BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS
''BLACK BEEHIVE''
FEBRUARY 4 2014
44:18
01 - Hey Delila/3:47
02 - Everything About You/4:04
03 - Seven State Lines/4:00
04 - Josephina/4:01
05 - Black Beehive/3:34
06 - We Won't Go Back/4:20
07 - Fear Greed and Ignorance/5:25
08 - Hubert's Dream/3:46
09 - I Get Smooth/3:07
10 - Travelin' Light/4:10
11 - Forever Bonnie/3:58
REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Big Head Todd & the Monsters spent much of the early years of the new millennium emphasizing their blues roots, going so far as to spearhead a centennial celebration of Robert Johnson in 2011, so the expansive nature of 2014's Black Beehive comes as something of a welcome surprise. BHTM haven't left the blues behind, of course -- there are funky slide guitar workouts like "Seven State Lines," along with a salute to the great Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin -- but they've internalized the blues, letting it infuse songs that otherwise read as pop or lending a bit of grit to performances that otherwise favor comfort. This dexterity (demonstrated, as it should, through throwaway grooves and succinct solos), when combined with a production that boasts considerable color even during the record's quietest moments, gives Black Beehive a surprising resonance; unlike some BHTM records, this feels lived-in, which in itself is a reflection of how the band's sojourn into the blues has paid off dividends. They've returned to some of the easy, breezy melodic songwriting that gave them AAA hits in the '90s, but that tunefulness is given a backbone by the band's willingness to delve into the blues, and the production -- alternating between spare sweetness and sharply detailed, sculpted six-strings -- gives the album dimension (and Todd's decision to occasionally co-opt Dylan's phrasing, unmistakable on "Josephina" and "Travelin' Light," adds another dimension to this roots rock fantasia). Big Head Todd & the Monsters will never be a gutbucket, down-and-dirty blues-rock outfit, but Black Beehive proves that's fine: they have found their own friendly spin on the blues and have become a better band for it.
BIOGRAPHY
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
During the late '80s and early '90s, Big Head Todd & the Monsters (the Colorado-based trio of guitarist/keyboard player Todd Park Mohr, bassist Rob Squires, and drummer Brian Nevin) built their audience through constant touring, playing college towns across the country. With these tours, they built a solid fan base before they had even signed to a major label. Although they released a number of records, they weren't quite able to transfer the live appeal of their laid-back, slightly jazzy blues-based pop to disc. Nevertheless, each of their records contains many fine moments, and 1993's Sister Sweetly, which went gold and stayed in the charts over a year, showed that they were continuing to improve their songwriting as well as their playing. It was followed by their second major-label album, Strategem, in 1994; Beautiful World appeared in 1997, followed a year later by Live Monsters. Big Head Todd & the Monsters were dropped from Warner after Live Monsters and the band took four years to regroup and release Riviera in 2002. Crimes of Passion followed in 2004 on the Sanctuary label. The group released one more record on Sanctuary -- Live at the Fillmore -- before departing the label for their own Big Records, releasing All the Love You Need in 2007 and Rocksteady three years later.
''BLACK BEEHIVE''
FEBRUARY 4 2014
44:18
01 - Hey Delila/3:47
02 - Everything About You/4:04
03 - Seven State Lines/4:00
04 - Josephina/4:01
05 - Black Beehive/3:34
06 - We Won't Go Back/4:20
07 - Fear Greed and Ignorance/5:25
08 - Hubert's Dream/3:46
09 - I Get Smooth/3:07
10 - Travelin' Light/4:10
11 - Forever Bonnie/3:58
REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Big Head Todd & the Monsters spent much of the early years of the new millennium emphasizing their blues roots, going so far as to spearhead a centennial celebration of Robert Johnson in 2011, so the expansive nature of 2014's Black Beehive comes as something of a welcome surprise. BHTM haven't left the blues behind, of course -- there are funky slide guitar workouts like "Seven State Lines," along with a salute to the great Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin -- but they've internalized the blues, letting it infuse songs that otherwise read as pop or lending a bit of grit to performances that otherwise favor comfort. This dexterity (demonstrated, as it should, through throwaway grooves and succinct solos), when combined with a production that boasts considerable color even during the record's quietest moments, gives Black Beehive a surprising resonance; unlike some BHTM records, this feels lived-in, which in itself is a reflection of how the band's sojourn into the blues has paid off dividends. They've returned to some of the easy, breezy melodic songwriting that gave them AAA hits in the '90s, but that tunefulness is given a backbone by the band's willingness to delve into the blues, and the production -- alternating between spare sweetness and sharply detailed, sculpted six-strings -- gives the album dimension (and Todd's decision to occasionally co-opt Dylan's phrasing, unmistakable on "Josephina" and "Travelin' Light," adds another dimension to this roots rock fantasia). Big Head Todd & the Monsters will never be a gutbucket, down-and-dirty blues-rock outfit, but Black Beehive proves that's fine: they have found their own friendly spin on the blues and have become a better band for it.
BIOGRAPHY
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
During the late '80s and early '90s, Big Head Todd & the Monsters (the Colorado-based trio of guitarist/keyboard player Todd Park Mohr, bassist Rob Squires, and drummer Brian Nevin) built their audience through constant touring, playing college towns across the country. With these tours, they built a solid fan base before they had even signed to a major label. Although they released a number of records, they weren't quite able to transfer the live appeal of their laid-back, slightly jazzy blues-based pop to disc. Nevertheless, each of their records contains many fine moments, and 1993's Sister Sweetly, which went gold and stayed in the charts over a year, showed that they were continuing to improve their songwriting as well as their playing. It was followed by their second major-label album, Strategem, in 1994; Beautiful World appeared in 1997, followed a year later by Live Monsters. Big Head Todd & the Monsters were dropped from Warner after Live Monsters and the band took four years to regroup and release Riviera in 2002. Crimes of Passion followed in 2004 on the Sanctuary label. The group released one more record on Sanctuary -- Live at the Fillmore -- before departing the label for their own Big Records, releasing All the Love You Need in 2007 and Rocksteady three years later.
