Playing Mantis

Back in 2004/05, just as Phish bid goodbye to touring and producing music (however temporary as they are touring again this summer), a group from Chicago, named Umphrey's McGee, started to get some positive notice in the jam band world. Some publications even proclaimed that they would be the next "Phish". While not exactly a fair summation, Umprhey's McGee has become one of my favorite bands to listen to and I haven't even had the chance to see them live yet, although I have heard plenty of live performances from online downloads. In my opinion, part of what makes them so good is that their studio albums are just as entertaining as their live performances. As much as I hate to admit this, you don't exactly wait with baited breath for a jam band's newest release as much as you do for the next time they roll into your town. Fortunately, Umphrey's McGee is an exception to this rule.

Umphrey's McGee's current release, Mantis, is probably the best jam band studio album I've listened to since Phish came out with Hoist back in 1994. Even more shocking is what makes this album so great is not the typical, "noodling" and infinite improved scales that is so prevalent with jam bands but the eclectic mixtures of music that they seem to blend together so well. I'm dead serious when I say that this 6 member band successfully blends similar sounds that are usually associated with Yes, Phish, Metallica, Bad Company, Steely Dan, 70's through mid-80's rock, early 80's synthesizer music, Rush, 70's Genesis, Radiohead, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Spyro Gyra, modern European dance and yes, even broadway show tunes.

Before Mantis was released in its entirety, they pre-released the song, Made to Measure. The song itself, a very catchy and upbeat tune was rather typical in many ways of the group's usual fare and it didn't really signal what else was going to be on the album. The song could easily have been on an earlier enjoyable album, Anchor Drops. Listening to the rest of the album then became quite the pleasant surprise. The best two songs in my opinion, the title track- Mantis and Cemetery Walk, happen to be the 2 longest songs on the album coming in at almost 12 and 8 minutes respectively. While I can hear you groaning- "Well, of course, a jam band has long drawn out songs- all they do is riff and improvise!" While that statement is mostly true, that isn't the case for the length of songs in this instance. Imagine songs like Golden Summers Medley from The Beatles or Paranoid Android by Radiohead, where they have several tempo, chord and melodic changes.

Case in point, Cemetery Walk starts with a sad minor chord piano tune (imagine Spinal Tap's Lick My Love Pump?) and then suddenly jumps into a late 70's rock synthesizer boosted upbeat tune that would be no stranger to an 80's movie montage. It eventually finds its way back into the piano music but this time it's joined by a gradual building of momentum of drum beats and guitars that makes it sound gothic and can give you some goosebumps. It ends in a screechy and static-y feedback before going to the next tune, Cemetery Walks II where you hear the piano tune continuing but this time it's joined by modern dance instrumentals. You could almost picture Mike Meyers in his Deiter costume proclaiming, "Now ist da time on Schprockets venn vee dance!!". As weird as all that sounds, what's weirder is how much it all really works.

The song Mantis also accomplishes has the same strange blending. Turn & Run, Spires and Red Tape are all also very good and unique songs as well. It also wouldn't surprise if any one of these songs doesn't become very popular in Umphrey's Mcgee's live performances. Although I can imagine at some points that they could extend certain solos or continue certain riffs. The album truly works better as whole than the sum of its parts. Which is a strange thing in these days of MP3 players and on demand downloads. Aside from the first track, this album has no real catchy pop tunes, so if you're the type that likes White Zinfandel and shies away from dry, full bodied, and complex red wine blends then I suggest that you don't give this album a try. But if you're bold and want to try something that really is something unique and interesting than I really recommend that you give this album a listen.

Rating the kid's shows part II, Ben 10

Ben 10 is a cartoon that airs on Nickelodeon regularly. It is centered on ten year old boy, Ben Tennyson (almost as bad as The Riddler's real name being E. Nigma), his grandfather and cousin. Ben apparently has this supercool watch-like device on his wrist that allows him to be temporarily changed into various alien monsters. He, of course, with his grandfather's approval, uses these alien monster powers for good.

This is my son Jonathan's current favorite show to watch, which is why I'm reviewing it first. I certainly can see the appeal for a 9 year old boy. A kid his own age gets to change into alien monsters with nifty powers like blasts of heat, diamond projectiles, awesome brain power and super farts. My son even has a copy of the watch like device called an omni-matrix that he pretends to do the same as what he sees on the show.

The show itself, while full of cliches, isn't terrible for a kids action show. The violence content is much more milder than you'd think and Ben tends to use problem solving more often than say the Power Rangers do. There are some silly moments that kids find funny that we adults may find juvenile, but it doesn't dwell on the gross or rude like many kid shows. I personally couldn't sit through more than one half hour show without reaching boredom, so this show doesn't hit that magical fun for the whole family status that so much entertainment tries to be but rarely is.

But, nonetheless, it is what it is and for a kids action show aimed at 7-12 year old boys it does a good job. While some good "themes" and "educational values" exist in Ben 10, it isn't exclusively designed to be that way. It's a decent spin on your standard superhero fare.

I'll give Ben 10 a 7 out of 10.

Rating the kid's shows part I, Introduction

I try to be a good parent. Not only do I try to limit the amount of screen time (TV, computer & video games) my 6 and 9 year old boys have, but I also occasionally watch the insipid dreck that they love so much to make sure it's age appropriate or not too violent. So, in the next few months I will be writing reviews of the shows my sons watch.

Admittedly, when I go back and re-watch the programming that I loved as a child I realize that I must have been an idiot. Do it yourself and you'll see what I'm talking about. You'll have to forgo the initial nostalgic feelings and watch with a critical eye. The Dukes of Hazzard is a show about hillbilly red-necks that think teasing local law enforcement is righteous. The Banana Splits were 4 women in horrible Disney World-like costumes that fell down alot and played inferior cartoons. After the first 5 initial episodes of Scooby Doo, originality was thrown out the window and the formula to this day has been used ad nauseum. For that matter, Hanna/Barbera was an industry that thrived on copying itself over and over. There were at least 2 Scooby Doo rip offs, including Clue Club. Jabber Jaw even went into outer space and it resembled Josie and the Pussy Cats.

I will forgive my past self as I did watch some quality programming in there somewhere. The Muppets were always a blast and good fun. School House Rock shorts may have been cheaply animated but the songs were catchy and educational and to this day I still know the preamble to the constitution as a result of the song. Despite the violence, Looney Tunes reruns are still top quality animation and some of the funniest stuff ever put on film. Chuck Jones and Jim Henson are 2 big childhood heroes of mine.

So as I watch my son's programs and critique them I will try to keep an open mind and hopefully remember what it was like to get riled up when Bruce Banner was getting angry and hulked up. I know most of what my kids watch is truly terrible, but as long as it isn't too rude, obnoxious or violent then I'll let them make their own choices and hope that as they get older, their tastes will be a bit more refined.