Good stuff, poorly mastered
My gripe with this disc is that it seems to suffer from the loudness wars syndrome. I enjoy the performance of the band. By that I mean the engineers took away the dynamics of the recording and made it all sound just. . . loud. If you haven't invested in a quality sound system this probably will not affect you. If you plan on listening to this on mp3s you definitely don't care. Thanks .
Toad on the Road
"Fear" became their biggest seller and the top forty welcomed "All I Want" and "Walk On The Ocean. Toad The Wet Sprocket were riding at their peak when this concert took place. " This being a homecoming concert, both the band and their Santa Barbara fans were stoked, and the show comes off as a hero's welcome.
The band has always been underrated, and the compositions here (from the first three albums) show a lot of strength. Glen Phillips' gifts as a song-writer have never been truly recognized. While he (and the band, who co-wrote the majority of the material) did cultivate a folkish and, even at a certain level, mellow sound, there is a dark streak to many of their best songs. "One Little Girl" and "Hold Her Down" are unflinching takes on abuse, while "I Will Not Take These Things For Granted" may be the most beautiful song to never hit the top-40. They were also not shy from experimenting, as "Butterflies" shows. (Love the Beatles quote at the end!)
All in all, "Welcome Home: Live" shows Toad The Wet Sprocket in full gale as a band. A band that toughed it out through years on the road and a couple of poorly selling albums to develop the chemistry and the tenacity that they were still there when the lucky break occurred. Along with the "P. S. " best of collection, this CD is a terrific representation of the band at their toadiest. Incidentally, Phillip's post-toad solo work is quite good. Check it out.
It's live Toad, what else do you need to know?
This live disc from 1992 is nearly flawless. Oh man, what a gem for fans. It does only draw from the first three albums, but that's exactly why I love it. It has numerous songs from both their debut and my favorite album "Pale", and roughly half the disc is from "Fear", which is their hit-heavy and most popular album. Plus this is 19 tracks and 74 minutes long. The songs stick to the originals for the most part, but being live gives them a nice fresh sound. Glen speaks at a few points, but keeps to jamming for the most part. I really have no complaints with the tracklist, but in a perfect world this would also include "Covered In Roses" and "High On A Riverbed". Still, it's an excellent live record, and a must for Toad-heads.
The definitive Toad album for their long-time fans.
This album is amazing. I don't know how else to put it. It captures Toad at their best, when it comes to live performances. It's a shame these guys didn't get more recognition. . they much more than deserved it.
Anyway, as I said, this is the boys at their best. Everything is spot on. Every song sounds just as good as their studio counterparts, and some are even better. The emotion and musicianship put into each song are unparalleled by almost any of today's top bands.
If you are a bigger fan of Toad's later works (Dulcinea and Coil sessions), you may not enjoy this as much, since this was a performance from 92. Naturally, it encompasses their first 3 albums. You might want give the samples a good listen or 2 before you decide on making this purchase.
But if you are a long time fan, and/or if you enjoy their early albums, you MUST BUY THIS NOW!! It is that good. I bought it about a month ago, and it is has never left my cd changer since. . .
This is the Toad album I have been waiting for.
Great live show from one of rocks's most overlooked bands
It's about time! And it surely doesn't disappoint. Finally, a live CD from Toad the Wet Sprocket. This band never got half the credit or recognition they deserved. But this CD is one treat for those of us who were fortunate enough to follow them throughout the years. My only complaint is that "Good Intentions" is not here. But that's all right. The outstanding quality of the album as a whole speaks for itself, and is reason enough to get this. If you're new to Toad the Wet Sprocket, I would recommend getting their studio albums first and then picking up this one. And for the long-time fan, get this NOW. Toad may be no more, but they sure left behind some great music.
You can see a complete list of all Toad the Wet Sprocket discography, or go back to the Toad the Wet Sprocket tabs
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