Published on Dec 4, 1997
Geez, has it really been almost six months since I dug something
by Blues Traveler out of the Pierce Archives (Santa: please bring
me a copy of
Y Kant Tori Read)?
After the breakthrough success that John Popper and crew had
with “Run-Around” off of
Four, radio started to re-discover Blues Traveler’s older
works, latching onto “But Anyway” from their self-titled debut.
(Placement in the film
Kingpin also didn’t hurt – it featured the band dressed in
Amish gear jamming away.)
The problem was that radio didn’t explore
Blues Traveler further – while it is an album that strikes
me differently each time I listen to it, it is a solid effort that
should have won the band fame right out of the starting gate.
In the course of 58 minutes, Popper changes the role of
harmonica in music to a solo instrument – he does things to a harp
that I didn’t think were possible. Chan Kinchla wrenches every note
he can out of his guitar to create some very interesting guitar
solos. Bassist Bobby Sheehan and drummer Brendan Hill’s roles are
just as important, for the rhythmic backbone of Blues Traveler is
key to its tight-but-loose sound.
“But Anyway” has been played so much that I think we can pass it
by without much comment. Much of the success that Blues Traveler
has on this album occurs when they turn to the power ballad. Songs
like “Crystal Flame” and “Alone” show the power of Blues Traveler
when they put some thought into their work.
But the most striking performance here comes on “100 Years,”
another power ballad featuring the backing vocals of one Joan
Osborne (who would achieve her own fame a few years later); her
vocals blend well with Popper’s, and the end result is nothing
short of beautiful.
When Blues Traveler breaks out of the power ballad mode, the end
result is often spotty. Cuts like “Dropping Some NYC” and “Sweet
Talking Hippie” go over quite well, while “Gina” fails to spark any
interest in me. However, this is not an indictment against Blues
Traveler doing straight-out rock; as evidenced by “But Anyway,”
they know how to rip it out just as well.
The only real negative about
Blues Traveler is that it is very much a mood album; if
you’re not in the right frame of mind when you slap it into the
deck, the album won’t have the same level of power than if you were
really psyched to listen to it. Sounds silly, I know, but it took
several listens over the course of a year before I finally got into
this one. (Maybe I was expecting something like their second album
Travelers And Thieves, which was the first taste I got of
the band.)
Blues Traveler may get you interested due to the success of
“But Anyway,” but it’s when you look past the hit that the true
beauty of this album comes through. Give it a listen or three, and
discover the power that is within… but don’t be discouraged if it
doesn’t hit you immediately.