Brilliancy - Just Brilliant, moe. has definately done it again with this gem! A live, studio dubbed masterpiece. This may be one of the all time greatest albums of all times, moe. is on the cutting edge in the live base performers, and now they display their live and studio genius, by blending it all together. Kudos to moe.! This is a must have for anyone interested in great music with a non stop vibe. No wonder why moe. has won so many jammy awards.Keep it going moe.!
Nice idea, but..... - I have to say, I really wanted to like this album. I wait with baited breath for each new moe. release, (No Doy! gets my album of the century award) but based on all the other reviews, I guess I must be missing something.. (perhaps a hit of acid??) Sure, there are some great tracks, Not Coming Down, Okayalright, Crab Eyes, Kids.. and the fusion of live drum/guitar tracks seems like a GREAT idea.. in theory... But Wormwood just doesn t do it for me like moe. s previous releases. I long for new songs in the same vein of epic masterpieces like Mexico, Dr. Graftenberg, Rebubula, Four, Plane Crash, Opium.. All of these translate wonderfully from studio to live performances, and no doubt many tracks on Wormwood would have a more driving energy live, but as a studio release, I find most to be sub-par to the type of moe. studio work I m used to. If you re looking for a studio release, and you re new to moe. and are more inclined toward mainstream music, start with Dither. If you re a jamband fan looking for a studio release start with No Doy! or Headseed. And if you want an official live release go with Instant Live: Cain s Ballroom - Tulsa, OK, 10/10/03. It s by far the best live show I own, and I own well over 400 hours of live music from ALL kinds of bands. When you ve purchase all moe. s other releases, circle back around and pick this up, like many of the other reviewers, you may find something here that I m not.
Amazing - Far and away the best moe. album to date. Very fresh sounding compared to recent efforts like dither. There is what some fans would consider alot of filler on the album, however these tracks such as rumble strip, bend sinister, etc, help tie tha album together perfectly. If you are new to moe. I would suggest seeing them live before making any final judgments. These guys are a force to be reckoned with. Highlights of the album are Crab Eyes>Bullet>Kyle s Song, it just flows so perfectly. BUY IT NOW!!!!!
Superb studio work from a jam-band - Wormwood deserves the recognition received for its excellence at the Jammys. This album is experimental in nature with influences ranging from the Dead to Steely Dan to the Allman Brothers to Jeff Beck. These elements have been drawn upon as inspiration, not used for replication. As always the instrumental work is superb from Moe, but the album s ambiance is strengthened with innovative recording techniques. The drum tracks were recorded live and the rest of the tracks were recorded in a studio. The guitar solos are what set Moe. apart from other jam bands. This album in particular contains amazing solos. These solos move beyond the Garcia recipe of jamming upon three simple chords moving in a predictable progression. Wormwood s solos are woven throughout complicated melodies with care. (Okay Alright is the one counter-example of my previous statement, but the song kicks ass anyway.) There are no awkward breaks for solos that are drawn out. I am a Moe.ron and love the pleasure of hearing a constant jam (Warts 1,2,3,4), but at times Moe. is guilty of sacrificing progression for a ripping solo, dragging songs on to 20 minutes. The solos on this album vary in length, but are perfect in length for achieving the effect that they were intended for. Being a fan of jambands(GD, Allmans, Umphrey s Mcgee, SCI, Particle, Phish, Ratdog...), I admit I am partial to Moe. However, any fan of quality music will be able to appreciate the talent that was required to create this album even if they are not fans of jambands. If you have purchased this album and love it, share it with a friend. The more people are exposed to good music, the more people will realize what they have been missing while listening to their radios. Peace
Derhak For President. - Much like in Jay & Silent Bob, I have a heterosexual crush on Rob Derhak. The dude is awesome on the base and we all forgive him if he mangles the lyrics to Happy Hour Hero every single time he sings it. moe. is an incredible band that strains to fit into the mould of the jam band stereotype. People will crucify me but they re better than Phish or Panic or the Wu or Hookah or you name it. #1. Their lyrics make sense (ixnay on Recreational Chemistry). #2. No other band anywhere has stage banter on the level these guys do, none. #3. Their Halloween show last year was Simpsons Themed. Nirvana in the form of a pot bellied basist.Seriously though, these guys are very talented and pretty much everyone I play them for ends up digging them. They have two top of the line guitarists in Al and Chuck, a good drummer in Vinnie and the man himself in Derhak. I ve been to 57 shows and have tickets for 5 more in the next 3 months.My only recommendations in regards to their albums is that as good as their studio stuff is their live stuff is ten times better. You cannot hope to experience this band without seeing them two or three times, it s an incredible time.