Published on Apr 18, 2000
When I first heard Big In Iowa, I thought they were the
embodiment of Southern-fried rock a la The Eagles and Little Feat.
After going through their second release
Twisted a number of times, I couldn’t wait until I could get
to their next disc.
Unfortunately,
Bangin’ ‘N’ Knockin’ features Bob Burns and crew taking a
fork in the road, moving away from the rock aspect of the music and
more towards a Counting Crows influence. It’s not totally
unpleasant, but it doesn’t feel like the natural next step for the
group.
Oh, there are still some moments where it sounds like Big In
Iowa are firing on all cylinders. “Neil’s On The Radio” is a song
that takes several listens to really appreciate, but it proves to
be worth the effort in the end. Likewise, “Hide Away” and “Not Gone
Yet” seem to capture that magic. Of special interest to me is the
group’s cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl,” a track they plow
through with incredible skill. It’s a simple enough song, but in
the wrong hands, any track can be butchered. Fortunately, Burns and
crew treat this one with more than enough tender loving care.
If only all the moments on
Bangin’ ‘N’ Knockin’ were like this. The bulk of the album
is almost alternative country, and doesn’t have the same energy
that their previous release did. Tracks like “Don’t Be Mad,” “Miss
You” and “Two Lane Highway” just fall flat. Even “Anna Lee,” a
track I held out a lot of hope for, left me feeling a bit empty at
the end.
It’s not that Big In Iowa should not explore their country
roots, nor should they avoid trying different musical combinations.
But if
Twisted did anything for the group, it pointed them down a
path where success was within reasonable reach. Maybe it’s that Big
In Iowa thought that following this would be too easy and not
challenging enough, I don’t know. But this combination just doesn’t
work as well for them – and they’d be better off leaving it by the
wayside.
Twisted was the kind of disc that quickly grew on the
listener, and the more you listened to it, the more the disc’s
hidden magic came through. I’ve been through
Bangin’ ‘N’ Knockin’ several times now, and that spark just
isn’t there anymore. Maybe that’s the biggest disappointment of
them all – because I know this band is capable of so much
better.