A Rather Eclectic Review of Jars' Live Album "Stringtown"
submitted by Arthur N. Nown (creamedcorn@yummy.com) :)
submitted by Arthur N. Nown (creamedcorn@yummy.com) :)
A Stroll Through 
TRINGTOWN
TRINGTOWN
Welcome to Stringtown, a harmonious borough whose history is founded in faith and uncharted exploration. A rather eclectic community, Stringtown displays its worried board of commissioners right on the front of the tourist brochure. The town is quite melodious, but is know for its intermittent outbreaks of uproar, whistles and applause.
Our journey begins on the outskirts of Stringtown, where the "Powell" plant is busy generating the juice to run the city, while the majority of citizens are still snoozing on the tour bus. Mornings are rather sluggish in Stringtown, while evening is the optimal time to catch the town unabashed in its "live" and most animated state, especially the hours of peak performance.
In Stringtown square, the lanterned street lights clearly illuminate the true power of Blind, clearly the most anticipated spot in town. The soothing live oboe and string accompaniment could never prepare us for the explosion of electric guitar and vocals. Even after several visits, the intersection of electric guitar and vocals still catches us off guard. Makes me proud to be a tour guide!
The tall oaks in town square reaching high over the sidewalks are definitely Truce and 4:7. Their live B-3 solos stretch far beyond the studio realm transporting "String Town" into "Rock City." Yet the
fountain in Stringtown square has got to be Worlds Apart. Worlds Apart spills over with such emotion... from despair to completed praise. This live performance draws you calmly into worship until it grips the listen with God's power. It's truly the finest architectural structure I've ever examined.
The cobblestone streets of Stringtown are securely cemented with the performance of Sinking, which carts us back of few years in time. With the slide guitar twist, the visitor might be transported to the islands instead or even to the "depths" with Jars jokes. Stringtown's intersecting avenues of instrumentation and vocals is particularly scenic on Frail, where symphonic strings and acoustic guitar hit head on in a heavenly staccato swirl. Frail is another outstanding historic monument in Stringtown, celebrating the gravity of confessed weakness and God's freedom in spiraling strings.
Welcome to the end of our stroll at the crossroads of Overjoyed and Hymn Street, taking a moment to experience the peace of harmony and praise. There's a whole lot more of Stringtown to experience... yeah, like when that Flood first hit town in '95 and totally stirred the whole place up! But I guess we'll leave that for another spin around the block. Step by step, a visit to Stringtown is definitely a trip to write home about.
For information about the Jars of Clay fan club and how to acquire your very own copy of "Stringtown," click HERE.