The Rhythm Devils – the name given years ago to Grateful Dead drummers and percussionists Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart – transport listeners to a jam-band fantasyland with this simply titled live DVD. With an incarnation now also featuring ex-Phish man Mike Gordon, sensational guitarist Steve Kimock and vocalist Jen Durkin (who could be Joan Osborne's kid sister), the Rhythm Devils filmed a couple of 2006 shows in Chicago and Sayreville, N.J., in front of surprisingly young fans. The result is eight long and meandering tracks, many penned by Hart and longtime Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, complemented by bursts of animation and vintage film reels. The extra visuals add to the, um, "concert experience" but they also detract slightly from the otherworldly musicianship on display here. A lot happens in each of these songs, anchored by multiple layers of percussion, Durkin's earthy delivery and an excessive amount of lyrics.
Progheads might be surprised to learn that Jeff Glixman, who produced Kansas' Leftoverture, handled the 5.1 Surround Sound mix for Concert Experience. A second disc features a 12-minute "behind the scenes" doc that could easily have been included on the main, expertly filmed DVD, and it's all wrapped in a gorgeous hardbound book with thick pages and psychedelic band images. Devilishly impressive…
Track Listing:
1) Comes the Dawn
2) Fountains of Wood
3) The Center
4) 7 Seconds
5) Your House
6) Arabian Wind
7) See You Again
8) Next Dimension
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