Category Archives: Widespread Panic

Widespread Panic

Overview- 2010
Widespread Panic is a southern rock jam band from Athens, GA. They have released 11 studio albums, and they have kept a relentless touring schedule since the late 1980’s, through which they developed an enormous fan base and following. Along with The Grateful Dead and Phish, they are part of the Big-3 of jam bands.

Styles/ Genre
Jam band

Current Band Line- Up:
John Bell (Vocals, Guitars)
Dave Schools (Bass)
Todd Nance (Drums)
Domingo Ortiz (percussion)
John Hermann “Jo Jo” (Keyboards)
Jimmy Herring (Guitars)

Former Members
Michael Houser (Guitars, Original founding member, died in 2002)
T. Lavitz (Keyboards)
George McConnell (Guitars)

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(8 reader ratings, average: 2.50 out of 5)

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Widespread Panic Space Wrangler- 1988
Album Rating- 7 (Excellent)

If you attended college in the 90’s, then you certainly know this album note for note (whether you owned it or not) because it seemed to be playing everywhere you went.

Space Wrangler is the debut album by Widespread Panic. I also think it is their best studio album. Houser is definitely on his game here, and he definitely sounds energized. All in all, the arrangements, the playing, and the singing are all on point. The only thing missing here are keyboards. Does Lavitz even play? Are his keys even plugged in? It’s the same thing on the next album as well, and then we finally get Jo Jo on Everyday. So, in terms of instrumentation, my only real complaint is that all the songs would benefit from a serious keyboard injection.

In terms of songs, you can really divide the album in thirds, or three parts:

Part#1: “Chilly Water” – “Coconut”
“Chilly Water” is a perfect opener. It’s arguably Houser’s best performance on the album, and compared to the other early upbeat Widespread songs in its class (which include “Walkin’,” “Pigeons,” “Pleas,” “Wondering” and “Diner’), it is by far the best. “Travelling Light” is a fitting cover tune, and I will say that I normally like Widespread’s choices in cover songs. “Space Wrangler” is up next, and it is definitely the best song from the first part of the album. It has a multi-part structure that keeps it interesting through its 7-minute run-time, and it explores themes of misplaced childhood, which Bell would continue to explore on “C-Brown” and “Heroes” from Widespread Panic and Ain’t Life Grand. “Coconut,” on the other hand, doesn’t fit the context of the rest of the album, and it simply should have been left off.

Part#2: “The Take Out” – “Holden Oversoul”
The second part of the record contains the best music on the album, and it is near perfect. If Widespread had taken the sound of these songs and made it their signature sound, they would be a much better band. These 5 songs (“The Take Out,” “Porch Song,” “Stop-Go,” “Driving Song,” and “Holden Oversoul”) form a 20+ minute song sequence that flows together seamlessly. Every instrument sounds very organic, and they combine elements of electric, acoustic, and even some fiddle on “The Take Out,” and Bell’s vocals fit perfectly. Plus, we actually get to hear some keyboards on “Holden Oversoul,” but they’re performed by Page McConnell from Phish (again, where is Lavitz?). The whole sequence is absolutely done to perfection.

Part#3: “Contentment Blues – “Me and the Devil Blues>Heaven”
The final third of the album starts with “Contentment Blues,” which is simply embarrassing. After the southern jam perfection of the middle half of the album, Widespread gives us a song about chicken, and the chorus of the song is “Oh my Chicken tastes good.” I just don’t get it.

Then there’s “Gomero Blanco,” which is a spacy psychedelic number that doesn’t really fit the tone of the album, but it doesn’t bother me, and I don’t mind its inclusion.

Lastly there’s the 15-minute cover of “Me and the Devil Blues> Heaven.” The first half was written by the 1930’s blues legend Robert Johnson, and “Heaven” is a Talking Heads cover. This was recorded as a one-take, live in the studio number, and it is impressive. I have to hand it to Bell. His juxtaposition of the first and second half of the song (Devil Vs. Heaven) is a stroke of genius. The first half is about Johnson’s alleged deal with the devil (the legend states that Johnson sold his soul to the devil for his blues guitar ability). The second half of the song is about David Byrne’s account of Heaven. The juxtaposition is interesting because Byrne’s lyrics to “Heaven” are very open ended (and the song’s meaning is vehemently argued by Talking Heads fans), so whether Bell intended it or not, he compared and contrasted two songs that might have very similar meanings or very different meanings. Aside from song’s meaning, the music is engaging as well. They cover “Devil” for the first 6-minutes, then jam for about 5 minutes, then seamlessly transition into “Heaven.” Bell’s vocals are a perfect fit for the bluesy first half of the song, and his vocals on “Heaven” have grown on me. So, with the exception of “Contentment,” the final third of the album is excellent as well.

In short, if you want to get into Widespread’s studio albums, start here. This is their crowing studio achievement.

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Widespread Panic Widespread Panic- 1991
RMR Album Rating- 3 (Poor)

What happened here?

After releasing the promising, upbeat, sunshine flavored Space Wrangler in 1988, Widespread Panic spent three years touring and writing new material for this eponymous release. They even signed to Capricorn, which is a division of Warner Brothers– a major label. This album should have been great, but unfortunately it is not. Overall, it is boring and overly long, and it is loaded with filler.

There are, however, some decent songs, but they are buried in the album’s 70+ minute run time. “Send Your mind,” a Van Morrison cover, is done well, and they even incorporate a nice mini jam session mid-way through the song. I also like “Walking,” which has that sunshine, good time feel that epitomized the Space Wrangler album. “Pigeon’s” and “Mercy” are also standouts. “Mercy” has intriguing instrumentation and lyrics. Plus, Bell’s vocals really shine on lines like “I can smell your breath through a freshly painted door” and “walls bricked with books/ Pages bricked with words.”

Buried in the second half of the album there is “Love Tractor.” It gets off to a slow start, but it ends with some of Houser’s best guitar work on the album. “Proving Ground” is also a highlight with some bluesy jamming built into it. Lastly, the 10-minute “Barstools and Dreamers” is the best representation of Widespread as a jam band on the album, and it is certainly the cornerstone of the album for Widespread loyalists.

Ultimately, there are some good songs here, but you really have to dig to find them. I could do without “Rock,” “Makes Sense to Me,” “C. Brown,” “I’m not Alone,” and the closing track– “The Last Straw.” Overall, many of the songs on Widespread Panic sound way too similar and the end result is a record that is overly monotonous and unmemorable.

Post Script:
The first 4 seconds of “Pigeons” completely rips off Alabama’s “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas.” (Or, maybe it’s an homage to Alabama). The first 4-seconds of the two songs are identical note for note.

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Widespread Panic Everyday- 1993
RMR Album Rating- 6 (Good)

Widespread Panic’s third album, Everyday, is concentrated and consistent. Other than pacing, there’s not much variation between the songs, but that’s not really a problem. Every song is drenched in southern gothic blues rock, which is energetic enough to keep your attention and lethargic enough to let you relax and enjoy its many intricate jams. Plus, almost every song has a unique lyrical story behind it, so it is worth following and studying the lyrics while listening.

“Pleas” and “Wondering” are nice upbeat rockers that could have easily fit in on Space Wrangler. There’s also “Diner,” which is faster than most songs on the album and one of the more mainstream songs in Widespread’s catalog. “Diner” also foreshadows the sound to come on Widespread’s next album– Ain’t Life Grand. “Hatfield,” “Henry Parson’s Died” and “Pilgrims” are also highlights, and they epitomize the album’s southern lethargic feel. The real gem of the album is “Papa’s Home.” It starts out slow and lazy but then shifts to the best jam sequence of the album, which showcases impressive guitar work from Houser layered over punchy keyboard work from new keyboardist– John Hermann (“Jo Jo”).

None of the other songs really jump out at me, but as mentioned— the album is somewhat plagued by monotony. The weakest songs are “Better Off” and “Picking Up the Pieces.” Neither song is terrible, but both songs drag and sound like leftovers from Widespread’s previous eponymous sophomore album.

Although Everyday is often overlooked by casual fans because of its lazy southern rock texture, it is just as loved by Widespread patriots for the same reasons. For me, it is a standout record and a success, as it firmly lays down Widespread Panic’s signature studio sound.

Post Script:
Yes, that is a young Angelina Jolie on Everday’s cover.

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(2 reader ratings, average: 3.00 out of 5)

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Widespread Panic Ain’t Life Grand- 1994
RMR Album Rating- 4 (Good)

On Ain’t Life Grand, Widespread goes for a more pop sound on the first half of the album and then returns to their typical southern-blues injected jam sound on the second half of the album, which unfortunately produces a very uneven and patchy record.

The first half of the album is upbeat, poppy, and laced with bouncy lyrical choruses. The title track is super catchy and features stand-out keyboard work from Jo Jo. “Airplane” is easily the most poppy song on the record, but it teeters very close to sounding like the soft rock you would hear in the background at a dentist office. They also do an awesome cover of Bloodkin’s “Can’t Get High.” “Heroes,” although slow in tempo, is also a winner, and it covers the same lyrical theme of misplaced childhood that Bell covered on “Space Wrangler” from their debut album and “C-Brown” from the Widespread Panic album.  All in all, the first half of the album is a solid pop rock effort, but there is no jamming, no intricate time signatures, and no originality. So, if you want decent mid-tempo ‘90’s pop rock, then the first half of Ain’t Life Grand fits the bill. But, on the other hand, did Widespread really want to be a mid-tempo pop rock band?

The second half of the album is a different story. “Raise the Roof” and “Junior” are not bad songs, but they are completely unmemorable, especially after the pop energy of the first half the album. “L.A.” is an instrumental track that features guest musician Dwight Manning on oboe, and it is a complete misstep and failure, as the oboe doesn’t fit Widespread’s musical tone at all. I also think “Blackout Blues” and  “Jack” are missteps, as both songs follow the same boring formula that every song did on Widespread’s sophomore eponymous release: generic southern rock sound + generic southern rock lyrics + Houser guitar solo – jamming and originality = a bored listener. Again, it is not that these songs are bad; it is just that they’re boring and unmemorable. Plus, this type of music has been played better and with more excitement by countless other bands already.

Fortunately, the album concludes on a high note with “Fishwater,” which is fantastic and easily the champion of the album. The “Still want more” chorus is a powerful hook, and the percussion, guitar, and vocals all drive the song rhythmically. “Fishwater” sounds like what I think Widespread should sound like, but maybe I just don’t know what Widespread should sound like because they don’t seem to capitalize on this sound enough.

Overall, Ain’t Life Grand is a step back for Widespread Panic. Or rather, it is one step sideways with the pop songs, and it is one step back with their signature style of songs, which is just two too many missteps for me.

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