When I Woke

I had heard of them before but didn’t have in familiarity with their music. For most of the record I was indifferent. Then I switched to a better sound system for the last two songs and my ears perked up. I’m not sure if those songs were better or I had missed out on the others based on my listening conditions.

I remembered this band being big in the '90s and literally nothing else. Even the big hit did not really ring familiar. So, it's got a bit of the "fake patois" issue (though calling it patois... what even is the singing style here? This is a white guy from Pittsburgh right?) But hell, Pittsburgh is part of "the world" innit? So get on with your funky flutes and all. I didn't mind it.

Not at all what I expected and definitely not bad, but maybe also not as good as it could have been. Glad they ate good off the one song, but that one plus most of what’s on here kinda sits at Diet Graceland level, and then they have occasional forays into “B-sides from Talking Heads’ ‘Naked’.” I actually think I could have really gotten into this if I found it when I was younger.

I warmed up to this album, at first a little unimpressed but by the end quite liked it. And then there is the “Send Me On My Way” song which probably has made the group most of their money in life. Good for them, listening with fresh ears I can agree it deserves it.

I knew Send Me on My Way, but absolutely wasn’t prepared for the rest of this album. I expected fairly pleasant acoustic folk-rock and instead got loads of percussion, world-music influences and funky rhythms that reminded me of Talking Heads and Graceland. Really interesting album with far more going on than the famous single suggests. A genuinely nice surprise and one I can see myself coming back to.

Audibly laughed when I heard Send Me on My Way, considering how commercially abused the song has been, and I never knew it was by Rusted Root. There are some good moments in this album, but nothing that really grasped me. Probably a 3.5, could be a 4 on a good day.

Ah, a classic Gen X sound. This album feels longer than it's 56 minute run time, likely because each song blended together so completely I found I was questioning how many unique tracks were actually on this album. Unless you are outside playing with a hacky sack on a college campus I don't think this album is mandatory listening.

Pretty okay

It's fine

idk man

Never heard of this band or even their most apparent song. Couldn't have even told you it was the most famous one since it sounded like everything else on the record. I do like an attempt at world beat but at times it just goes on too long and is quite lame. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Ecstasy has a cool groovy talking heads sort of feel. SEMMEOMUHAY! a cool 90s jam album, but nothing much for me in the back half.

I like the world music they incorperated. This was a fun album

a fun time, makes me want to wear a baja hoodie and play hacky sack in the quad. Starts off strong, but then wanes up and down for the rest of the album, but still overall fun listen.

Vocals remind me a lot of Sixteen Horsepower, but instead of gothic country, this is more like weird stoner bongo country. Kind of goofy, but not bad. Also was not expecting this to be the album "Send Me on My Way" is from, that was a jumpscare.

I had this album as a teenager and I always loved it.

All I can say is thank God ska punk happened and killed off the stoner bongo nonsense for us millennials, and gave us something to sneer at Gen X for.

Good stuff. 3.5 stars, rounding to 4.

It started off badly, then there’s that one track and it was ok after that.

Soo good 5