Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Center Stage album
Bill Morgan wrote:
Unfortunately, BlueRockit will only accept checks or money orders. Checks are pretty much nonexistent in Japan, and the last money order I got here cost more than the $12 the CD costs! So I guess if I want a copy, I'll have to try to entice one of my State-side friends to order it for me. :-(
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 5:40 pm Post subject:
I just got Center Stage, literally, and it's a keeper. Everyone's obviously enjoying themselves and the energy level's high. Particularly enjoyable is Mark's showcase Up From The Streets. What a harp player! Robben is in fine form and it's nice to hear him playing off Volker Strifler.
Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 1504 Location: Methuen, MA
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 1:12 pm Post subject:
The Center Stage cd is also selling in stores (much to my surprise). It's awesome. At times, however, I thought Robben's solos were weak, but I have to think that he purposely toned it down (no pun on the tone intended) so that he wouldn't overshadow his brothers. Great stuff, nonetheless!
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 9:19 pm Post subject:
I was going to order "Center Stage" from Blue Rock'it, and lo and behold, there is was on Friday in the rack at our local Barnes & Noble!
The sound is great. Really captures what was going on this fall at the Ford Brothers gigs. I noticed a couple of ragged edges on the production, e.g.: It's at the end of the first cut that Mark goes out saying "thanks, but we gotta' go," and his acknowlegement of Chris Cain's soloing comes a few cuts after Chris has come and gone. Plus, I was a bit mystified when I tried to go first to cut no. 8 to hear "Lovin' Cup," and there's no cut no. 8 on the CD! Cut no. 7 is actually two songs, with crowd noise going down and back up in between, but no electronic "notch" between the two. Add to that the strangeness of Robben mixed heavily to the left, and Volker to the right, and some cute typos in the liner notes, but then ...
It dawned on me that this is a family affair. Pat got this CD out wonderfully quickly for all of us in the "family." When's the last time you got a Christmas card from a family member, and wrote back criticizing the grammer and spelling, or commenting on the contrast and color mix in the photo? Didn't think so. Family stuff like this is special.
As for listeners who wonder about Robben's solos being on the "weak" side: At the gig at Moe's Alley in September, during the first set everyone in the band was careful about stepping on anyone else. Came the second set, however, they all really tore at each other (in a very nice sort of way). Robben and Volker tossed amazing licks back and forth at one another, and DeWayne took the most amazing solo I've ever heard from him (in fact, any time DeWayne actually takes a solo it's a rare and amazing occassion). The "Center Stage" CD does a good job of capturing a lot of this sort of thing.
As for "Up From the Streets," yeah ... whew. There may be harp players who get you up and jumping a bit more, and some who fill the hall with more sound, but no one makes you feel as if you're at 14,000' feet breathing knife-sharp thin air the way Mark does. _________________ - BlueRunner
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 12:05 am Post subject:
BlueRunner wrote:
The sound is great. Really captures what was going on this fall at the Ford Brothers gigs. I noticed a couple of ragged edges on the production, e.g.: It's at the end of the first cut that Mark goes out saying "thanks, but we gotta' go," and his acknowlegement of Chris Cain's soloing comes a few cuts after Chris has come and gone. Plus, I was a bit mystified when I tried to go first to cut no. 8 to hear "Lovin' Cup," and there's no cut no. 8 on the CD! Cut no. 7 is actually two songs, with crowd noise going down and back up in between, but no electronic "notch" between the two. Add to that the strangeness of Robben mixed heavily to the left, and Volker to the right, and some cute typos in the liner notes, but then ...
It dawned on me that this is a family affair. Pat got this CD out wonderfully quickly for all of us in the "family." When's the last time you got a Christmas card from a family member, and wrote back criticizing the grammer and spelling, or commenting on the contrast and color mix in the photo? Didn't think so. Family stuff like this is special.
As for listeners who wonder about Robben's solos being on the "weak" side: At the gig at Moe's Alley in September, during the first set everyone in the band was careful about stepping on anyone else. Came the second set, however, they all really tore at each other (in a very nice sort of way). Robben and Volker tossed amazing licks back and forth at one another, and DeWayne took the most amazing solo I've ever heard from him (in fact, any time DeWayne actually takes a solo it's a rare and amazing occassion). The "Center Stage" CD does a good job of capturing a lot of this sort of thing.
As for "Up From the Streets," yeah ... whew. There may be harp players who get you up and jumping a bit more, and some who fill the hall with more sound, but no one makes you feel as if you're at 14,000' feet breathing knife-sharp thin air the way Mark does.
I also found Mark's out of sequence stage banter a bit of a distraction, but I guess they were what Pat thought were the best takes and couldn't remove the talking. I love the sequencing - just like a great second set. As for Robben's playing, there are a couple of very noticeable flubs where Robben fraps out but I think that's because he's going for it. I think there's a real game of oneupmanship going on between Mark, Volker & Robben, particularly noticeable on Nothing To Nobody. And Robben's solo on Lovin' Cup, after Mark's burster of a solo, is fantastic. He flubs and then goes on to an incendiary second chorus. Wonderful stuff! As Blue Runner says, the feel of a fun live show really comes through. And Pat is far and away the best shuffle drummer that Robben regularly plays with.
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I was going to order "Center Stage" from Blue Rock'it, and lo and behold, there is was on Friday in the rack at our local Barnes & Noble!
