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Don't believe any negative review

Weatherman | 08/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You ever notice that there always comes a time in a band's life at which the public and critics simply feel the need to voice disappointment in a new release, no matter how good it may actually be? I think that's the reason behind any negative review this record gets. Having released three unbelievably good records, it seems like Cahoots was just destined for middling reviews in an attempt to balance the scales. Don't believe 'em. I was all ready to not like this record, based solely on what I'd read about it, but I gotta say...I LOVE it. Once again, I hear another BAND record and am torn at which to declare my favorite of the bunch. That's high praise considering what came before Cahoots. Just buy this CD or LP. Do it. You'll love it."

Yes, I like it

B. E Jackson | Pennsylvania | 08/29/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

""I like it" is about the best compliment I can give to an album that's *definitely* weaker than the first three Band albums, but with that in mind, it still contains some quality songs here and there. Even the weaker songs seem to grow on me with repeated listens, so who knows- Cahoots might turn out to be a real gem in the long run.



The obvious highlight is "When I Paint My Masterpiece" because it has a vocal melody that would fit in perfectly with the first three albums. "The Moon Struck One" is another great song for exactly the same reason, so it's easily my second favorite song here. I absolutely LOVE the atmosphere they are going for, too. It feels peaceful and ambitious at the same time. Weird combination.



A song that seems to get better with time is the closer "The River Hymn". Originally I thought it was a really weak song, however over time it has grown on me significantly. So much so, that it's probably just as good as the two songs I mention above. It's some kind of mellow, relaxing tune that probably encourages you to lay out in fields and watch the moonlight roll by.



Other moments are definitely weak such as on "Smoke Signal". This is a pretty generic blues rocker if you ask me, not to mention a couple minutes overlong. "Volcano" has a fairly bland verse melody, but something about it appeals to me regardless of that. "Where Do We Go From Here" is a really good ballad. It's instantly likeable, too.



I was never a fan of "Life Is a Carnival" and well, even in my Band phase that I'm currently going through it fails to really grab me the way I'd like. Oh well. I still like the verse melody though, and the whacky and bouncy carnival-like effects in the rhythm section are pretty neat.



"4% Pantomime" contains a rather sloppy vocal performance by Van Morrison in the middle. I'm a huge fan of Van the Man, but this song is pretty weirdly put together. I like the Chinese sounds in "Shoot Out in Chinatown". It's a weird experimental piece and it works. Speaking of experiments, "Last of the Blacksmiths" sounds like a Procol Harum imitation because of the extremely well-written way it comes across and the tearful honesty in the vocal melody, not to mention the lead singer resembles the guy from PH quite a bit.



Overall, yes, Cahoots is worth owning, but don't expect the quality of about 75% of the music here to match that of the previous three Band albums. They seemed to be running out of ideas in a hurry... unless the Band has more recent albums that might be worth hearing. I wouldn't know."