April 23, 1996 - Scenery And Fish

A week after my last release and about two and a half years since their debut "Dig", I Mother Earth released their second album "Scenery And Fish" on April 23, 1996. On "Dig" Jagori Tanna played the guitars and the bass but he's just the guitarist on this album as Bruce Gordon joins the band as their new bassist. They still play the same unique and interesting style as their debut album and I can't wait to hear some new I Mother Earth. Let's dive in!

The album begins with a short intro song called "Hello Dave!" and Christian Tanna plays some pretty cool percussion in this short but interesting intro to the album. Up next is "Like A Girl" Jagori plays some pretty catchy guitar and Gordon shows us he's a capable bass player right away with some cool stuff. Edwin sounds pretty good singing overtop and things are rockin' pretty nicely in this one. There's lots of good guitar, bass and drums throughout and this was a pretty nice way to really kick things off. Track 3 is probably I Mother Earth's biggest hit and it's titled "One More Astronaut". It's got a pretty catchy main riff and Edwin leads the way with some nice vocals. After a couple cool verses and choruses Christian and Bruce lay down a pretty sweet rhythm section that sounds really cool. Jagori plays some organ in a rarity and also some guitar before they predictably jam out the end of the song. I thought it was certainly a made-for-radio kind of song, but it was still good for sure. The next track is another single called "Another Sunday" and the verse is pretty quiet and chill before the chorus gets louder and Edwin sounds pretty good. The verse is still solid despite it's low volume and the chorus is some more made-for-radio stuff. Another good but not great song. Track 5 is "Three Days Old" and Jagori plays some cool blues-y guitar overtop a smooth bass riff by Gordon while Edwin sings softly to match the mood. Then things take a turn for the loud as they nicely move into a rockin' chorus with some catchy guitar. This pretty much sums up the song, but it's not a bad little dynamic to run through a couple more times, I still enjoyed it. Up next is another succesful single called "Used To Be Alright" and Edwin sings a nice verse that is lighter at first but they nicely snap into a heavier latter half with some nice guitar and it carries into a catchy and pretty cool chorus. There's no solos but there's a solid new riff that's also fairly heavy and I think this is a great combination of what makes I Mother Earth so good with their best made-for-radio stuff. A pretty sweet single! Track 7 is "Shortcut To Moncton" and it begins with some pretty solid acoustic guitar and Edwin sings nicely along to match the mood. Jagori plays some electric lead guitar overtop as well and it sounds pretty good mixed with the acoustic backing. There's a lighter, slightly psychedelic middle section that Jagori solos overtop of to pretty good effect and this moves smoothly into a new verse led by Edwin. They finish off with a final chorus and this was an at times slow-moving but still solid longer song. The next track is "Pisser" and Jagori plays a pretty cool lead guitar riff and Gordon and Christian follow with a nice rhythm section while Edwin completes a pretty sweet main riff. There is a ton of awesome guitar and bass on this song as Jagori and Bruce are both playing something sweet all the time! I was headbanging the whole time, a pretty rockin' tune! Track 9 is the last single, titled "Raspberry" and Jagori plays a smooth acoustic guitar riff at first before they nicely snap into a heavier version of the same riff. The chorus is pretty made-for-radio but it's still solid. They slow things down briefly to begin the guitar solo but it picks up at the end and then they jam things out. A good choice for a single for sure. Up next is "Songburst & Delirium" and Gordon plays some cool bass throughout this song while Jagori comes in with some epic guitar as well. Things sound pretty sweet as they play a few verses and choruses and then things quiet right down. This part is still nicely done though and it sets the stage for a pretty epic and cool guitar solo by Jagori. They end it nicely and this was definitely a cool song. Track 11 is "Sense Of Henry" and they alternate between a quieter, but silky smooth verse and a louder but still pretty smooth chorus. I' surprised this one wasn't a single, as it seems very made-for-radio with broad appeal. It's a decent song for sure, but it's definitely on the lighter side. The final song on the album is "Earth, Sky & C." and it reminds of a Santana song at first with Christian playing some fantastic percussion and Jagori playing some pretty cool guitar. The main riff is pretty damn cool on this song and everyone is working their asses off with some fast and pretty cool stuff. Christina's drumming is phenomenal throughout this whole song, it's crazy that he keeps it up for over seven minutes! The guitar and bass are pretty badass as well and this is an easy contender for song of the album, what a way to close things out!

That is the end of "Scenery And Fish" and I thought it was another pretty cool I Mother Earth album. Jagori Tanna plays some interesting and cool guitar riffs and Edwin is a more than capable singer, but it's the rhythm section that really stood out with Christian Tanna playing some great drums and Bruce Gordon showing that he is quite the bassist indeed! He played some phenomenal bass on this album and these guys built off their awesome debut to make a pretty sweet sophomore effort. I think "Dig" is better, but it's close and both albums are pretty good. Sadly, this is also the last we'll hear from I Mother Earth in my library as I have no more albums of theirs after the departure of Edwin. Two albums is definitely not enough of their unique style of rock, but they can say they never went soft at least!