Phish bassist
Mike Gordon and acoustic guitar virtuoso
Leo Kottke are a natural multi-faceted collaboration. Akin to the cerebral interplay of the
Jorma Kaukonen and
Jack Casady of
Hot Tuna and the early-'70s rootsy incarnation of
the Grateful Dead,
Kottke and
Gordon complete each other's musical thoughts as they joyfully rumble through folk, blues, country, and bluegrass cuts with a breezy demeanor.
Gordon's thick timbre and non-conformist phrasing compliment
Kottke's polyrhythmic tendencies from cut to cut. The title track, as simple as it may sound on the surface, is a harmonic cornucopia of counterpoint via upper-register motifs and inverted chord voicing bolstered by reverberations and a myriad of odd sounds. Among the most engaging offering is a spirited remake of
Roy Buchanan's "I Am a Lonesome Fugitive," rendered straight as an arrow with
Kottke's world-weary baritone meshing with
Gordon's quivering falsetto. "Clay" waxes psychedelic and "Middle of the Road" is anything but, as the two dueling virtuosos kick up the dust on tale of heartbreak and woe. A timeless record by two artists on an organic journey. Take the ride. ~ Tom Semioli