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A review of Furthermore (From the Studio : From the Stage)
a review by Chris
Jars of Clay got their start playing shows for small but attentive audiences at Greenville College coffeehouses all the way back in the early 90's. Those early shows were informal, intimate, and necessarily acoustic since the band didn't have a bass player or a drummer at the time. Fame quickly changed things for the band, as the popularity of their hit "Flood" propelled them out of the coffeehouses and into the arenas. The first couple arena tours the band did were rough, but as time went on, they became proficient with the rock show motif. At present, Jars of Clay is a band that can rock an arena or amphitheater with the best of them. Just ask Sheryl Crow, who they opened a few shows for this year. All of these road experiences, from the coffeehouse to the arena, have culminated in the production of their latest album: Furthermore (From the Studio : From the Stage).
The first disc of Furthermore finds Jars live in their basement home studio reworking their songs acoustically. The success stories on this disc are the songs that were given the most production the first time around. "Overjoyed," the first song on the band's second project, Much Afraid, is one of those songs that was heavily produced the first time around. The original featured an accomplished songwriter and session player on drums and bass, and also a new and somewhat puzzling sound at the time: Steven Mason playing an electric guitar solo. On Furthermore, we hear the layers of that song stripped back to acoustic guitars and piano, revealing a song that contains some jazz-stylings and a beautiful, melodic bridge that was somewhat obscured in the original.
The band wisely decided to include a few original tunes on the acoustic disc, including a great new single called, "The Valley Song (Sing of Your Mercy)." From the strong acoustic foundation to the encouraging words about God leading us from "sorrow to joy," this song is a surefire hit on Christian radio.
Another area where Jars of Clay has excelled throughout their live career is in making great cover song choices. On Furthermore, they make another excellent cover song choice in Adam Again's "Dig." It's hard to top the original version of this tune, but Jars of Clay may have done it here. Complete with great vocal harmonies and a haunting acoustic guitar line during the verses, this is one of the standout tracks on the album.
On the second disc of Furthermore, we are treated to selected performances from the band's recently released 11ive DVD. The songs chosen for Furthermore are among the best from that concert, and they combine to form a strong collection of tracks that showcase the band in an arena setting. Even casual fans of the band should find a lot to like here, as the Jars run through some of their most requested songs with contributions both from a string trio and from the Darwin Hobbs gospel choir.
Furthermore is the first official live release (outside of limited edition discs and fan-club CD’s) from Jars of Clay, and as such represents a new chapter in their history. As the band's Steve Mason says about this release, "Recording a live show reflects really well whether [the show] is good or not." This album exquisitely showcases the acoustic and electric components of a live Jars of Clay show, and proves that the band really is more than just "good." The rock show tracks on Furthermore show how far the band has come from those early coffeehouse days, and yet the acoustic disc shows us how they can make just as powerful a musical statement playing an acoustic set in their basement.
Jars of Clay got their start playing shows for small but attentive audiences at Greenville College coffeehouses all the way back in the early 90's. Those early shows were informal, intimate, and necessarily acoustic since the band didn't have a bass player or a drummer at the time. Fame quickly changed things for the band, as the popularity of their hit "Flood" propelled them out of the coffeehouses and into the arenas. The first couple arena tours the band did were rough, but as time went on, they became proficient with the rock show motif. At present, Jars of Clay is a band that can rock an arena or amphitheater with the best of them. Just ask Sheryl Crow, who they opened a few shows for this year. All of these road experiences, from the coffeehouse to the arena, have culminated in the production of their latest album: Furthermore (From the Studio : From the Stage).
The first disc of Furthermore finds Jars live in their basement home studio reworking their songs acoustically. The success stories on this disc are the songs that were given the most production the first time around. "Overjoyed," the first song on the band's second project, Much Afraid, is one of those songs that was heavily produced the first time around. The original featured an accomplished songwriter and session player on drums and bass, and also a new and somewhat puzzling sound at the time: Steven Mason playing an electric guitar solo. On Furthermore, we hear the layers of that song stripped back to acoustic guitars and piano, revealing a song that contains some jazz-stylings and a beautiful, melodic bridge that was somewhat obscured in the original.
The band wisely decided to include a few original tunes on the acoustic disc, including a great new single called, "The Valley Song (Sing of Your Mercy)." From the strong acoustic foundation to the encouraging words about God leading us from "sorrow to joy," this song is a surefire hit on Christian radio.
Another area where Jars of Clay has excelled throughout their live career is in making great cover song choices. On Furthermore, they make another excellent cover song choice in Adam Again's "Dig." It's hard to top the original version of this tune, but Jars of Clay may have done it here. Complete with great vocal harmonies and a haunting acoustic guitar line during the verses, this is one of the standout tracks on the album.
On the second disc of Furthermore, we are treated to selected performances from the band's recently released 11ive DVD. The songs chosen for Furthermore are among the best from that concert, and they combine to form a strong collection of tracks that showcase the band in an arena setting. Even casual fans of the band should find a lot to like here, as the Jars run through some of their most requested songs with contributions both from a string trio and from the Darwin Hobbs gospel choir.
Furthermore is the first official live release (outside of limited edition discs and fan-club CD’s) from Jars of Clay, and as such represents a new chapter in their history. As the band's Steve Mason says about this release, "Recording a live show reflects really well whether [the show] is good or not." This album exquisitely showcases the acoustic and electric components of a live Jars of Clay show, and proves that the band really is more than just "good." The rock show tracks on Furthermore show how far the band has come from those early coffeehouse days, and yet the acoustic disc shows us how they can make just as powerful a musical statement playing an acoustic set in their basement.
