BOMBASTIC MEATBATS FEATURING CHAD SMITH
''MORE MEAT''
OCTOBER 19 2010
64:18
1 - Passing The Ace/5:34
2 - Mountain Of Meat/4:52
3 - The Gunboat Is On!/4:23
4 - Shag/5:32
5 - Greasy Louise/4:03
6 - For Your Courtesy/5:29
7 - And We All Swing The Tuna/4:59
8 - Moby Dick/3:26
9 - Lobster Legs/4:55
10 - Shilo's Forbidden City Blues/5:30
11 - Roller Girl/7:12
12 - Dr. Blotter & Miss Purple (Ride In The Echoplex)/7:37
All Tracks By Kevin Chown / Jeffrey Kollman / Edward H. Roth / Chad Smith
Kevin Chown /Bass
Jeff Kollman /Guitar
Ed Roth /Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Piano
Chad Smith /Drums, Percussion
REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
The name has changed slightly from the Meatbats' debut a year earlier with drummer/organizer Chad Smith adding his moniker to the end of the band name instead of the beginning, but the music, and the misleading cartoony cover art, stay the same. Smith seems to consider this a group of equals, which shows in all four musicians taking co-authorship for the songs, all originals except for a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick," oddly the album's weakest moment. Despite his presence being a marquee draw due to his work in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smith doesn't take any solos, except for a brief one on the Zeppelin tune, leaving him a remarkably low-key element of this electric, '70s-styled jazz-rock -- emphasis on rock -- quartet. Guitarist Jeff Kollman is the most visible member, whipping off leads that mix just enough shredding with more melodic elements. The tunes are riff-based, the licks are hot, and the musicianship is not only of the highest quality, but rarely ostentatious enough to detract from the songs. Unlike most drummer-led ensembles, Smith is content to provide muscular backing without overplaying his traps. This results in music that breathes while feeding off each of the participant's strengths. The arrangements generally shy away from being dense or hyperactive just to showcase the musician's obvious talents. Tracks like the easygoing ballad "Shag" and the straight-ahead jazz closer "Dr. Blotter and Miss Purple (Ride in the Echoplex)" (one of the many humorously obtuse titles) benefit tremendously from the dialed-down technique the group employs throughout. The cuts average about six minutes and none are extended past their breaking points, another sign of the relatively subtle approach the foursome adhere to. There's space around this music that leaves room for the drama, tension, and release that seems to come so effortlessly to these guys. While there is no denying the retro elements of the Meatbats' influences from Return to Forever or Jeff Beck, there are few contemporary, electric jazz-rock ensembles that are locked into the music's golden age without seeming stale, pretentious, or derivative.
BIOGRAPHY
by Greg Prato
In 2009, drummer Chad Smith was certainly one busy gentleman. It was during this year that Smith manned the drums for supergroup Chickenfoot and closed out the year with work on the Red Hot Chili Pepper's tenth studio album overall. And between the two, he somehow also found the time to launch another project, the all-instrumental Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats. The genesis of the band can be traced back to Smith's friendship with former Trapeze/Deep Purple bassist/singer Glenn Hughes. Through jamming with Hughes, Smith befriended several musicians who often play in Hughes' solo band -- guitarist Jeff Kollman and keyboardist Ed Roth. After they played together, they soon decided to record their efforts -- with bassist Kevin Chown assuming the spot of Hughes. The debut Meatbats recording, Meet the Meatbats, was issued in September 2009 via Warrior Records, and is comprised of vintage-sounding Billy Preston meets Return to Forever funk-jazz-fusion. In late October 2009, the quartet launched a multi-date Japanese tour, but further dates seemed few and far between due to Smith's commitments to the Chili Peppers. However, Smith reassembled the Meatbats for 2010's More Meat and offered up a 2009 live performance, Live Meat and Potatoes in 2012.
''MORE MEAT''
OCTOBER 19 2010
64:18
1 - Passing The Ace/5:34
2 - Mountain Of Meat/4:52
3 - The Gunboat Is On!/4:23
4 - Shag/5:32
5 - Greasy Louise/4:03
6 - For Your Courtesy/5:29
7 - And We All Swing The Tuna/4:59
8 - Moby Dick/3:26
9 - Lobster Legs/4:55
10 - Shilo's Forbidden City Blues/5:30
11 - Roller Girl/7:12
12 - Dr. Blotter & Miss Purple (Ride In The Echoplex)/7:37
All Tracks By Kevin Chown / Jeffrey Kollman / Edward H. Roth / Chad Smith
Kevin Chown /Bass
Jeff Kollman /Guitar
Ed Roth /Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Piano
Chad Smith /Drums, Percussion
REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
The name has changed slightly from the Meatbats' debut a year earlier with drummer/organizer Chad Smith adding his moniker to the end of the band name instead of the beginning, but the music, and the misleading cartoony cover art, stay the same. Smith seems to consider this a group of equals, which shows in all four musicians taking co-authorship for the songs, all originals except for a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick," oddly the album's weakest moment. Despite his presence being a marquee draw due to his work in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smith doesn't take any solos, except for a brief one on the Zeppelin tune, leaving him a remarkably low-key element of this electric, '70s-styled jazz-rock -- emphasis on rock -- quartet. Guitarist Jeff Kollman is the most visible member, whipping off leads that mix just enough shredding with more melodic elements. The tunes are riff-based, the licks are hot, and the musicianship is not only of the highest quality, but rarely ostentatious enough to detract from the songs. Unlike most drummer-led ensembles, Smith is content to provide muscular backing without overplaying his traps. This results in music that breathes while feeding off each of the participant's strengths. The arrangements generally shy away from being dense or hyperactive just to showcase the musician's obvious talents. Tracks like the easygoing ballad "Shag" and the straight-ahead jazz closer "Dr. Blotter and Miss Purple (Ride in the Echoplex)" (one of the many humorously obtuse titles) benefit tremendously from the dialed-down technique the group employs throughout. The cuts average about six minutes and none are extended past their breaking points, another sign of the relatively subtle approach the foursome adhere to. There's space around this music that leaves room for the drama, tension, and release that seems to come so effortlessly to these guys. While there is no denying the retro elements of the Meatbats' influences from Return to Forever or Jeff Beck, there are few contemporary, electric jazz-rock ensembles that are locked into the music's golden age without seeming stale, pretentious, or derivative.
BIOGRAPHY
by Greg Prato
In 2009, drummer Chad Smith was certainly one busy gentleman. It was during this year that Smith manned the drums for supergroup Chickenfoot and closed out the year with work on the Red Hot Chili Pepper's tenth studio album overall. And between the two, he somehow also found the time to launch another project, the all-instrumental Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats. The genesis of the band can be traced back to Smith's friendship with former Trapeze/Deep Purple bassist/singer Glenn Hughes. Through jamming with Hughes, Smith befriended several musicians who often play in Hughes' solo band -- guitarist Jeff Kollman and keyboardist Ed Roth. After they played together, they soon decided to record their efforts -- with bassist Kevin Chown assuming the spot of Hughes. The debut Meatbats recording, Meet the Meatbats, was issued in September 2009 via Warrior Records, and is comprised of vintage-sounding Billy Preston meets Return to Forever funk-jazz-fusion. In late October 2009, the quartet launched a multi-date Japanese tour, but further dates seemed few and far between due to Smith's commitments to the Chili Peppers. However, Smith reassembled the Meatbats for 2010's More Meat and offered up a 2009 live performance, Live Meat and Potatoes in 2012.
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