Search - Fever Tree :: San Francisco Girls Best of

Rock at It's Most Symphonic!!!

chris meesey Food Czar | The Colony, TX United States | 10/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those of us who are aficionadoes of sixties music, Fever Tree must be considered one of the great lost bands of that era. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have seen one of their rare live shows, at Steamboat Springs club in Austin in early 1977, featuring original guitarist Michael Knust, singer Dennis Keller (one of the most underrated vocalists in rock history), and three new players. To make a long story short, the concert was sensational, the band playing with both presence and passion, choosing to encore (after some discussion) with the bluesy "What Time Did You Say It Is In Salt Lake City?" Sadly, this song is not included on San Francisco Girls: The Best of Fever Tree. Other FT classics that may be missed by rabid fans include "Wild Woman Ways," "Run Past My Window," "Man Who Paints the Pictures, Part II," and the stunning Beatles medley of "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out". Still, there are plenty of good tracks on this collection. Fever Tree is usually grouped together with other bands in the Psychedelic Rock category, and Michael's incredible guitar figures in the hit single "San Francisco Girls" leave no doubt of their trippy influences. However, Fever Tree was also one of the first (and best) rock bands to use strings and horns effectively. Just listen to the gentle string backing on "Unlock My Door," a most wonderful and unusual love song (reportedly taken from the Bluebeard pirate legend) to be sure. More powerful strings are at the core of "Sun Also Rises," aided by a vocal performance from Dennis so passionate it could make the sun rise by itself. And don't forget the incredible keyboard work of Rob Landes (would would surface years later as the musical director of a touring production of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) on such fabulous songs as "Catcher in the Rye" and "Come With Me (Rainsong)," the latter as beautiful a love song as ever been recorded. All this plus the fantastic "Imitation Situation I," featuring Bach's Toccata and Fugue morphing into the bluesy "Where Do You Go?;" and "Time Is Now," one of the very best songs (along with Simon and Garfunkle's classic "America") to sum up the heartbreak and angst of the sixties. I know this and other Fever Tree CD's are hard to find, but please search diligently for them. The symphonic/psychedelic/bluesy wonders which await you are truly worth it!"

Excellent!

chris meesey Food Czar | 06/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From dark to raucous, Fever Tree's music spans the human emotions. From vocals to guitar to accompaniment, Fever Tree was complete from a talent perspective, unlike many bands, which had a single truly talented musician. This CD is a wonderful documentation of Fever Tree's music. The exceptional liner notes and graphics make this CD a must for any Fever Tree fan. Also, the remastering for this disc makes for superb audio quality. Fever Tree's and similar artist's music almost seemed to be forgotten, but this release provides positive proof of the influence of the psychedelic era!"

A lesser known band of the pyschedelic 70's.

chris meesey Food Czar | 05/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Idiscovered Fever Tree during my college years at K-State. It was in the time of the late Vietnam era and the birth of pysychodelic music. If you like Jimmy Hendrix, and early Deep Purple you will probably love Fever Tree. Their songs were intriguing, at times complex, and others like The Sun Often Rises, has a solid melody that has a softer sound. They never got the attention they deserved or the play time. I wore my album out, and their music has stood the test of time."