Stewed Tomatoes - Alive and Well

All Music Guide

Originality is what gets Stewed Tomatoes noticed. It is very hard to pick one song as a sure hit tune; all of the songs on the album can stand on their own merit and have their own unique attraction. The CD is PC compatible and one will find a music video entitled "Smoke My Cowboy," which is a very imaginative video with a creative use of dramatic colorful imagery. The music and the video work compliment and enhance each other so vibrantly. This was also a GLAMA 2000 "Nominee." On "Boy" the groove is tight with a solid rocking beat and the vocals use some neat effects that give the song depth. The guitar uses an excessive distorted tone, but blended with the vocal effects it somehow works -- the song comes off powerful and expressive. "E=MC2" comes off without the use of those vocal effects, which works better for Stewed Tomatoes. The listener gets to actually hear the vocals, catch the natural beauty of the voices and harmonies as well. One might find "Jonestown" hard to follow becaus...e the composition has three separate lines, guitar bass, and percussion, which sometimes cross while at other points run parallel. This makes for an interesting song structure but at times makes it difficult for the listener to stay focused on the melody line. At times there is simply an overbearing amount of action. "Tastes Like Chicken" displays some creative expression from both the vocals and lead guitar. The guitar uses some psychedelic electronica effects to color the song. The vocals use a multi-layered effect to add depth. Both work well with the rhythm section keeping the song on a strong forward movement.. If one wants to experience some music that is fresh and stands alone, Stewed Tomatoes' Alive and Well is the album to fit the bill. In an era where too many bands were going with the flow, it was nice to hear a band creating waves. - Larry Belanger, All Music Guide Read more Less