Cross Canadian Ragweed - Garage WDvd (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

Some call it rock, some call it country...I call it great mu

DanD | 10/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Distorted electric guitars, blistering vocals, sizzling harmonicas...and acoustic ballads. Such is Cross Canadian Ragweed. Grady Cross, Cody Canada, Randy Ragsdale, and Jeremy Plato are four of the best musicians on the scene today, and have proved it with each consecutive album. They're also unique in the fact that they have gone mainstream without losing their underground edge; the only difference between this record and their first is the bigger budget and better production.

Certainly, Canada's songwriting is as virulent as ever. He definitely knows how to turn a phrase ("You may have won this battle baby, don't mean I won't win the war/And you, you don't even know what it is that you're fightin' for"). The rhythm section backs him up flawlessly, as always, creating a driving, rocking, bluesy beat set to truly country lyrics ("I used to get stoned on my sister's record collection/Gold and platinum on vinyl was the closest thing to perfection"). Guest songwriters include such alternative notables as Wade Bowen, producer Mike McClure, Todd Snider, Scott Copeland, and Randy Rogers...yet every song feels crafted by the band, even the two cover tunes.

GARAGE is yet another stellar album by alternative band Cross Canadian Ragweed. Having gained mainstream recognition (if not success) thanks to CMT (hit videos, plus their last album, SOUL GRAVY, debuted in the Top Ten on the charts), the Ragweed boys have not forgotten where they came from. Without compromising on their sound, they have crafted an album that will appeal to mainstream AND underground listeners. No radio hits--of course not--but simply good music. Call it rock, call it country--or just call it Cross Canadian Ragweed."

Awesome live too

David D. Baker | Chicago, Il, USA | 07/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hey i'm in Chicago; i just caught up with them at Joes on Weed ! To bad most people will never hear or see them because of corp crap ; but this CD (Garage) rocks ..... i'm not a fan of country music but if its only smells like Country but tastes like Rock i'm into it ...... Check out the samples and your be hooked !!! God bless the boys !!"

It gets better each time I listen...

Russell P. Kidd | Roscommon, MI | 05/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is my third CCR album/CD. Started with "Live at Billy Bobs" (or whatever) and I was hooked. "Soul Gravy" had its moments (cuts) but this "Garage" CD is more consistent in its output for my tastes.

However, it took a few listening sessions to totally get the feel for it and into my head. It seems to get better each time I listen to it.

CCR is definitely a hard band to tag. There's rock, there's country, then add some blues and a throw back or two to bands I used to listen to "way back when".

Cody's lead guitar work is always a pleasure to listen to. Today's music, period, just doesn't match up to his crisp, edgey guitar playing. His guitar "hooks" are many and stay with you well past after turning the CD player off such as with Track #2. In addition, check out his guitar work on the closing moments of Track #11 on "Garage". His jammimg lasts darn near two minutes as the song winds down. Seems like every studio album contains a long jam someplace on the album in either a bridge between lyrics or at the end of the song.

If you are a guitar fan and grew up on rock music (whether it was Skynard's 3 guitars, Allman Bros. Eagles or whatever), I say take time to check this CD out.

I just wish more of today's rock or country sounded like this! I just don't like much of what is being marketed nowadays...

"

Them boys from Oklahoma do their albums alright

Thomas Burke | Somewheres between texas and louisiana | 01/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Cross Canadian Ragweed coming out of the red Dirt music scene produces another great cd of music you probably won't hear on a broadcast station outside Texas, CMT, or the internet. Standing on the harder extremes of the alt. country/Texas music scene looking more like a rock band than a country band, They are known for bluring the lines between country and rock, this cd throws some changes that others have stated they didn't like such as moving Cody Canada's vocals away from the Front and center and blending them in better to the rest of the group (which in my opinion actually make the cd more enjoyable as it sounds more like a polished band than a singer with a back up group)

The black covered "garage" is actually a limited edition cd/dvd combo featuring music videos from "Cross Canadian Ragweed (aka Purple)" and "Soul Gravy", as well as a picture montage (with clips of songs from their discography) as CCR recently celebrated 10 years of being together.

This Cd seems to be trying to elevate CCR to mainstream radio more by it's production compared to some of the other cds in the discography but still keep their present fans very satisfied (as they stayed with Mike McClure on producing instead of running to a new "so called hot shot" producer like Pat Green did).

Out of 14 tracks, I personally love all except the remake of "who do you love" (but is a way better cover of the song IMO than the most famous classic rock version by George Thurogood)and Late Last Night trying to do a fast paced song better suited for some of the other country music stars out there.

After the 14th song (Bad Habit), there is a 4 minute interlude of the group's outtakes that while good, could have been better suited for some of the songs they started in the outtakes that apparently didn't make this cd.

A word to those sensitive to some of the bad words and other influcences may want to preview this before the kids get ahold of this one (due to the group's cursing in the interlude and the group occasionally glorifiying of some of it's alledged drug use ("sister" has a part about "turning up the STP (Rock group Stone Temple Pilots) and turning down the LSD", as well as songs such as "boys from Oklahoma on a previous cd that glorified weed smoking and rolling).

Overall, I originally read the reviews here and thought that this was gonna be a good album but not great. Surpringly minus the 2 songs above and the outtakes, Is one that stays in my cd player more than soul gravy did as it's a way better sounding polished album overall...

So for the overall on this CD, Most of the cd is 5 but with a few bad apples in here with a DVD that should have at least included "fighting for"'s video..I give it 4.6 overall but with a parental advisory for those who are sensative to music with bad inflences in it..."

I like COUNTRY! I like to ROCK! This "GARAGE" ROCKS!!!!

Okie Crowe | Oklahoma City, Ok USA | 10/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know? It must be a REDNECK thing the way us OKIES like to mix our ROCK and COUNTRY up! Way to go CCR another fine CD!!!

Hey Thom? Why do you smell like GARBAGE?"

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