Published on Aug 5, 2003
Truth be told, I like Blues Traveler. I liked Blues Traveler
before they were cool; when I was working in small-market rock
radio in the very early ’90s, I got blown away by
Travelers And Thieves; that was a long time before the chart
juggernaut of
Four. Somehow I lost touch with the band sometime after
that; I didn’t pick up
Straight On Till Morning, I missed the Great John Popper
Angioplasty And Resulting Slimdown, and I don’t recall hearing
anything off
Bridge, the first release after the tragic overdose and
death of bassist Bobby Sheehan. There’s been a lot of water under
the bridge for Blues Traveler since I kept sneaking “All In The
Groove” on the air despite my program director’s best intentions.
(Come to think of it, there’s been a lot of water under the bridge
for me. But that’s another story.)
Got some news for ya, y’all. Blues Traveler is back. Hell, they
may have never left.
Truth Be Told, their latest release and the first one on
Sanctuary Records, is tight, tasty, and a damned fine work.
If I have a complaint with Blues Traveler, it’s the same
complaint I have with a lot of jam bands; they sometimes lose focus
and wander musically. Not so here, O Ye DV Faithful.
Truth Be Told is a musical fastball, focused, energetic, and
powerful. The production is excellent, the mix is perfectly
balanced, and the musicianship is nonpareil. Tragedy seems pretty
far behind BT, and the results are exceptional.
Tracks worthy of note include the opening, the powerful “Unable
To Get Free”; the rollicking yet bittersweet acoustic guitar of
“Sweet And Broken” (with a nominee for Lyric Of The Year: ‘She
smokes my last cigarette // She forgives me, but I don’t know it
yet’); the seventies wocka-wocka guitar of “My Blessed Pain”; one
of the best bass parts in rock this year, “Can’t See Why”; Popper’s
great harp on “Stumble And Fall” .. OK, let’s face it, there isn’t
a weak spot on this CD. On
Truth Be Told, Blues Traveler has delivered one of the best
rock CDs of the year; smooth as honey, bluesy as a smoky
hole-in-the-wall, and triumphant as sunrise. This one is truly
great.
Truth Be Told is a don’t-miss choice. Get it today.