String Cheese Incident - One Step Closer (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Mixed emotions from a different flavor of cheese..

spiral_mind | Pennsylvania | 12/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I hate to say it, but: this is the first SCI album I can't wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. They still kick live and their signature rock/jazz/bluegrass/Latin/tropical/pop jam-band gumbo is as vibrant as ever, but this time around, the studio work really doesn't convey just what an imaginative & multifaceted group they are. Too bad. It's still a fairly solid disc. It definitely has its strengths (the title track gets a very nice makeover) and I'm the first one to say we should let go of expectations and take something on its own merits, but I still can't get past what's missing here.

The idea this time around was to concentrate mainly on the songs & writing, stripping the production/embellishments to a minimum. The jams are absent. The arrangements are so bare that they leave little or no room for group interaction. It's admirable to let go of one's crutches now and then.. but it also means the album is missing one of the Incident's biggest strengths. It's almost like Leonard Cohen making an album with someone else's lyrics, or Eric Clapton making one with only rhythm guitar.

Overall it's more mellow than anything else, although the different elements (country, jazz/funk, world-beat) are still present. To be fair, most of the material here does stand up in terms of writing if you look past a couple duds, and it still approaches greatness in spots (see "45th of November," "Silence in Your Head," the sinuous "Rainbow Serpent"). And if it leaves us wanting more, we can rest assured the next one will be different yet again.

Start with Outside Inside; follow up with Untying the Not or a live release (or better yet, go see them live) if you want to discover the greatest jam band still going. If you want more you can still enjoy this, but I'm afraid it's not really essential Cheese."

Don't expect a live show!

AmeriKinda | Tennessee | 09/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In an effort to accomplish something truly humble and personal String Cheese Incident (SCI) has released this, their most recent album. A mistake obviously made by a prior review is to judge this work on scale with the band's energizing live performances. With past releases SCI has not reached the energy that their live performances are capable of, and this album is no different. In fact it is obvious that was not what they were attempting to do. But what they did do is take some time in the studio, an environment that is essentially new and rather exciting to them, and attempt to do something different. Utilizing, a producer with experience working with Dylan, SCI created a "rootsy" album with tracks that have been simplified and reworked specifically for the recording. Not to mention the subject matter of the work. Granted some of the tracks aren't something to call your friends about, but there is beauty to be had, and it is not hard to find. With collaboration with Todd Shaeffer of Railroad Earth, SCI accomplishes some rather profound writing, minus a couple of Travis songs. All in all if I had to say what it sounded like; a strange mix of The Beatles and Bob Dylan crossed with the String Cheese I know, and love. I can only ask that you let the disc spin a couple of times before you pass judgment, its too good not to!"

I guess one would call this Soft Cheese.

Amy Daughtry | Beaufort, SC | 11/16/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"With the exception of a few of their more recent live albums, I have just about everything SCI has put out. I became a fan only relatively recently, but once I got one (starting with their collaboration with Kellar Williams), I got hooked and can't stop. But this album left me disappointed. It was slow and stripped down. As several have said before me, none of the jams, none of the joy, none of the humor, nor the can't-stop-moving musicality of basically every other release by these guys, whether live or in the studio. Everything else - ANYthing else- they've done is just better. Buy if you want to have a complete collection of their work, but if you're a first-time buyer, don't go here, because it's not representative of just how fantastic they are. Had this been the first album I got from them, I would not have bought more and would've missed the unbelievable experience I have every time I listen to virtually everything else they've done."

Strengths and Weaknesses

ballz burgdorf | Mississippi | 10/06/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"A lot of bands are turning this type of sutff out. There is some good writing on this album, but it certainly does not showcase the unmatched musicianship and energy that SCI is about. Why do something that everbody else is doing, when you can do something extremely more moving that no one else can even come close to? There have been good studio albums, eg. "Born on the Wrong Planet." However,I don't think that you can successfully argue that this is anywhere in the same league. Don't get this album; see them live!!!"

One step away from truth

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 09/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The stretched long-form jam sessions are gone. No more 20-minute freeform jam tracks recorded with immense spontaneity and immediacy. Enter new producer Malcolm Burn who has some Bob Dylan discs under his belt. His influence on String Cheese Incident is indisputable. Not only did he produce the album, but he also arranged, wrote and even performed on it. The result is a very stripped down piece of work, aiming to gear towards a mainstream audience. But, will they succeed in it? I somehow doubt it.

The liner notes in the CD explain that the band has utilised a democratic structure to their music, allowing each member to equally contribute to the final product. All members provide vocals, write lyrics and throw in their own melodies. Some of the lyrics have been written with outside talents including the amazing Robert Hunter from The Grateful Dead camp and Jim Lauderdale from Nashville. "Big Compromise", as the title itself shows, is one of these songs - a very vocal-driven country piece with no room for any instrumental input. "Until the Music's Over" and "Silence in Your Head" also follow the same songwriting formula, the former being the necessary country ballad, whilst the latter one is the band's more atmospheric side. "Father" has an awful chorus that is so unlike what this band has done before and the lyrics are pedestrian at best. Sure, the band has every right to evolve, but was this the only option they had? "Drive" is classic rock with a huge groove and blues piano, and the short "Betray the Dark" has its moment of interesting percussion work. "45th of November" is one of the better tunes, though it will still fail to impact the long-time Cheese fan. The dancing jazz motifs on "Rainbow Serpent", on the other hand, seem like one of those cut-out sections from their earlier albums, but at least, it stays true to what they're known for. The guitar and synth combination is powerful and the lyrics have more substance.

Bottom line is I'm sure there are people out there who may enjoy this release, but it just doesn't do it for me, especially when I know their full potential. On second thought, these cuts may be a better choice for a live performance, where you can enjoy the moment together with the band. Recorded on tape, however, they are far from interesting and even a bit dull."

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