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18 Oct 02 - 02:16 AM (#805872) Subject: Nickel Creek From: GUEST,Sarah Saw Nickel Creek at Sheffield Memorial Hall last night and can safely say they are brilliant - go see them. ALL of them are superb musicians but Kevin Thile has got to be the best mandolin player I think I am ever likely to see (and he didn't break any strings all night). I don't know how many dates they've got left in the UK but I suspect it might not be many. Cheers Sarah |
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18 Oct 02 - 03:17 AM (#805885) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Murray MacLeod I have heard the buzz abit this band for some time. They played a live set on BBC Radio the other evening, and they diddn;t exactly bowl me over. No doubt they are all "superb musicians" as we keep hearing, but if so they kept it hidden. What I heard was a pleasant sounding pop-country band, with rather weak vocals. However, given the list of luminaries they have played with there must be more to them than met the ear that evening. Murray |
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18 Oct 02 - 05:07 AM (#805920) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: katlaughing Until I looked at their website because of this thread, I had no idea they were so popular. They play them on the local community radio station all of the time and rave on constantly. From what I gather, they are originally from Colorado, so they are "local, done good." I have not seen them in concert, but what I've heard on the radio was okay, but it didn't jump out at me. Maybe they are just a lot better in person? It sounded to me as though they were quite young and, sorry Sarah, but to me it also sounded like the mando player was out to prove he could play faster than anyone else alive and that's not the way I want to be impressed.:-) I'll give them another listen, though, on your recommendation, Sarah, thanks for posting about them. kat |
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18 Oct 02 - 07:51 AM (#805988) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Chris/Darwin I have played their first "mature" album, the self titled one, to death on our local community station in Darwin. It became one of my desert island 10 albums almost instantly. The album is probably best described as pop influenced bluegrass/folk. It is very smooth, with everything done very professionally. More importantly, it is an album that focusses on the music, which varies from brilliantly composed and performed tunes, to a wide range of song types featuring flawless harmonies and musical arrangements. At its best it is goosebump stuff. There is not a poor track on it. After such a brilliant start, the next album was doomed to be self aware, but some songs on it may yet pass the test of time. It is fair to say that most fans were disappointed. I think the thing to keep in mind is that these are still kids, and with this much raw talent they could easily mature into the one of the greatest bluegrass bands of all time. I hope they do. Regards Chris |
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18 Oct 02 - 08:11 AM (#805998) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Bullfrog Jones Oh good! I thought it was me... I agree with Murray -- very pleasant, but bland. I'm sure they're nice kids and good to their moms and everything, but (for me) not worth the hype. BJ |
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18 Oct 02 - 08:24 AM (#806011) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: mooman Love the first album....not so keen on the second like Chris in Darwin above after a listen through in the record shop. Chris Thile is one superb mandolin player! Not going to open the argument as to whether they are truly bluegrass which continues to rage over on Mandolin Cafe. Ooops! Regards, moo |
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18 Oct 02 - 09:51 AM (#806061) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: GUEST,Greycap It's unfortunate that three kids who can pick the ass off most folks could start to believe their own press cuttings and produce a second cd as bland and totally uninteresting as the first one. DJ's wgho keep playing their stuff and telling us how good they are, are partially to blame. They are dull. There is so much potential wasted on poor material. Their management and artistic director should take some blame.Luckily these kids will outgrow this era and become awesome. |
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18 Oct 02 - 10:35 AM (#806087) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Murray MacLeod I do wish these youngsters all the best, and with any luck they will mature into a great band. Time is on their side. But, anyone who is totally bowled over by the band at this stage of their career can not have been around in the early seventies, when the rock/bluegrass scene produced such spellbinding bands as the Burrito Brothers, Commander Cody, Country Gazette et al. Maybe later, but at this point in time, Nickel Creek (on what I have heard so far) would barely get away with opening for any of the stellar bands I mentioned. None of whom are around any more, more's the pity *sigh* Murray |
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18 Oct 02 - 10:44 AM (#806090) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: wysiwyg When they are done being preoccupied with themselves, in their songwriting, they'll be something really special. Now, they are merely amazing. *G* ~S~ |
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18 Oct 02 - 10:48 AM (#806096) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: JedMarum I love their first - enjoy their second. These are very very talented young folks and they're in it for the long haul, I suspect. They'll hopefully have lotsa records over the years for us to fuss and discuss! |
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18 Oct 02 - 11:00 AM (#806099) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Bullfrog Jones Absolutely, Murray. I had the good fortune to see the Burritos (Rick Roberts-era) once and Country Gazette a couple of times -- the second time at my college where I blagged my way into their dressing-room and sat in awe watching them basically goofing around. But their goofing around would have knocked spots off Nickel Creek! BJ |
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18 Oct 02 - 11:02 AM (#806100) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: John Hardly A friend has a bootleg recording of Chris Thile sitting in with the incomperable David Grier in a small coffeehouse setting. After 30+ minutes of the most impossible playing I've ever heard, you can hear Chris' voice sayinig an exuberant "Man, that was FUN!" ...you can hear the voice of an exhausted Grier saying "man, that was damn HARD!" Chris is the most virtuoso instrumentalist to come along in a very long time. I was just listening to "All Who Wander..." yesterday and am amazed at the combination of both speed and accuracy in his playing. Still, for MUSIC's sake, I'd still rather listen to Sam Bush, Don Stienberg (sp--the guy from Chicago who used to play with Jethro Burns), Johnny Staats, Adam Steffe, Joel Mabus... |
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18 Oct 02 - 11:22 AM (#806107) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Wesley S I have to agree with a lot that I've read here. I put a lot of the blame for their bland material on their producer Allison Krauss. I saw the band live a few weeks ago here in Ft Worth. It was a great show - much more dynamic than their CD's. But they were almost blown off the stage by the opening act - Gillian Welch and David Rawlins. I'll be interested to see where these musicians go and how they develop. A few decades will add a lot of soul to their playing. Adam Steffe and Sam Bush arn't nearly as fast as Chris Thile - but I'm with John - I'd rather hear soul than speed anyday. |
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18 Oct 02 - 05:37 PM (#806386) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Bullfrog Jones Gillian Welch and David Rawlings should not be opening for Nickel Creek! BJ |
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18 Oct 02 - 05:51 PM (#806397) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Wesley S Bullfrog - I'll take them anyway I can get them. We don't have that many good shows come through here. But I understand what you're saying. |
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18 Oct 02 - 07:12 PM (#806446) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Mudlark I agree...Welch and Rawlings are mature, seasoned musicians who inhabit their music heart and soul, without affectation or self-importance. I've never seen either of these acts live but from what I've seen recorded, openers should have been the other way around. |
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18 Oct 02 - 07:13 PM (#806447) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: X Sorry Kat: "Nickel Creek" are from Carlsbad CA. They played the pizza joints here in town as "The Itty Bitty Dirt Band." I remember them well. Greater things are yet to come. |
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18 Oct 02 - 11:51 PM (#806481) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: katlaughing Thanks, Banjoest, I wasn't sure. Wesley, I'd agree on your point about Krause. |
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19 Oct 02 - 03:56 AM (#806527) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: GUEST I've seen them several times. Take away management and production crap and see them live if you can. Thile will be rated among the best of the best. He may even be amongst them now. He's an awesome player and you can sense his heart and sheer joy for the gift he has in every note he plays. See them live and then say it's all hype. If you have any comprehension of what a gift from God is you'll appreciate Thile is just that. Not really my kind of music but I endorse the hype as it's warranted. These kids will make huge waves in the future. Later |
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19 Oct 02 - 05:29 AM (#806544) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Kaleea These kids are great musicians! They started out as small children playing bluegrass, and played numerous festivals including The Walnut Valley Music Festival in Winfield, Kansas where I used to hear them. They gave terrific workshops, too--where you actually bring & PLAY your instrument & learn things as opposed to the sit & watch so called "workshop" thing. They were asked to back up Dolly Parton, and got bigtime recognition for that, to include a "bigtime" tour offer. Now they are doing their own thing, which often takes a while to figure out. They are so expensive to book that if they were at Winfield now, there wouldn't be any $$ left to book others--and there are many fabulous artists booked each year at Winfield! So, let's just sit back & wait till they "find themselves" and I'm betting that they'll eventually get back to the bluegrass after their newgrass phase starts wearing out. Meanwhile, as others point out, listen to their earlier albumns & hear them live--you'll enjoy 'em! |
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19 Oct 02 - 10:45 AM (#806652) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: NicoleC I listened to their newest one yesterday in the store, and didn't bring it home because it soulded exactly like their last one. Which sits on my shelf unplayed, because it's kinda... boring. On the other hand, I pull out Thile's "All Who Wander..." rather often. It has an infectious youthful exuberance. I really think it's time for a new producer for Nickel Creek.Their albums really aren't living up to their potential. |
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19 Oct 02 - 01:07 PM (#806714) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: ballpienhammer Ya know, first they start as artists, trying to share/show their art. Then they make a couple bucks and find out they can SELL their art. Then they get greedy!...and ART be damned! bph |
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19 Oct 02 - 02:40 PM (#806762) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: GUEST,northfolk-al |
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21 Oct 02 - 12:22 PM (#807862) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Susan from California When Chris was a little guy, he lived with his family in Idyllwild, California (a tiny mountain community) and he played with his dad's bluegrass band. He was a cute little guy, and I'm sure his mom and dad are quite proud. His mom, BTW is an incredibly nice woman. When I was going through a divorce (hard in any instance but brutal in a community of less than 2,000) she was very supportive. I finally bought a cd, have yet to listen to it because I have heard such variance in the reviews, I will listen tonight when I get home and reminisce (sp). |
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21 Oct 02 - 12:52 PM (#807887) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Mark Clark These kids seem to be techincally excellent musicians with a great deal of enthusiasm. I hope they stay with it and mature into the band they clearly could become. Maybe they should spend half of each year apart playing with other great bluegrass bands so they can absorb as much experience as quickly as possible. In many ways they remind me of the McLain Family Band of the early ninteen seventies. A great deal of their appeal is that they're so clean and so cuuuuutttte. I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot from these kids in future. In the meantime, I'd sure like to borrow their fingers for a while. - Mark |
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21 Oct 02 - 01:20 PM (#807911) Subject: RE: Nickel Creek From: Mark Ross They are great musicians, technically, but for whatever reason(probably their age)they lack the raw edge that means so much to me, especially in bluegrass. As Jack Conroy used to say,"I prefer a crude vigor to a polished banality." Mark Ross |