Freddy Jones Band
Lucid
(Polygram)
First Appeared in The Music Box, September 1998, Volume 5, #9
Written by John Metzger
Lucid offers a glimpse at a group that is struggling to refocus and reconnect with its past, while also trying to move forward with its music. After a promising acoustic guitar introduction, Wonder delves full-speed into the past, virtually remaking the Freddy Jones Band's first hit single In a Daydream. Despite the formulaic approach, however, there are a few really good tunes here. If I Could momentarily moves the ensemble out of its rut, thanks to the searing slide guitar of Rob Bonaccorsi and the soulful Hammond B3 organ of musical guest Chris Cameron (courtesy of Sonia Dada), while Blue Moon rides the tide of a psychedelic, tribal energy.
Perhaps the best track on Lucid is Bonaccorsi's Eric Clapton-esque jazz shuffle Come On Back. The horn section and jazz beat help to move the Freddy Jones Band into some new musical territory, and Bonaccorsi finally is allowed to play his guitar like the group's fans know that he can. He also laces C Minor Contribution with some fiery momentum by igniting the song with a bluesy undertone, and he adds a stinging counterpoint to the laid-back, acoustic-based arrangement of California.
Unfortunately, more often than not, many of the songs contained on Lucid seem to meander
aimlessly through familiar territory. While the last half of disc is stronger than the first half,
it seems as if the Freddy Jones Band, in trying to recapture its past successes, has forgotten there's more to
music than just a sound. For some reason, the group named this album Lucid. Sadly, it's
anything but that. 
Of Further Interest...
Widespread Panic - Bombs & Butterflies
Lucid is available from Amazon.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 1998 The Music Box