Grass

• Artist: Keller & the Keels
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 21, 2006
• Genre: Rock

Review

Keller is Keller Williams, the jam-band, progressive bluegrass musician known for his ten-string guitar (but here playing a small-size 12-string with four strings missing); the Keels are singer/guitarist Larry Keel and singer/bassist Jenny Keel. Together, they make up a string trio that finds both bluegrass and silliness in an unexpected set of tunes. Actually, the material and the approach is unexpected only if the listener is not generally familiar with Williams' zany sense of humor, as he begins with an on-the-road song about that touring stimulant, "Goof Balls." Much of the fun, however, is found in the cover material. Somehow, Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" serves as a showcase for lots of bluegrass guitar work, though Williams manages to get in all the familiar lyrics. Tom Petty's oeuvre is addressed in "Mary Jane's Last Breakdown," a combination of "Breakdown" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance." "New Horizons" is borrowed from another progressive bluegrass outfit, the Yonder Mountain String Band. By the time the group gets to "Loser," even though the song list shows the authors as Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, it figures that Williams begins and ends the rendition with the chorus of Beck's song of the same name. One is tempted to call this a delightful side project for Williams, but his entire career seems like a series of side projects, so let's just say it's another of his reinventions of the bluegrass genre to fit a contemporary sensibility. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Goof Balls	Keller Williams	Keller Williams	(4:24)
Another Brick in the Wall	Roger Waters	Keller Williams	(7:05)
Mary Jane's Last Breakdown	Tom Petty	Keller Williams	(4:39)
Stunt Double	Tim Bluhm	Keller Williams	(2:58)
New Horizons		Keller Williams	(4:35)
Loser	Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter	Keller Williams	(5:39)
Crater in the Backyard	Keller Williams	Keller Williams	(5:05)
Dupree's Diamond Blues	Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter	Keller Williams	(3:52)
Local	Keller Williams	Keller Williams	(4:06)
I'm Just Here to Get My Baby out of Jail	Karl Davis, Harty Taylor	Keller Williams	(3:40)

Credits

Charlie Pilzer (Mastering), Jeff Covert (Producer), Jeff Covert (Engineer), Jeff Covert (Mixing), Mark Berger (Package Design), Mark Berger (Layout Design), Keller Williams (Banjo), Keller Williams (Vocals), Keller Williams (Guitar (12 String)), Keller Williams (Photography), Keller Williams (Help), Larry Keel (Guitar), Larry Keel (Vocals), Jenny Keel (Bass), Jenny Keel (Vocals)

grass	Ornamental Grass
Grass Clipper	fescue grass