmon have spent the majority of their career basking in the herbal-infused glow of the jam band circuit. While their devoted fans may indeed celebrate the often-polarizing "hippie" aesthetic, the band has undergone enough significant changes in the last few years to warrant a mild reconsideration of the moniker. The Grateful Dead seal of approval has marred and helped the group, winning them packed houses and prime festival slots while causing some to write them off as purveyors of collegiate bong-passing and disposable noodling. This is both true and false, mostly the latter as shown by their self-titled, sixth full-length -- not including the hundreds of bootlegs -- record. Judging by their last two releases, the one-off collaboration with Cracker, O Cracker, Where Art Thou?, and the well-received, star-studded Nashville Sessions, their bluegrass leanings have only intensified. Produced by frequent collaborator and Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne, the band delivers 11 tracks of solid newgrass that occasionally cross over into folk and blues. Twenty-one-year-old newcomer and Béla Fleck protégé Noam Pikelny adds some serious heat to the mix, especially on the instrumental "Lincoln at Nevada." Like the early work of John McEuen and Martin Simpson, he's technically sharp as well as creative, and his enthusiasm carries much of the record, providing "one-man band," multi-talented Drew Emmitt with a little less to worry about. They sound more like Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder now than they do any of their grassroots contemporaries, and that bodes well for their future. While no new ground within the genre is broken, Leftover Salmon remain one of the more talented (and tolerable) acts associated with the jam band scene. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
'O Cracker, Where Art Thou?'
Release Date 5/6/2003
Tracks 10
Label Pitch A Tent
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What The Critics Say
It's not exactly an outgrowth of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? phenomenon, nor is it quite an "unplugged" set, but this album does offer stripped-down, partially acoustic arrangements of songs better known in rock versions. On this session, Cracker members David Lowery and Johnny Hickman sing a group of familiar Cracker songs that have appeared previously on the group's albums, backed by the alternative country band Leftover Salmon. So, for example, leadoff track "Get off This" from Kerosene Hat becomes a bluegrass/reggae number, while "Eurotrash Girl," which follows, becomes a country-waltz with a plunking banjo playing along. Cracker's oddball lyrics get greater emphasis in these arrangements, but Lowery and Hickman are careful to sing them straightforwardly, as if they were no more unusual than the words to the average country song. And some of those words are given new shades of meaning in this context. Now that "Teen Angst" is being played as a fast-paced bluegrass breakdown, its refrain, "'Cause what the world needs now/Is another folksinger/Like I need a hole in my head," comes off more wry and less smug than it did on Cracker's self-titled debut album, as each chorus is followed by extensive soloing. O Cracker, Where Art Thou? provides a different way of hearing Cracker's catalog that may help a new audience recognize the quality of the group's songs. And Leftover Salmon provides plenty of good picking. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
What a difference just a couple of years can make. Back in 1999, Leftover Salmon sounded ready to assume its rightful place in a progressive bluegrass stream overflowing with a new generation of jam bands. Perhaps they were finally settling down. But with the exception of a lively version of the late John Hartford's "Steam Powered Aereoplane" (on which the band is joined by former New Grass Revival vocalist John Cowan), "Out in the Woods," and "Get Me Outta This City," this energetic live set finds these tie-dyed Colorado sons just as willing to flop in any number of new, unexpected directions. Of course, that's how the band's live shows have always worked, so it will come as little surprise to longtime fans. The band's relatively new rhythm section -- Jose Martinez (drums), Greg Garrison (bass), and Bill McKay (keyboards) -- sounds as comfortable playing New Orleans R&B and blues-based boogie as working through an extended psychedelic jam like "Dark Green Thing." One thing that doesn't seem to have changed is this band's sense of fun. If Leftover Salmon and its fans share any kind of philosophy beyond the band's patented "polyethnic Cajun slamgrass" aesthetic, it's that anything goes. Or that anything would go, in a perfect world. This openness has helped make the band a popular draw on the jam band touring circuit, and it goes a long way toward making Live the best introduction yet to the band's unique sound and sensibilities. The enhanced portion of the CD includes a video for the opening track, "Let's Give a Party," filmed in June 2001 at the band's Salmonfest in Lesterville, MO, where most of the album was also recorded. On a sad note, 39-year-old banjo player and vocalist Mark Vann succumbed to cancer just two months prior to this album's release. ~ Brian Beatty, All Music Guide
'The Nashville Sessions'
Release Date 9/14/1999
Tracks 13
Label Hollywood
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Those who don't pay attention to the jam band underground may be excused for wondering why such luminaries as Del and Ronnie McCoury, Taj Mahal, Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Jo-El Sonnier, Jerry Douglas, Lucinda Williams, and Waylon Jennings appear on an album by Leftover Salmon, but those in the know will be aware of the Colorado act's burgeoning reputation. Throughout the '90s, the group quietly built up a following with a series of solid records and constant touring. By the end of the decade, they had become a popular cult band and were on a major label, which gave them the opportunity to record the star-studded Nashville Sessions. Every song on the album features a duet of some sort, and producer Randy Scruggs was able to secure the big names, which certainly gives the album character. Still, the set wouldn't be much more than glorified stunt casting if it didn't give Leftover Salmon an opportunity to flex their muscles, to illustrate how far they've come over the years. Not only are they working with strong material (something that hasn't always happened on their previous albums), but Scruggs keeps things clean and simple, putting the spotlight on the music itself. Throughout it all, Leftover Salmon successfully keep pace with their heavyweight guests and, in the process, they turn in the most charming album of their career to date. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Fans of Phish and the H.O.R.D.E. groups will enjoy Leftover Salmon's major label debut Euphoria, an unpretentious collection spotlighting the group's "polyethnic cajun slamgrass" sound. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Among the better second generation of jam bands, Leftover Salmon has made their odorous and fishy name playing energetic live sets that highlight their "polyethnic Cajun slamgrass" aesthetic. This first live album goes a long way toward explaining the band's popularity with a growing fan base. Skillfully hopping from genre to genre, often within a single song, the band plays with the muscle that a lot of noodling jam bands lack. There's also an ever-present sense of humor -- part Holy Modal Rounders, part John Hartford, part MAD magazine -- that's as fractured as the band's good-time hippie sound. Standout tracks include the extended title tune, the bluegrass standard "Reuben's Train," a reggae-fied "When the Levee Breaks," and the Caribbean-flavored "Jokester." A fun introduction to a bunch of Colorado boys who sound like they're having a great time doing things their own weird way. ~ Brian Beatty, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
"Mention that the title is a reference to an Ecstasy high," muttered Bart the Stoner upon learning that a review was in the works for Bridges to Bert, dating from 1993 and the earliest item in the discography of Leftover Salmon. Hopefully, drug references will not be the most enduring legacy of an eclectic outfit that promoted its set list as "poly-ethnic slamgrass." Still, there is an enduring image of frontman Vince Herman wandering on-stage for the first morning set of a brilliant music festival organized deep in the Appalachians, hefting a bong and chanting "Yes, we gonna rise up! We gonna wake and bake!" An interesting aspect of the manner in which listeners follow the activities of certain bands hasn't changed much since the days of territory bands wandering certain regions. Based out of Boulder, CO, Leftover Salmon toured mightily in many areas of the United States, among them all the southern Appalachian states. Fans of the band living there potentially might have caught ten gigs by the time Bridges to Bert was erected in 1993. Across the span of several sets, the group's exorbitant sampling of genres made plenty of sense. There was always enough time for lots of bluegrass and old-timey music, which up until the death of banjo player Mark Vann was something this group did brilliantly, perhaps with as much power as electric bluegrass pioneers the Osborne Brothers. Material desired by the boogie bozos, including reggae and Cajun, felt better in the shadowy scent of an excited audience then seeping out of a stereo speaker, a setting where it has to compete with recordings by masters in these genres. Right from the outset it didn't seem like the discography would be the place to really understand Leftover Salmon's charm or abilities. Even with the CD's extended playing time, a group that worked well in long form had to make too many choices regarding what to document and what to present. Business pressures must have been severe, as a group that has already established a certain momentum as a live act can get in the habit of expecting each new CD to be an industry breakthrough and putting it together accordingly. This type of thinking has nothing to do with what made this a fun group, hampering the quality of most of Leftover Salmon sides when obvious. That problem is combined with the usual bumps of a first release, still Bridges to Bert still leads to many wonderful vistas, especially when the lads are picking bluegrass. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
