CALIFORNIA SCREAMIN'
Dixie Dregs
•Jazz Rock/Fusion
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3.69
| 21 ratings | 4 reviews | 14% 5 stars
|
Live, released in 2000 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Wages Of Weirdness (4:10) DIXIE DREGS: Zebra Records ZD 44021-2 Thanks to ProgLucky for the additionand to Mahavishnu for the last updates Edit this entry |
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DIXIE DREGS California Screamin' ratings distribution
(21 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(14%)Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(43%)Good, but non-essential (33%)Collectors/fans only (10%)Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
DIXIE DREGS California Screamin' reviews
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Collaborators/Experts Reviews
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
I was never really a fan of DD, because they came a little too late, when almost everything was said in the JR/F, and in their classic days, they developed a strange sort of fusion between southern/country rock music (I loathe) and your habitual later-70's jazz rock. Past the obvious Mahavishnu Orchestra references, you can also hear some Charlie Daniels or Marshall Tucker Band influences, which never bodes well with me. And indeed there are a few awful country hick-type of jigs (such as the ridiculous Bash and haystack boogie of Dixie), the presence of two violins unfortunately encouraged such dubious choices. They even can't help themselves but covering the Allman Bros classic Jessica (I'd have preferred them doing Whipping Post), but if I can't say they honour it, neither do they diserve it, just nothing special, except extending the track needlessly for cheap over-appreciative fan applause.
Other tracks like Aftershock or Wages Of Weirdness are nothing beyond average with a Kansas flavour, with Refried Chicken offering a rare Kb solo over an 80's funk beat (never as good as the killer 70's funk), while Night Meets Lights is a completely uninspired (well a poor Maha Orch inspiration) slow ascending riff tune. While What If is also strongly MO-inspired, it also fails to impress (as if they were afraid to inspire themselves from faster Maha Orch tracks), but it's far from unpleasant. Among the best tracks around are the shortened Zappa classic Peaches In Regalia (with Dweezil making an appearance), Freefall (good Goodman violin work), and the Sleeveless In Seattle (I guess named after the movie), which easily their best of their selection, but Morgenstein's drumming is a bit pedestrian, IMHO.
While this Live reunion album is likely to please most of DD fans, let's face it, most of the historical members are present, so fans can only be overwhelmed, but I am not impressed by the selection of tracks on this disc. Cal Screaming would not a bad overview of the band, but there are better tracks on their glory-days albums, that are not present here, so if you could start with those elusive studio albums, which are not easily found in the old world, it might be a more suitable introduction;
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
As their regular studio albums are quite hard to find in record stores, I recommend this album as a perfect way of getting to know the world of the Dregs!
Peaches En Regalia: It's amazing to hear this track performed with that many guitars and the violins.
Aftershock: Great moving bass line and violin solo.
The Bash: Awesome guitar vs. violin duels in a weird Hillbilly setting.
Refied Funky Chicken: Great funky bass lines, and the typical staccato unisono guitar/violin lines and breaks.
What If: Beautiful slow track, it's wonderful how Morse manages to smooth out the guitar parts with his volume knob. He also plays a very laid back jazzy solo.
Sleeveless in Seattle: Maybe the best track on the album, if not the best Dregs song of all times. Stunning chord progressions and beautiful solos by guitar and violin - first alternating, then together.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
The selections highlight all of the different facets of the Dregs music, the majestic ballads, the fast fusion, and the insanely fast country breakdowns. And as usual, the band just cooks on every song. The covers are surprising, and extremely well done. Dweezil Zappa gets on stage to help out on his dad's "Peaches En Regalia", and the Allman Brothers' "Jessica" is just beautiful.
I wish this big band version of the Dregs had toured in my area.
Latest members reviews
What is there to say to the uniformed? Never heard of Steve Morse, Dixie Dregs or The Dregs? If you haven't -- you just don't know your fusion nor your award-winning guitarists. Not too long after The Mahavishnu Orchestra exploded onto the electrified jazz rock fusion scene, a young Southerner, (U.S ... (read more)
Report this review (#2582075) | Posted by JazzFusionGuy | Thursday, July 29, 2021 | Review Permanlink
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