Favorite/ Best Mike Roe Project

[ryan]

In honor of the concert (in which I will be unable to attend), I thought that I would get some feelers on what you all consider to be Mike Roe's best project - whether it be Lost Dogs, 77s or otherwise.

[Josh]

So, I don't have a ton of 77's albums or Mike Roe solo projects, but here are my top two favorites:

77's: Sticks and Stones (1990)

On this one, I particularly love the songs Don't This Way, You Walked in the Room, Days to Come, The Lust, the Flesh...

Mike Roe: The Boat Ashore (1996)

Oh, and have you heard his rendition of the song Shotgun Angel on the DA tribute album. Excellent!

As far as Roe's music in general, I like his voice which has a peculiar ability to go from silky smooth to hard edged to nasaly seamlessly.

His solo stuff differs quite a bit from his band albums (77s or Lost Dogs), it seems more popish, tranquil, dreamlike, or murky.

Having been to numerous Lost Dogs concert, I have to say that heard live his guitar skills really shine. When he played at Aletheia I thought my face was going to melt off on some of his licks.

[ryan]

I used to have the Drowning With Land in Sight album, and really regret not keeping it. I didn't understand it or appreciate it for what it was at the time. I don't know what I was hoping for, but I really blew that one.

Apart from that, I only have his work with the Lost Dogs. I found that I really liked his playing and voice and especially his sense of humor at the Lost Dogs concert in '06.

[Josh]

I have Drowning.... as well. I like some of the songs, but I guess I haven't really gotten into it.

The concert last night was excellent... I picked up the 77's new album, Holy Ghost Building. If you like blues/ gospel with a hard rock edge, as I'm finding I do, I'd highly recommend it. He performed several of the new songs last night.

[ryan]

Currently listening to "Mezzo" on Pandora. Have you ever tried Pandora? I created a Lost Dogs station a while back, and they play some Steve Taylor, 77s, and DA stuff as well as a number of other bands that have been influenced by the Lost Dogs.

[Josh]

OK, so the new 77s album "Holy Ghost Building" rocks! If you like blues, gospel, rock, and bluegrass, it's right up your alley.

[ryan]

I just purchased Radioactive Field of Crows from Amazon (It was only $1.80 used). I have heard a couple of tracks from this album before, but I wanted to get your opinion of it.

[Josh]

Well, I'd hate to influence your own experience, but it's not one of my favorites.

Mike explained during the master's class that he was pretty checked out during the recording of that album (due to some personal crises at the time). I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

[ryan]

I wasn't sure that it would have been one of their better efforts, but I wanted to get started with something by the 77s. I had read an article about Mike Roe in CCM magazine back in the mid 90s (around the time they put out Drowning with Land in Sight) and it seemed he was dealing with a divorce or something along those lines. I can imagine something like that could affect one's writing.

[ryan]

Alright, so I'm listening to the Radioactive album right now. I think portions of this album could really grow on me. It's pretty aggressive stuff. I like the track "One More Time". I had heard this one a couple of times before. That might have influenced my appreciation for it.