moe. Albums (14)
'Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 2'
Release Date 11/25/2008
Tracks 11
Label Fatboy
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
While the first volume of the Dr. Stan's Prescription series captured two moe. performances, volume two limits itself to a single concert: the first night of moe.down 2001, the band's annual festival in upstate New York. Covers are mostly absent this time, apart from a middling rendition of "Don't Fear the Reaper" that features the spottiest vocals of the entire night. Elsewhere, the band is in classic form, delivering all the staples of a moe. show while the crowd cheers in the background. There's a 15-minute bass solo, a lushly diverse version of "Moth," and an epic "Time Ed" that stretches for nearly half an hour, a running time that dwarfs the succinct songs featured on Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 1. It rained during this performance -- something that the band references multiple times from the stage -- and moe. sounds especially tight as a result, as if they owed it to their soggy audience to turn in a solid performance. Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 2 is an altogether stronger album than its predecessor, as it offers a more definitive picture of the band in a uniquely homey environment. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
'Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 1'
Release Date 9/2/2008
Tracks 29
Label Fat Boy
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
This three-disc collection marks the debut entry in moe.'s Dr. Stan series, which features complete, unedited performances assembled by the band's own archivist, Dr. Stan Lobitz. The majority of the track list comes from a 2004 performance aboard a Caribbean cruise ship, while the album's "filler" is taken from a gig in Colorado in 1995. The band sounds loose and comfortable during the cruise ship segment, a mood no doubt indebted for the sunshine and tropical vibes that permeated the pool deck, and moe. even tosses out a few covers for the occasion: Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive," "Turn on Your LoveLight" as interpreted by the Grateful Dead, and a rather imprecise (but well-meaning) version of the Band's "The Weight." Rounding out the latter halves of discs two and three is the 1995 performance, which includes a hyperactive performance of "Dr. Graffenberg" as well as a barreling, jam-head take on "Havah Negilah." It's interesting to jump back in time with this decade-old set, during which the band introduces itself as "merely the appetizer for Leftover Salmon" (presumably the headliner for the evening). moe. has since established itself as a jam-band heavyweight with far more albums in its catalog than Leftover Salmon, and fans of the band will be interested in hearing the "then and now" switcheroo that this collection presents. As is the case with many moe. releases, this one is for fans only -- but fans will surely eat it up. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For better or for worse, moe. has always been a live band. Studio albums from such groups have a tradition of being iffy affairs, as the musicians involved suddenly find themselves without an audience, without applause, and without the artistic license to improvise to their hearts' content. During the early 2000s, moe. battled the confinements of the studio by combining live performances with recorded tracks, creating a sort of compromise between the flexibility of a live show and the crispness of a studio product. Albums like Wormwood and Conch benefited from this approach, but 2008's Sticks and Stones is a different animal entirely. Recorded in three short weeks inside a New England church, it focuses exclusively on moe. as a studio outfit. The group's songwriting has matured since the '90s (when the majority of their studio work was released), which helps Sticks and Stones come across as a progressive step forward despite its relaxed, somewhat subdued sound. There are no extended drum solos here, no improvised guitar riffs, and only a handful of long, instrumental passages. Instead, the quintet channels the radio-ready classic rock of the Grateful Dead and the Eagles, complete with pleasing (if slightly imperfect) harmonies, tight songcraft, and plenty of guitar muscle. Working with the studio rather than in spite of it, the band pulls of a number of tricks that simply wouldn't work in a live setting, from the acoustic fretwork of "September" (one of the most haunting, striking ballads they've ever attempted) to the footstomps and fiddles of the Celtic drinking song "Raise Your Glass." The tunes are short and concise, with as much emphasis placed on the bandmates' vocals -- which sound better here than they ever do live -- as their instrumental skills. So while Sticks and Stones is a change from the band's live catalog, it's certainly a welcome one, and it's been years since moe. sounded this well rounded. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
'Season Greetings from Moe.'
Release Date 11/5/2002
Tracks 10
Label Fat Boy
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With Season Greetings From Moe., moe. has managed to do something unique: they've made a cool, totally sincere Christmas album. That's not to say that all of it is successful. Their versions of "Blue Christmas" (crooned by guitarist Chuck Garvey), "We're A Couple of Misfits," and "Oh Hanukkah" crest with a surf-punk joy that's contagious. The band's two original contributions -- Rob Derhak's "Together at Christmas," and Al Schnier's "Home" -- aren't quite as good, though they carry a sweet earnestness that's hard to belittle. Certainly, there is a sense of camp about the band's covers, but it's not an ironic or demeaning camp. On one hand, it fits in neatly with the jam band scene where the band finds their home. On the other hand, most band's jokes aren't quite so serious -- at least to the extent that most bands don't record theme albums. With Season Greetings From Moe., moe. has provided a focus for their sense of humor and, in the bargain, integrated it perfectly (and, on average, tastefully) with their music. While the disc might be intended for fans only and was recorded semi-hastily, it could prove a subtly important stepping-stone for the band. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Conceived as an attempt to bridge the sometimes contradictory strengths of live and studio recording, Wormwood consists of rhythm tracks laid down by moe. at gigs played during the summer of 2002, with instrumental textures, solos, and vocals superimposed later on. All the work paid off, in the form of performances that have the kick of a concert groove with the tight focus and crisp production that comes from recording in a more controlled environment. The "you had to be there" quality that comes from unedited rambles on some jam band recordings is totally missing here, yet there's also little of the sardine-can constriction that can happen when musicians who like to stretch out are locked into a studio and told to be brilliant in three-minute increments. From the frenetic drum intro on "Not Coming Down" (which also features some of the only live crowd bleed-through on the album) through "Edison Laugh Record," a primitive and bizarre coda, Wormwood pours forth as a steady stream, with each cut flowing either directly or through a free-form segue into the next one; this offers a sense of unified performance that moe. fans will appreciate, while also emphasizing the variety of this selection. In the end, though it doesn't exactly replicate either their concert or studio personalities, Wormwood deserves notice for its ambitious goals and the flair with which they are achieved. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Dither, moe.'s first studio release since 1998's Tin Cans and Car Tires, found moe. exploring similar territory to Wilco's Summerteeth album, with a lesser degree of success. The songs themselves are curiously good, though moe.'s arrangements are perhaps too rooted in endless playing on the road, where the band spends most of its time. As such, extra instruments and production effects -- pianos, filter sweeps, DJs, synthesizers, and more -- often sound unfortunately tacked on. In places, though -- such as the incredibly catchy Paul Simon-influenced "New York City" or the introduction to the bittersweet "Faker" -- the group manages to transcend its limitations. While the sound is cluttered, it also finds two original voices emerging from the group: bassist Rob Derhak and, to a slightly lesser extent, guitarist Al Schnier. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded at several shows across their fall 1999 tour, L captures Moe in the process of moving from an adventurous bar and club band to a respectably polished theater act. With the reintegration of former drummer Jim Loughlin back into the band as a multi-instrumental utility man in early 1999, the band vastly expanded their textural palette. While the band tightened, though, they also ossified, losing some of their sense of improvisational risk-taking. The jams on the double album are swift and directed, but sound almost rehearsed to a fault (especially in contrast with their previous improv-based releases, the live album Loaf and Meat single). The version of "Meat" featured on L, for example, is quick and brutal. Its high energy improvisation is organized in the round as each player leads briefly before passing the musical baton to the next musician. While this keeps the music from drifting, it also robs the piece of collective creativity. Critics have often accused the band's sound of being derivative. While specific influences -- Frank Zappa, Neil Young, the Allman Brothers Band, to name a few -- are pretty easy to pick out, the band generally uses this to their advantage, creating a sound that carries with it a surprising amount of depth, mostly through highly personable interplay between the instruments, notably guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In a way, HeadSeed is the purest of moe.'s studio albums. Like Phish's Junta, the disc captures the band in first flowering. The basic concept of the band is stripped bare and sounds fresh: a lively mix of post-punk, ska, and hippie influences, without any particular grand aspirations other than to capture what they sound like. Just because the disc is a low budget effort doesn't mean it is without solid production values. Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey's guitars are mixed crisply, the vocals are in just the right balance, and the band resists the urge to mic the drums in any fancy manner. Most bands should be so lucky as to self-produce a disc that sounds this great. Above all, there is an amiable innocence to the music -- the classical-sounding acoustic guitar and ragamuffin harmonies on "Mexico," the swirling funk psychedelia of "Brent Black" and "Timmy Tucker," and the college pop of "St. Augustine" are all nothing less than charming as hell. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide
