C.J. Boyd: The Greatest WeightC.J. Boyd: The Greatest Weight
I've been keeping C.J. Boyd's The Greatest Weight to myself for way too long. It's one of my favorite albums of 2006 and I waited until December to write about it. I discovered it while bringing a pile of promo CDs with me for the drive to and from Orlando early this summer. It provided the perfect soundtrack for the lonely drive home as my mind wandered. Soon after, Daniel and I each took a week off of our day jobs for a "Podbop Week" where we developed the version of the site you see now. I listened to the album on repeat many, many times that week. I listened with headphones, which revealed undiscovered intricacies that relaxed and invigorated me (at the same time!) as I programmed.
C.J. Boyd is a solo bassist who, according to his website, "combines the improvisational prowess of jazz, the grace of classical music, the punch of progressive rock, and a rhythmic edge culled from all over the world." The Greatest Weight is his sixth full release (including his orgy-tastic side-project, The C.J. Boyd Sexxxtet) and is being touted as his finest work. C.J. makes the album filling with his use of looped electric bass and multi-tracked harmonica. The real beauty of this album comes in his power of restraint. The songs are sparse, ambient melodies, where each note plucked and plunged into your ears is delicate and important. They slow down to quiet, floating drones only to pick back up with rhythmic digs that pull you back into your shoes.
In general, I love instrumental music, and I love ambient tunes that I can listen to while I'm sleeping, concentrating or relaxing. The problem, especially with ambient music, is some of it is...too ambient and just gets boring. C.J. balances the line perfectly with five tracks that don't distract, yet keeps your attention the whole 65+ minutes. Definitely recommended whether you are soul-searching or creative-brainstorming.
The first track off the album (and my favorite) is "Bonfire," a warm, 20-minute welcome into the rest of the album. On the other side of things, is "Thoughts Of Youth," the shortest track off the album at 4 and a half minutes with a lighter and slightly more playful tone.
Coupon code & December tour dates after the jump..
If you like what you hear, you can use coupon code "5KTB7U" in the Sounds Are Active catalogue for 25% off your order (until January 1, 2007). That means you can get The Greatest Weight for $8.25 yo'
Tour Dates:
December 4th- Fayetteville, AR @ The Gypsy
December 5th- Memphis, TN @ Neils Bar and Grill
December 9th- Atlanta, GA @ Eyedrum w/ Lid Emba, The Sublimator, Sailor Winters, Divided Like a Saints
December 10th- Panama City, FL @ Marcos Pizza w/ The Jerry Riddle
December 15th- Daytona Beach, FL @ Coffee Connection w/ The Red Flecks (I'll hopefully be there)
December 21st- Brooklyn, NY (Williamsburg) @ Petes Candy Store
December 22nd- Brooklyn, NY (Park Slope) @ Bar 4
You can also check out a track from his side-project The CJ Boyd Sexxxtet over at kvrx.org's local live.
That's some fine drone on Bonfire. Nice harmonica tones, too--it's the working man's moog.