One listen to either of Particle’s albums and you’ll know this is a jam band. They fuse some extremely diffuse elements to create the sound that fans have been studiously campaigning for since the band's inception in 2000.
The jambalaya Particle dishes up is kind of a techno-oriented tribute to Zappa, The Dead and George Clinton meeting chunky gangs of rap and jazz in a darkened alley. And if you’re into this kind of thing, Particle will leave you very satisfied with Transformations Live. The album consists of performances from two shows in late February 2006, one at Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood and the other at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Guitarists/vocalists Ben Combe and Scott Metzger, bassist Eric Gould, keyboardist extraordinaire Steve Molitz and drummer Darren Pujalet have honed their craft through constant touring, and offer a flavorful brew of jams that will have your body swaying to the heavy rhythms in no time.
Transformations Live features some guest performers as diverse as the music itself. Blackalicious and DJ Logic add rhymes to a few of the jams, while electric guitar kingpins Joe Satriani and Robby Krieger contribute some blistering solo work. Anyone familiar with Particle knows they are two bands in one, having worked with Rhythm Devil Mickey Hart in Hydra, so working with Satriani, Krieger, DJ Logic and Blackalicious is just a natural extension of their ability to adapt to almost any sound.
There are some standouts on this album. “Fiyo on the Bayou” is a remarkable piece that incorporates some subtle jazz chording with the fierce techno beats. Satriani’s work on “W” makes an average song outstanding, and the 16-minute rumination “Sun Mar 11” is a fastidious bit of guitar themes laid on top of one another. Less successful is a rambling, tepid version of “L.A. Woman,” which features Krieger’s gutsy rock sound.
But for the most part, this is a thoughtful piece of three-dimensional rock music that will stick with you for long after you listen to it. There is also a DVD offered separately which documents the show. It would be worth getting this just to see some of the incredibly collaborative work on these jams.
There is only one problem with this two-disc set, and it has nothing to do with the music. If you’re playing this album on Windows, the song titles are the same on each disc, although the times are different. To be honest, this was confusing to me because I’m not terribly familiar with the group. Perhaps this glitch only appears on advance copies, but you might want to check the listings Windows gives you before you play the discs.
Besides that minor programming error, Transformation Live is a great live album. You’ll be awed by the musicianship, and find it difficult to break away from this disc. It might just make you another obsessive fan, campaigning for the group’s future success.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
"[et al,] have honed their craft through constant touring"
Larry, the LA show, which I attended and reviewed, he wrote shamelessly, was the first concert with Ben and Scott, who replaced guitarist Charlie Hitchcock. And I think SF was their second, but don't quote me on that.
Just wanted to point out that they didn't hone their craft together, although I'm not sure if that matters.