Goose Creek Symphony: The Same Thing Again

Back in the early ’70s as the divisions between hawks and doves began to ameliorate, many rockers rediscovered the joys of country music. Bob Dylan, The Band, The Grateful Dead, and others began to play rock and roll with a country heart. Goose Creek Symphony was one of the original bands that were part of this mix. Their music combined a rural sensibility with rocking rhythms that tended to meander like a babbling brook flowing through shady woods. We call this jam band music today but back then it was just getting your groove on.

Goose Creek broke up only to reform more than a decade later. Recently the band rediscovered tapes to an album recorded back in 1973. It’s wild and wooly music full of good convivial vibes. While it may seem unsophisticated to modern ears, that’s part of its charm. It sounds like a bunch of friends and family getting together and making music for fun. The songs ramble on, but what else would one expect from titles like “Just Another Rock & Roll Song” and “The Same Thing Again”. This is the kind of disc one can play again and again, and it doesn’t matter where one starts or leaves off. The CD also comes with a bonus DVD with original footage of the band back in the day.