Rusted Root Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Stereo Rodeo is Rusted Root's first studio album in seven years -- a long stretch of time by any measure but especially long for a group who at its heart is a working band, earning its audience by constant performances. Constant performances should lead to regular recordings, but not for Rusted Root in the new millennium, who released not a single collection of new material since the attempted pop crossover of 2002's Welcome to My Party. Stereo Rodeo has elements of that shiny gloss, but there's a heavy emphasis on their elastic worldbeat grooves which, more than ever, seem indebted to latter-day Talking Heads, only minus the esoteric egghead bent. Rusted Root still lean toward crowd-pleasing jams -- clearly evident on their slow take of Elvis' "Suspicious Minds," but also on their lengthy groove-oriented cuts where mood supersedes hooks, something that is a bit of a Rusted Root trademark. So in that sense, Stereo Rodeo could be seen as a correction or a tacit apology for the pop inclinations of Welcome to My Party, a way to get the band back to their roots without drawing attention to any machinations that get them there. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Rusted Root Live'
Release Date 11/16/2004
Tracks 22
Label Touchy Pegg
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Recorded during Rusted Root's Welcome to My Party tour in 2003, this double-disc presents seven of that album's 11 cuts, as well as 15 others in fine, raw, loose-groove, spunky form. The material from the aforementioned album comes off far better in this setting; the inherent nocturnal funk slithers and pop and polyrhythmic invention and a slippery, driving bass throb guiding the band into the backbone slipping ether. In these songs, one segues into another -- or gives the appearance of doing so -- as "Welcome to My Party" cascades into Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," and shapeshifts into "Cat Turned Blue" from 1994's When I Woke seamlessly, funky insistence intact, then comes back to the present with "Women Got My Money," that feels informed by Dr. John's "I Walk on Gilded Splinters" in concert, while pumping the gritty soul of "Weave" into the cover of Neil Young's "Powderfinger." This is a stunner; in the grain of Michael Glabicki's voice one can hear the rambling ghost of the Gun Club's Jeffrey Lee Pierce if he were backed by the souled-out excellence of RR's Liz Berlin and Jenn Wertz. Disc two kicks off with a beautiful reading of "Send Me on My Way," that is followed with the massive percussion workout "Ecstatic Drums," which segues into a stunning version of "Ecstasy." In other words, there's no let up in quality. There's the nocturnal voodoo crawl of "Food & Creative Love," the raucous, celebratory "Cruel Sun," the moving acoustic guitar shimmer in "Scattered," and the trance-like snake dance orgy of "Back to the Earth" that closes the set, just to name a few. Rusted Root takes a lot of unnecessary critical crap for their alterna-tribe appearance, but the bottom line is that this band throws down musically and has continued to grow and explore. The evidence of that is right here. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Welcome to My Party'
Release Date 4/9/2002
Tracks 11
Label Universal
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
On their fifth album, Welcome to My Party, Rusted Root decides to delve into full-fledged funkiness, tempering these elastic party grooves with their neo-hippie, acoustic earnestness. Both sides are polished rather heavily by producer Bill Bottrell, resulting in a record that feels like it positions the group to share territory with the Dave Matthews Band. Since they've been leaning in this direction for a while, this isn't an awkward move. Rusted Root remains as versatile as ever as musicians, and there are moments where the production and their sound gel. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Rusted Root's self-titled album is truly a tale of two sounds. The album wavers between hypnotic tribal grooves like "My Love" and hooky pop songs like the clapalong "Rising Sun." This dichotomy of styles keeps the listener off-balance and unsure of what is to come. The powerful rhythmic percussion, which is the heart of the band's sound, doesn't truly appear until the eighth track, "Agbadza." This song is a feast for the Root faithful who thrive on the band's drumming intricacies and jam-band appeal. Liz Berlin, who complements Mike Glabicki's lead vocals on a number of tracks, finally gets her due singing the lead on "Moon." Berlin's strong vocal performance adds another level of diversity to the album. However, these moments are too far and few between to satisfy the cult following that Rusted Root have gained through years of touring. Many of the songs deliver the feel of a Glabicki solo project rather than a collaborative effort. The one true gem that brings together the Glabicki-driven pop and the tribal groove is the cover of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Hot Tuna lends a hand to breathe new life into this classic and ends the album on a strong note. ~ Erik Crawford, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Produced by Jerry Harrison, Rusted Root's second album, Remember, illustrates that the jam band's instrumental skills are continuing to improve, while their songwriting remains stagnant. Half of the record is made up of songs that have strong hooks, while the rest simply function as a showcase for the group's worldbeat explorations and blues-rock jams. Harrison does help the band shape tracks like "Sister Contine" and "I Do Believe" into concise, catchy singles, but for most fans, the meat of the album lies in the jams. While these tracks don't have many melodic virtues, they do demonstrate that the band is continuing to improve as players, and has a lot of wonderful moments for fans of extended playing. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Rusted Root's concept of course on Cruel Sun is to infuse worldbeat licks into passionate rock music in order to make it more passionate still. There's a tribal element to the proceedings, announced by the Aztec-looking death's head on the cover and followed up by the chants and environmentalist messages on the disc. The songs all pull you in: the drumming thunders along, the largely acoustic guitar work is quick and harmonious, and there are lots of nice hooks and riffs. But the influences show far too much: the anthemic guitar work and declamatory vocals are right out of U2; the African vocal riff from "Send Me on My Way" is bad Ladysmith Black Mambazo; and the little quaver Mike Glabicki frequently gets in his voice is far too reminiscent of Roxy Music. On the other hand, the flute work on "Cat Turned Blue" is classy and does not sound at all like Jethro Tull. "Artificial Winter" builds very effectively to its ritual frenzy and makes good use of Liz Berlin's passionate cries. Cruel Sun walks that fine line between vision and pretension with just a little wobbling. Amazingly, even when you see the strings, the album still works, still compels, still rocks. ~ Kurt Keefner, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Rusted Root's debut album is an agreeable collection of post-hippie folk/rock. Drawing from The Grateful Dead, Phish, and Graceland-era Paul Simon in equal measures, the band can certainly work a low-key groove, spinning out solos and singsong melodies at well. They haven't perfected their songwriting yet -- many of the songs sound underdeveloped -- but their music sounds mature and hints at their potential. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
