Road Trip with Dave Geschke
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You've heard the adage You can't judge a book by it's cover? Of course that would apply to CDs as well. Road Trip's package for Cowboys And Maniacs is remarkable. On the front you have that little mug above. Without that hat, it would be just like that coachclass obligatory maniacal baby that sits behind you on any flight over 2 hours. With that hat, you want to pick it up and make it all right. Just to let you know upfront how this ReVu will be going I'll say, "Pick up the CD. It will make everything alright." The bottom of the jewel case is red, and it beautifully accents the photo within. Beneath the tray on the inside is a "morphed" photo of the band. A clear illustration of the Yin in every Yang. There's like a 12-page booklet that gives you all kinds of information, including the lyrics to every song. All-in-all a first class package which hints at the creative talents that are evidenced within the content. So, in this case you can judge the superior quality content by the superior quality cover.
Twenty seconds into the first tune and all your senses that contribute to your appreciation of creativity are glued to the sounds emitted from your speakers. There they remain as each of the eleven songs brings its own demand for respect. Road Trip has been compared to the early Jefferson Airplane. Well, they do have 2 guitarists that understand the word "complimentary," an incredible bass player, a drummer who knows how to define a tune, & two excellent vocalists. And one of those vocalists, Amy Johnson, wrote the first song, "Unglued." You feel good when Amy sings. She has perfect pitch. I'm not saying she bugs the string players when they have an A that is not exactly tuned to 440. I'm saying when she sings a note, it's perfect. Perfect pitch is not just the one that gets the sale or strikes out the slugger; it's the ability of a singer to wrap exciting tones around a listener's ear. Isn't it pleasing when a singer knows how to master her instrument?
Or his instrument? Richie Plath is another vocalist who knows how to use his voice to bring out the best in a song. Richie wrote the second tune, "Hello From The Outside." This song is one of those that keeps playing in your head. And what a terrific blend of voices.
Most of the songs are written by either Amy or Richie with guitarist Daniel J. Doty. I could go on about Road Trip's compositional skills, the interplay of Doty and Matthew Emmer, the definition by Billy Friday, and I've already went on too much about the vocals. But this is a bass player site.
Dave Geschke is the bassist with Road Trip. Dave was one of the first bass players I "met" over the internet. That's probably true for just about every bassist who ever starts an internet presence. Dave is a very warm person with a very bright spirit, and that's how I'd describe his playing, warm & bright. With his bass he creates a warmth that cradles each tune within a ring of support, while simultaneously bringing in bright lights of inspiration. Dave is a master of groove. He can play a groove with 2 notes and make you swear there's more, swing as if there's a syncopation gene in his DNA, and add lyrically tasteful cream to the top of any tune. Listen to his creativity on these songs. The singers deliver perfect pitches, the drummer swings in perfect time, the guitarists field with perfect interplay, and Dave manages the perfect interpretation of the bottom line, 1st bass.
Below there are 8 clips, mostly about 30 seconds each, from Cowboys And Maniacs. These would be considered teasers by admen. Whereas it's true that Dave Geschke has become one of my favorite humans on the planet and I'd love for Road Trip to sell millions of CDs because they deserve it, I'll admit to the bias, which is merely an enlightened opinion because I own the CD, but not to the BS of advertising. What I say is true, and I have the clips to prove it. If all of that teases you into buying that bundle of joy illustrated above, then good for the world of music, and good for you.
You'll dig what Dave does on "Blind." He's got these syncho-stops goin' on, then some chromatic passing tones, not to mention his full use of scale tones, all together with an incredible groove. This guy has feeling. Precision with a feeling, all balanced with a tasteful vocabulary of lyrical licks. The three words that best describe Dave's playing also fit the whole Road Trip: UN-BE-LEAVABLE.
The interplay between vocalists and between guitarists has already been covered, but what about Billy Friday with DaveOnBass Geschke? Anywhere along the Road you can hear these guys locked in their looseness which creates a tight rythmic blanket upon which the rest of the band can do their interplay thing. Did I neglect to imply that? Sorry.
"The Chocolate Song." You can see why this one has become the popular favorite. Sex. This song is hot in many ways, but I bet it's best at a Road Trip show. The people of Wisconsin are very fortunate and very special. Fortunate because that's where Road Trip is beginning, and special because they know good music when they feel it. When the CD was over, I was left with the empty sound of the ticking clock on the wall. The silence would have made me sad were it not for the Replay button under my thumb.
I love this album. I love the whole package, the tunes, the case, the insert... and I love the people of Wisconsin who love Road Trip for their pure projection of good feelings through great sounds. So pick up the CDBABY with a hat. You need each other.
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copyrighted, and used with permission.
©1999 Mello-Dee-O-Dough Music
