As most of you know, my fellow Knowers, I have reviewed some of these songs a few months ago, Go To Hell. I related this song to a Jeff Beck era sounding song. I totally agree with myself. The studio version is crafted really well. With a soaring spacey opener Kris Myers beats the song into motion. It soon gets swept away into a trade off of guitar lead rock jam, to a moog influenced song. The "chorus" as some might say is rather major, why the rest of the song has very minor/ dirty undertones. Once the chorus hits there's quite a comforting rock riff by Jake Cinniger. Towards the end of the song there becomes a well crafted guitar solo. After another breakdown there becomes another killer guitar solo. Finally in true Umphrey's fashion there's a return to the normal theme.
Keefer is a great tune. First time played 09/28/2009"* first time played, original; named for fan and friend of the band, Chris Keefer, who had recently passed away" It's sounds very soft, like the unrecorded tune, Sweetness, but has a gentle feeling about. Nice guitar riffs over soft percussion, and a rolling piano solo.
We Believe is one song that I have never heard before, I know weird. I happens even to the biggest of fans. This song is definitely a vocal lead song, while the rest of the instruments just support the vocals with fillers here and there. It is like the most Phoenix inspired song that is not on the album (regular album that is). I wonder if this song is throwing subliminal messages to the listeners that they shouldn't be shocked that this song derives Umphrey's style, because their style is constantly evolving, in the studio & out on the tour.
That there is tape cassette, pictured above for all you peeps that don't know what one is, or have see one at a new & used record stores. Booth Love, with the intro already admitted on the track of this as Umphrey's used as the final cut, I am not surprised they didn't keep it for the demo. Jake is on lead vocal solo, not harmonizing; it is Diet Booth Love. It's lighter on the guitar & synth buy there are some subliminal messages at the vocal breaks. "...now as your listening…you get to relax, every sound you hear relaxes you, just you and the sound, your arms and legs feel heavy.." Then some crazy keyboard effects and Bayliss says something of the nature of "...It feels soooo good....."
A somewhat familiar drum beat starts off Conduit (Demo 1), it sounds like "the Ocean" by Led Zeppelin in the first couple seconds, the returns to true Conduit form, and this version is instrumental that gives it a Joy Division feel to it. Both guitars sound really unfiltered. They are definitely experimenting with the song, and seeing how loosely the can make it while keeping the same parameters.
Conduit 2 demo starts off with a count off, the drums are more clear, as well as the tone of the guitars. There are vocals this time. The vocal effects seem to give it a distant feeling. The breakdowns are pretty sharp. It seems rather drum lead, it ends up sounded pretty similar to the chosen one besides those differences that I have mentioned, though the end vocal "one before" is lower than the old ending.
Deeper (Demo) gives the song more of a psychedelic feel, with a rough bass line that is like early Red Hot Chili Peppers Uplift Mofo Party Plan-era. The vocal have a certain reverb affect with an echo and the guitar has a funk feel to it. The bright piano in the middle, until the vocals start again, then the bass is turned up louder; it ends on a bright piano riffing out.
Domino Theory is up next, this version doesn't really mesh well. It seems like each instrument is just not working together. Drums & perc are keeping the beat constant, while the guitar feels seem like they are not enough to fill up the empty spaces. It sounds more like it is the outline for a song, butis confused on which way to go, should this song go the prog angle or keep it dirty rock side? I'm glad they went with the version that they did for the album.
Miami Virture (Demo) is sounds like something that Harold Faltermeyer while he was writing Axel F for Beverly Hills Cop. Though it's really fun to listen to especially at the 2:20 mark, the keyboards really own the song, Nate Blaze (Joel Cummins) must have had a ball that day. At around the 2:48 into the song, Jake has a really killer solo over the Faylermeyer funkiness that is made for him. By the end ridiculous amount of different things happen, hard to explain, you'll just have to listen.
Search 4 (demo), the first demo is really reminiscent of the early Stone Temple Pilots and could possibly be an outtake on the most recent Ali Baba’s Tahini, Living Room. It's acoustic, with electric riffs it, a constant beat. Total grunge era. The major emphasis seems to be on the struggle provided by the lyrics.
Search 4 (Rock Demo), is more familiar to the one that all the peeps have been listening to if you have Umphrey's since the song debut on December 30 of 2007. Though this version of the song has a lighter feel to it, it's arranged the same way, as the prog rock song that it has blossomed into. Though the solos aren't as present they are still there, by solos I mean the bass solo, and the guitar solo. Again, the song doesn't mesh as well, it's more a mystical feel to it. It really doesn't work in this song, but it interesting to hear once again.
Wellwishers is the next demo up. It seems distance, desperate, decent sounding though lots of keyboard. The whole feel of the song is a downer from the vocal effects, to the low keyboard riffs. What I'm trying to say is this version sounds like when Luke Skywalker is hanging on at the bottom of City in the Clouds waiting to get picked up from the light saber fight he had with Darth Vader, when he chooses suicide over the fact that Vader might actually be his father. Then Luke is sucked into an air vent, exits the underbelly of the city and catches an antenna beneath Cloud City. Facing clear death, Luke calls out to Obi Wan Kenobi in an upset anger, and hopefully Leia, Lando and Chewbacca will pick him up,
I thought that overall it was a very interesting to hear the evolution of the songs, and maybe we might hear a version on tour, or a jam of some of the ideas they have thrown around in these outtakes. You never can tell with these guys, they love to keep the audience guessing as well as themselves.
...the more you know...
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