The String Cheese Incident Albums (8)
'One Step Closer'
Release Date 6/28/2005
Tracks 14
Label SCI Fidelity
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
While the String Cheese Incident has become known for its on-stage jamming, as captured on its three regular live albums (A String Cheese Incident Live, Carnival '99, and It's About Time), and its dozens of discount-priced, limited-edition concert transcriptions issued through the On the Road series, for its studio albums the band has tended to turn to outside producers, looking for a decisive voice to push them in new directions. Hence, Steve Berlin on Outside Inside and Youth on Untying the Not both presented different visions of what the String Cheese Incident could sound like, and Malcolm Burn (whose previous clients include Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and the Neville Brothers) presents yet another on One Step Closer. One might as easily say, however, that the group chooses a producer to help it facilitate a current sense of itself and its material, and Burn's function here seems to have been similar to what John Simon attempted with the Band on Music From Big Pink. Indeed, the group borrowed a house in the Rockies near its Boulder, CO, base and recorded there, just as the Band did in Woodstock, NY, back in the '60s. And, as with the Band, the point seems to have been to create a repertoire of material. This is not an album of jamming -- no song runs longer than five-minutes-and-twenty-seconds -- or solos, though there are moments when you can hear the group chomping at the bit to take off, usually just near the end of a track. This is an album of songs, and those songs have been carefully doled out among the five bandmembers, who get two or three writing credits each. Of course, some writers are better than others, especially as lyricists, and so there are some other names on the credits to beef up the words. Nashville songwriter Jim Lauderdale contributes to Billy Nershi's "Big Compromise" (a song that seems to be about band interactions) and Keith Moseley's "Brand New Start"; John Perry Barlow, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir, is part of Michael Kang's "Give Me the Love" and the group-composed "Drive"; and the Dead's other main lyricist, Robert Hunter, brings in a typically elliptical set of words for Kyle Hollingsworth's "45th of November." The result is a strong body of compositions that range from heartfelt love songs to fairly esoteric reflections, usually performed as cohesive shuffles in a jam band groove. No doubt they will be explored and extended further in concert (indeed, some already have been), but it's nice to have these compact studio versions as a jumping-off point. (The package also includes a DVD containing a half-hour "making of" documentary featuring interviews and studio footage.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After releasing a mammoth 40 live recordings from their 2002 tour, String Cheese Incident is back in the studio with easily the finest moment they have ever committed to tape in this environment. On Untying the Not, SCI erases the perception that the only thing they are capable of as a band is playing long, wonderfully intricate, transcendent jams rooted in songs in a live setting. SCI are also fine songwriters, and virtually everything here attests to the fact that they have attained not only new inner wisdom as a band when it comes to writing tunes, but in recording them as well. The gorgeous, warm, gooey, organic, and spacious sound producer Youth (yes, formerly of Killing Joke and formerly known as Martin Glover) weaves around the band's compositions updates its sounds without artifice or gimmick. Contrast two of the five instrumentals (all sequenced in a row, bridging the album's two themes from search to acceptance), the futuristic, deep-space, jazzy funk of "Mountain Girl," with the Appalachian balladry of "Elijah," where Michael Kang's strings and Kyle Hollingsworth intertwine intimately, becoming a kind of modern day Stephen Foster melody rooted in the grain of the land itself. On the vocal cuts, Billy Nershi's "Wake Up" is one of the more poetic and sophisticated lyrics out there, as he offers a practical view of everyday awareness of not only oneself but one's surroundings. It's a Zen track for an un-Zen time. The crunchy guitars and Rhodes piano as they contrast with the Wurlitzer and funky backbeat underscored by Keith Moseley's bass are positively infectious. Elsewhere, such as on the two collaborations with futuristic visionary John Perry Barlow, though, syncopated rock bends into droning sonics in overdrive as the lyric offers yet another view of awakening. "Just Passin' Through" uses Indian percussion and ambient guitarscapes to coax an acoustic into the fore where words about the transitory nature of life and how it exists in the body like a bubble in water are both tender and poetic. Ultimately, Untying the Not, is a deeply spiritual record. From its opening tracks to the tough, visionary, instrumentals to the economically rendered lyrics that stand on their own as poetry to the stunning inner poster by artist Alex Gray, it points to a moving and reflective stance on everyday life. It's interesting that this entire disc feels like it was influenced by Richard Linklater's film Waking Life. Untying the Not is a stream of white light making its way into the darkened corner that has become our culture. Full of possibility, fascination, delight, and stunningly beautiful music, this is arguably the defining moment -- thus far -- in SCI's catalog, live or studio. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Jam bands get rapped for their apparent bipolar nature: Few can duplicate the energy of their live shows in the sterile environment of a studio. But on their third studio album, the String Cheese Incident proves they can do it inside or out. Outside Inside has nearly as much energy as their vaunted live show and captures the joy with which they play. It overflows with effervescence on almost all of the very different tracks. Perhaps credit is due to their new producer, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. The cuts on this album sound fuller and more energetic than their previous studio albums, Born on the Wrong Planet and Round the Wheel. Even compared to their last album, Carnival 99, a live collection, the album stands up well. The band certainly has no fear when it comes to throwing disparate musical genres together on a single album. On the ruckus roots-rocker "Outside and Inside," the band shows the influence of the mother of all jam bands, the Grateful Dead, without coming across as imitators or hacks. The band delves deftly into Southern rock on "Sing a New Song," with Bill Nershi's slide guitar setting the tone. Keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth leads the funky "Lost" with his Hammond organ and pulls off a respectable salsa jazz piano on "Latinissmo." They'd have been better off, however, avoiding the calypso-tinged "Search," which sounds like a Jimmy Buffet reject. With all these styles to chose from, the band seems to be moving away from the bluegrass jams that it has been known for, but the final track, "Up the Canyon," gives older fans some down-home accordion and mandolin sounds to groove to. ~ Michael Gowan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For the past ten years, bands like the String Cheese Incident have been compared to Phish and, of course, the the Grateful Dead. This doesn't mean that the String Cheese Incident sounds like either band, but only that they, like the other bands, love to spin out long jams. It also means that they share a real melting pot of influences, including jazz, country, bluegrass, and rock & roll. Carnival '99 finds the band at its eclectic, jamming best, with two discs of live music from the '99 tour season. Piano/organ player Kyle Hollingsworth, mandolinist Michael Kang, bassist Keith Moseley, guitarist Bill Nershi, and percussionist Michael Travis jam their way through 14 tunes with generous time allotted for noodling. The band covers bluegrass on "Shenandoah Breakdown" and "Hold Watcha Got," funk on "Hey Pocky Way," and jazz on "Take Five" and "Birdland." Nershi's acoustic guitar work on a seven-minute version of "Take Five" creates a Charlie Byrd meets Dave Brubeck sound that gives this classic a fresh makeover. The 14-minute "Jellyfish" is a somewhat bizarre song that about a guy with a bad hangover who gets abducted by two girls in a Saab. From there, the song really becomes weird. The group's jams, while often developed for ten minutes plus, never meander. Their vocals and harmony -- unlike the Grateful Dead -- remain cohesive and effective. It's fortunate that Carnival '99 is a two disc set, because this allows the listener a chance to soak up over two hours of improvisational jams, which must be the closest thing to seeing the band live. The overall impression of the String Cheese Incident on Carnival '99 is that of an eclectic group of musicians with great improvisational skills who have a lot of fun performing. One can easily imagine a time when SCI Records will issue discs of complete shows instead of selections from a tour year. For now, Carnival '99 will provide old and new fans with the next best thing to being there. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
''Round the Wheel'
Release Date 8/11/1998
Tracks 11
Label SCI Fidelity
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Round the Wheel doesn't necessarily surpass the String Cheese Incident's first studio album, Born on the Wrong Planet, but it certainly achieves a fuller sound. The addition of Christian Teal on Brazilian percussion and Paul McCandless on soprano saxophone, especially on songs like "Come As You Are," create a sound full of complex rhythms and rich tones. Piano/organ player Kyle Hollingsworth, mandolinist/violinist Michael Kang, bassist Keith Moseley, guitarist Bill Nershi, and percussionist Michael Travis have thickened their already multifaceted musical stew. The group had produced good songs on their previous studio album -- Born on the Wrong Planet -- but many cuts like "Jellyfish" seemed only destined to reach their potential when performed live. Here, producer Jon O'Leary, along with the band, has created a studio album that can stand on its own. Many of the band's trademarks, nonetheless, remain, particularly their penchant for long songs/instrumentals that allow time for long jams. Both "Galactic" -- seven minutes -- and "MLT" -- six -- allow room for the band to stretch things out. "MLT" explores the same territory as "Come As You Are," with great guitar work by Nershi and a jazzy piano solo by Hollingsworth. A heavy dose of rhythm on "Got What He Wanted" harks back to the early '70s pop/rock, conjuring up images of Loggins and Messina at their funkiest. Tony Furtado sits in on banjo for a couple of progressive bluegrass cuts on "Restless Wind" and "Good Times Around the Bend." The group sings great bluegrass harmony and enjoys adding unusual instruments to the mix to shake things up (such as an accordion on the later cut). The only small complaint about this album is that on certain cuts, like the instrumental "Road Home," the soprano saxophone "softens" the overall sound, steering the band closer to smooth jazz. This aside, Round the Wheel is a good album. The band should be commended for attempting to push beyond the stereotype of the jam band that falls flat in the studio. ~ Ronnie Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
'A String Cheese Incident Live'
Release Date 10/14/1997
Tracks 10
Label Love Lights
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It may seem odd to have a 70-minute CD with only ten cuts, but this is par for the course when you're listening to a good jam band like the String Cheese Incident. Especially live. Unlike Carnival '99, A String Cheese Incident documents only one show from the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO, on February 27th, 1997. The ten-minute "Lonesome Fiddle Blues" kicks things off, featuring an instrumental barrage, ranging from Michael Kang on the electric violin to Kyle Hollingsworth on organ. Kang's jazzy samba "Pirates" gives the band plenty of room to show off their instrumental prowess without meandering. This ability to stay focused, even during the loosest of jams, keeps the music vital and the listener involved. On the standout "Land's End," the music ebbs and flows, alternating between flaming intensity and transient beauty. The band leaves room for lots of other surprises on A String Cheese Incident. Their version of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" is a real mindbender, starting with heavy guitar riffs, only to dive into one of the finest Western swing versions of a rock song ever recorded. Between '70s rock and fusion jams, the band also shows its respect for bluegrass on "Dudley's Kitchen" and the Stanley Brothers' "How Mountain Girls Can Love." "How Mountain Girls Can Love" gives the band a chance to show off their harmony singing while still leaving room -- in this short, three-minute romp -- for nifty guitar, piano, and mandolin solos. Although a listener could find more live String Cheese Incident on the two-CD set, Carnival '99, A String Cheese Incident offers a fine introduction to the group. ~ Ronnie Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
'Born on the Wrong Planet'
Release Date 10/14/1997
Tracks 12
Label Love Lights
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
To those unfamiliar with the String Cheese Incident, this album may cause some confusion upon being placed in the disc player. Are they a progressive bluegrass band? A rhythm & blues band with a generous dose of funk? Or hippie wannabes harking back to the late '60s? The answer is all of the above. The String Cheese Incident, like their jam band peers Leftover Salmon or the Larry Keel Experience, refuse to stick to one style. The opening cut, "Black Clouds," is a progressive bluegrass stomper, the title cut is pop/rock, and "Land's End" is jazz-fusion with a lovely guitar solo. Perhaps "Land's End," along with the bluegrass instrumental "The Remington Ride," provide a clue to the central focus of the String Cheese Incident. Jamming. They do like to sing and perform in a variety of styles, but they're also great musicians who love to jam. Mandolinist Michael Kang, bassist Keith Moseley, guitarist Bill Nershi, and percussionist Michael Travis seldom find themselves performing a song/instrumental under four minutes. Although an eight-minute funky cut like "Texas" doesn't quite reach the level of their concert jams, it does show that the band likes to leave time for noodling. The listener will also note the band's left-of-center sense of humor on songs like "Johnny Cash" with the reframe "Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash don't smoke hash." While some people may find this lyric a little too cute, they'll probably change their minds once they find themselves singing along. Like many jam bands, even a good studio recording -- which Born on the Wrong Planet is -- pales next to their live shows. Still, for an interested listener who isn't ready for the two-disc Carnival '99 with its ten- and 15-minute jams, Born on the Wrong Planet should build your appetite for more of the String Cheese Incident. ~ Ronnie Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
