String Cheese Incident – Born on the Wrong Planet

The String Cheese Incident was known more for its lengthy Halloween shows (I have one that I might post in October) than New Years Eve extravaganzas. Still I thought offering up their 1996 debut: Born on the Wrong Planet might help liven up your festivities tonight. Hope you have a good time and remember to party responsibly!

Album review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

To those unfamiliar with the String Cheese Incident, this album may cause some confusion upon being placed in the disc player. Are they a progressive bluegrass band? A rhythm & blues band with a generous dose of funk? Or hippie wannabes harking back to the late ’60s? The answer is all of the above. The String Cheese Incident, like their jam band peers Leftover Salmon or the Larry Keel Experience, refuse to stick to one style. The opening cut, “Black Clouds,” is a progressive bluegrass stomper, the title cut is pop/rock, and “Land’s End” is jazz-fusion with a lovely guitar solo. Perhaps “Land’s End,” along with the bluegrass instrumental “The Remington Ride,” provide a clue to the central focus of the String Cheese Incident. Jamming. They do like to sing and perform in a variety of styles, but they’re also great musicians who love to jam. Mandolinist Michael Kang, bassist Keith Moseley, guitarist Bill Nershi, and percussionist Michael Travis seldom find themselves performing a song/instrumental under four minutes. Although an eight-minute funky cut like “Texas” doesn’t quite reach the level of their concert jams, it does show that the band likes to leave time for noodling. The listener will also note the band’s left-of-center sense of humor on songs like “Johnny Cash” with the reframe “Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash don’t smoke hash.” While some people may find this lyric a little too cute, they’ll probably change their minds once they find themselves singing along. Like many jam bands, even a good studio recording — which Born on the Wrong Planet is — pales next to their live shows. Still, for an interested listener who isn’t ready for the two-disc Carnival ‘99 with its ten- and 15-minute jams, Born on the Wrong Planet should build your appetite for more of the String Cheese Incident.

Track Listing:

1) Black Clouds – 4:23
2) Born on the Wrong Planet – 4:57
3) Land’s End – 5:19
4) The Remington Ride – 4:10
5) Resume Man – 3:46
6) Elvis’ Wild Ride – 4:29
7) Bigger Isn’t Better – 6:32
Johnny Cash – 6:06
9) Lester Had a Coconut – 4:25
10) Diggin’ In – 2:34
11) Texas – 8:46
12) Jellyfish – 5:25

String Cheese Incident:

Bill Nershi – acoustic guitar, vocals
Keith Moseley – Bass Guitar, vocals
Michael Kang– Mandolin, Violin, Violone
Michael Travis – percussion, Conga, drums, vocals, Multi Instruments

Additional personnel:

Tony Furtado – Banjo, Dojo
Paul Armstrong – Hammond Organ
Liza Oxnard – vocals
Jamie Janover – bongos, vocals, Multi Instruments, didgeridoo
Maya Dorn – Flute, vocals
Stacey Ludlow – vocals, Multi Instruments, Flig Dig

Production:

Steve McNamara – Mastering
The String Cheese Incident -Producer
Jamie Janover – Contributor
Ron Miller – Artwork, Paintings
Christian Dicharry – Graphic Design
Stacey Ludlow – Contributor