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Pumping Iron and sweating...The Gathering Field?

William Wellek | Latrobe, PA | 11/27/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you're old enough to remember the only famous band to nearly make it out of Pittsburgh called The Iron City Houserockers (aka Joe Gruschecky), the band Rolling Stone magazine called the greatest bar band ever and who gigged with The Boss several times...and you thought those guys WERE the Pittsburgh sound...well, you ain't going to like The Gathering Field and their self titled debut CD. And that's too bad because they ain't "pumping iron and sweating steel" the way the Houserockers did...but, these boys do rock. A little whimpier but there sure ain't nothing wrong with that if it sounds this good. BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME is as far from dance till you puke bar music but it kicks off the CD in a mellow manner that starts your head bobbing and leads you into the showstopper BORDERTOWN, a classic tale of falling in love with ones first...hooker. It's rediculous going through every song title by title because there isn't a clinker in the bunch and guaranteed you won't be skipping over one track to get to another. DYLAN THOMAS DAYS rocks the CD to a conclusion that will have you pressing the play button one more time...from the beginning to the end. The Gathering Field has had a few releases since this debut and most sound nearly as good as this one. Truly has there never been a band that deserves a break on one of the talk shows. Hell, even The Iron City Houserockers made it to Solid Gold in their time. Somebody send Paul Shaffer a copy of one of their CDs and get these guys the fame they deserve."

Introspective, Mellow but with a Kick

kristinhtaylor | Lexington, KY | 06/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Since my college days in Pittsburgh, I have been a fan of the Gathering Field. This particular CD is a good mix of mellow and rock. The writing is great and the music is even better. It still surprises me that GF hasn't received more national attention. Give them a listen, you won't be disappointed."

Hideously Overlooked Band

T. Schmidt | Mansfield TX USA | 09/10/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard about the Gathering Field through my girlfriend who is a Pittsburgh native and was always trying to get me to listen to them. Finally, I gave in and borrowed her copy of their debut album. It did not leave my car CD player for a week. Within a month I had special-ordered this album and its two follow-ups. One should not have to "special order" music of this quality!
The music on this CD ranges from pleasant neo folk-rock ("Better Off Without Me", "Morning Sounds") to great rockers ("Lost it in the Sun", "Information") The true standouts on this extraordinary debut, however, are the tracks that fall in between.
"Bordertown" is a moving story of adolescent self-awakening told to a nicely synchopated beat while the haunting "Reservoir" displays a not-too-overwhelming spirituality rare in today's music.
Then there's the closer, "Dylan Thomas Days", which celebrates new-found sobriety after years of lost and/or hazy memories.
Despite a handful of stumbles typical of debut offerings (the slightly clumsy "I Believe! I Believe!"), this CD should hold up as one of the best releases of 1994 and definitely the best debut of that year. While it is surpassed in quality by their three followups (especially Lost in America) this is the one that turned me into a fan and holds a special place in my musical conscience."