I see that a few of you have mentioned their
cover of "Gin and Juice," but there hasn't been a proper Gourds thread yet.
Any fans here? I've been following this band since their first album, but I haven't heard the newest record except for a few snippets (which sounded great). Stadium Blitzer and Ghosts of Hallelujah are my favorites.
The Gourds in a nutshell, according to their web site:
"Many have attempted to personify, lablefly, quantify, verbalize and sanctify the concoction of musical quilts these here gourds have somehow knit together. In a saucepan of slow roasts they have conjured tempo's, tango's, waltzes, zydeco, old timey, two step, lowgrooved, long winded, short tailed, tiny, phat, stompin gizmo's of tunes tripped out of lonely, solid teeth and wet green earth. Bugs all bedazzled with this comic tear soaked golden throated close harmony caved in a corner with hat drippin' rain. Lo and behold lo and behold they was just lookin' for they lo and behold.
With obscure references to everything from desmond dekker, black adder, folk mythology, Oregon motels, baby gramps, Curtis Mayfield songs, Spanish poetry, u.s. currency, leadbelly, isopropyl alcohol, various controlled substances, sex, food, arachnids, insects, archetypal psychology, NFL, liquid gold, Sufis, preachers, old testament bible stories, mud, betrayal and masturbation's, The Gourds seem to let their music fry just long enough before they turn it over and brown it on the other side."
― Jody Beth Rosen, Monday, 21 October 2002 19:10 (twenty-three years ago)
The Gourds' "Ghost of Hallelujah" is excellent (that's the one with Gangsta' Lean on it, right?) - something about them being like Antonio Machado's group of Cosmopolitan Spaniards. Machado (
The Eyes) was part of a group of Spaniard creatives (after the Civil war) who tried to broach many international themes and overriding contents in direct contrast to the parochialism of their natives' lineage. Cf. The Gourds and Americana's journeymen.
― david h (david h), Monday, 21 October 2002 19:34 (twenty-three years ago)
They're really not a novelty band; it's unfortunate that the song they're best known for is a novelty cover. It's also unfortunate that people now associate them with Phish because of the Napster mixup -- I think the Gourds are pretty far removed from the "jam band" mentality and the soulless, bespectacled cleverness of college-campus stalwarts like Phish. The Gourds are smart (and poetic, and given to flights of fancy), but their energy isn't directed towards impressing people -- they seem like they're too cool to give a shit whether you like 'em or not.
― Jody Beth Rosen, Monday, 21 October 2002 19:46 (twenty-three years ago)
Damn straight. (Note: I went to a local gig at the weekend [Hex, Eska, El Hombre Trajeado] and I saw a girl with glasses and a badge saying 'Reynolds' - she made me think of you for some reason JBR; I should've gone up and talked to her; I'll see her again, Glasgow's small enough; I've seen her before at similar gigs, too.)
I dunno if Whiskeytown/Gourds is fair; they seem to be coming from difft places for me. First one to mention Tenacious D is off the mark.
― david h (david h), Monday, 21 October 2002 19:51 (twenty-three years ago)
They're really not a novelty band; it's unfortunate that the song they're best known for is a novelty cover.Yeah. No. I know you're right. I'm just saying that live, after a lot of beautiful, sometimes dark, but occassionally creeping-toward-boring "traditional" style American roots music, they closed the set with stellar covers of the Minutemen and then Snoop Dogg, and those were the moments worth talking about the next day. I've had the same experience with the one EP where they cover "Ziggy" and "Gin and Juice."
I'm sure the deeper elements are there, but the novelty angle, as you point out, is the most obvious hook. And I'm not very bright.
I dunno if Whiskeytown/Gourds is fair
Yeah. At best RAdams was going for Gram Parsons (not making judgments about how well he did it), while the Gourds were clearly reaching back to something of an Olde-er vintage. Not that one goal is better than the other, they're just different.
― wl (wl), Monday, 21 October 2002 20:11 (twenty-three years ago)
I haven't heard their latest, but I love Stadium Blitzer and Bolsa. The only time I've seen them they didn't perform any of their "famous" covers and it was still a great show. I've always thought of them as Roger Miller-like. Best known for odd songs, but there is some depth there if you look. I think the Gourds do a great job of incorporating their zydeco and conjunto elements in with country. I think they are probably closer to the old 97s then whiskeytown, but that's not saying much.
― saratoo, Tuesday, 22 October 2002 06:02 (twenty-three years ago)