Search - Squirrel Nut Zippers :: Lost At Sea

A Great Comeback For The Zippers.

Rawim | Palmdale, CA USA | 10/27/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It has been over nine years since the Squirrel Nut Zippers (SNZ) have released a new album and seven years since they released their greatest hits compilation. Thankfully I can say that after such a long wait this live album has made the wait worth it.



This CD takes you on a 17 track odyssey of a rollicking live performance by the reformed Zippers in Brooklyn, NY last year (2008). The track list comprises a veritable greatest hits list of the SNZ covering all of the favorites, and the occasional hidden gem.



Jimbo Mathus takes the role of lead vocals and Master of Ceremonies in the majority of the songs. His lead guitar also provides a driving energy for the band. Katharine Whalen also returns with providing her Billie Holiday-esque female vocals to the appropriate songs.



The band sounds just as tight and fun as you would remember them, sadly however former Zipper Tom Maxwell continues to be missing from this iteration of the band and I found his absence noticeable. The lyrics that were originally sung by him just don't quite seem the same when performed either by Jimbo or Kathleen. I find this my only fault with the album, and it is the one thing that keeps me from giving five stars.



If you have been a fan of the Zippers in the past, and remember them for their fun music and great energy, I am sure this album will not disappoint you."

Oh, so THAT's where they've been. They've been lost. At sea.

Ryan Ballantyne | 12/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Squirrel Nut Zippers used to be my favorite band. Sadly, these days I don't listen to them very much; it's not that their music is somehow diminished by the passage of time, but that I can only listen to the same recordings so many times before wearing them thin. A new CD from the 'Zippers would be fantastic, but since that seems unlikely to happen, this CD is the next best thing.



"Lost at Sea" breaths new life into the old favorites. These musicians have all changed and evolved in the years since the band's untimely demise, and though these songs are (nearly) all recognizably still the same tunes I love, they are mixed up enough to sound fresh and new. The solos, in particular, are almost entirely new, and are the highlight of the album for me. The recording is spot-on; it captures the energy of this peppy performance, flubs and all. The (very) occasional missed note adds to the organic and spontaneous feel of the performance. Even "Missing Link Parade", which (if this show was anything like the one I attended in 2000) is performed at the end of the show while walking through the audience, is well-preserved. Don't be put off by the low quality of the 30-second samples; they don't accurately reflect the content of the album.



Lastly, $5 for the MP3 download of this album is an absolute steal. I don't know if it's a limited-time sale, but in any case, this is worth every penny and more."

Vinyl track listing is different than CD

Marc Richardson | Columbus, OH USA | 04/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This isn't a review of the material, just a note to let people buying this know that the vinyl version of this album does not have the following songs on it which are available on CD and MP3 download:



It Ain't You

Danny Diamond

Ghost of Stephen Foster

(You are My) Radio

Missing Link



I still would have bought it to have a vinyl copy of a great album, but I wish that Amazon had put a correct track listing on the album info...



"