Search - Chris Robinson & New Earth Mud :: This Magnificent Distance

Lyrically and Instrumentally Mesmerizing

07/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A fantastic, innovative album. Chris Robinson and Paul Stacey prove to be an extremely formidable songwriting tandem on This Magnificent Distance. The influences of predecessors from CSNY, The Allman Brothers, Dylan and circa '72 era Stones and acoustic Zeppelin, can be felt at different junctures throughout the album, but the material NEVER feels derivative or dated. Robinson's vocals are exceptionally soulful, matching the unequalled inspiration and introspection of his lyrics. This album is so full of vocal inspiration, layered instrumental nuances, and lyrical gems... that you lose track of the particularly inspired moments. There is a great structure to the songs, and they fit together well conceptually as an album. A nice balance exists among the tracks between mellow ponderings and churning rockers, and Stacey's fingerprints are everywhere filling even the more somber tunes with some interesting leads. Between the themes, the phrasing of Robinson's vocals, the lyrical beauty, and the instrumental machinations... the album evolves into a poetic journey for the listener who values Robinson's insights. Particularly noteworthy: Surgical Glove (sounds like a mix of Dylan and Exile era Stones); Train Robbers has been aptly described as a Spaghetti Western put to music; When the Cold Wind Blows... and Girl on the Mountain are both atmospheric treasures; and the trio of Surgical Glove, Sea of Love, Piece of Wind transition the album to a powerful conclusion."

Great Sophomore Release from CR.....

06/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All I can say is that both this album and Chris' first are great, but cannot be fully appreciated until seeing the band live! I saw him twice in March of 2003 at the Troubadour in Hollywood (where I was fortunate enough to get to meet Kate Hudson!), and once in early 2004 in San Diego."Mother of Stone", although great in its stripped-down acoustic form on this album, was AMAZING and 10x better live...electric, distorted, and much faster than on the album. The band seems to cover several songs in concert..."Sugaree" by the Dead, "Tough Mama" by Bob Dylan (VERY underrated song!), and the Rolling Stones' "No Expectations", the 2nd song on "Beggars' Banquet", which I wasn't familiar with until the San Diego show and now have great respect for."40 Days" seems to be the obvious radio single if at all, and was great on Letterman last night. Definitely looking forward to the next tour...."

A mediocre follow up to the self-titled album

Dave Kaplan | Ithaca, NY & Boston, MA | 09/02/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Robinson is a unique personality among rock artists. His voice can lends a magic to whatever it is Chris is singing, and his energy and power seem to have no bounds.



The self titled New Earth Mud debut album was a great piece of work, with a blend of upbeat songs and mellow songs, songs that built to towering climaxes of screaming vocals and frenzied guitar; and minor, melodic songs that meandered along in a trippy haze.



This Magnificent Distance seems to have traded some of the rocking upbeat tunes for more mellow and sad-sounding ballads. In my opinion, the creativity and originality is still there, but this album seems to have lost some of the energy that made New Earth Mud so appealing to me.



That is not to say that this is a bad album, on the contrary, it is still a remarkable composition, but it differs from their previous work. If you like downbeat and sorrowful songs, this album is worth checking out.



The album does have some spectacular highlights, however. Notably, "Girl on the Mountain," and "When the Cold Wind Blows at the Dark End of Night," both characterized by Chris's wistful, soulful, crying choruses."