The Codetalkers Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
The Codetalkers list Southern rock maverick Col. Bruce Hampton as a member, but, as has been true of Hampton's previous band associations, he has been less involved with the group as time has gone on. Here, he provides the childlike drawings on the cover and elsewhere, turns in a guitar solo on the closing track, "Sound Sister," does some singing, and gets credits on a couple of group-written tunes. But the dominant force in the Codetalkers is former Berklee School of Music teacher Bobby Lee Rodgers, who is, as might be expected, an accomplished guitarist. The rhythm section of Ted Pecchio and Tyler Greenwell provides propulsive grooves for Rodgers' songs, which are mostly in a jazzy, jam band style. None of the album's 12 tracks crosses the five-minute mark, but it's clear that the soloing could go on much longer if it were allowed to; probably, a live show of this material would run twice as long. Rodgers is a strong addition to the Southern music tradition of which the mercurial Hampton is a guiding spirit. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The self-titled debut album by the Code Talkers originally came out in 2001, but that self-released edition had very limited distribution, and it wasn't until 2004's reissue under the title Deluxe Edition that most fans of Col. Bruce Hampton's previous outfits discovered his new incarnation. A shame, since these are among Hampton's best songs; freed from the noodly tendencies of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Hampton and his co-leader, Bobby Lee Rodgers, here venture closer to the skewed pop of NRBQ. (Actually, the ultraquirky "Rice Clients" steers straight to They Might Be Giants land.) The songs are catchy in a variety of roots rocking styles, with the rockabilly snap of "Beggin'" and the dry pop/rock wit of "Body in the Lake" particular highlights. The difference between the out of print original copy and Deluxe Edition is new artwork and the attention of a minor new song, a Hampton-Rodgers duet called "Something Wrong." If you have the first edition, giving Deluxe Edition a pass won't be a hardship, but Hampton fans and other aficionados of the poppier side of jam bands should seek it out. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One in a long line of bands for the infamous Col. Bruce Hampton, the Code Talkers provide Hampton with his most sympathetic ensemble since the Aquarium Rescue Unit, though at times they sound like a low-grade version of the latter. The band's debut release, a live recording, captures the Code Talkers' versions of a number of Hampton standards, including the spirituals "Working on a Building," "Fixin' to Die," and "Yield Not to Temptation," and Hampton originals like "No Egos Underwater" and "Basically Frightened" (which contains the hilariously deep insight "I wake up in the morning and know that this is the only planet with chickens/I am basically frightened"). Hampton co-fronts the band with banjoist/guitarist Bobby Lee Rodgers, who contributes a number of original numbers to the set (including "Ferry Boat" and "Niagara Falls"). Rodgers' numbers, by comparison, are confusingly straightforward, making one wonder if they are the punch line to Hampton's joke or if Hampton's songs are a punch line to Rodgers'. In any event, Rodgers (along with drummer Nick Buda and bassist Ted Pecchio) fares much better as an instrumentalist, giving the music an air of jam band improvisation not evident in the Fiji Mariners, Hampton's previous group. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide
