The Recipe
All You Can Eat

(Harmonized)

First Appeared at The Music Box, January 2004, Volume 11, #1

Written by John Metzger

Why is it that any ensemble that is even remotely considered a jam band feels obligated to incorporate bass solos and percussion interludes into its concert recordings? Granted, some groups do manage to navigate successfully the pitfalls of such an endeavor, but most simply sound like bar bands going through the motions of emulating their heroes. Granted, this is not an easy thing to accomplish, but that’s all the more reason to avoid it entirely.

Unfortunately, it is exactly this type of posturing that undercuts the good things about The Recipe’s recent outing All You Can Eat, and the inclusion of four bloated tracks also doesn’t do much to help it along. Though the group quite easily could forge a respectable career for itself within the progressive bluegrass or alt-country markets, it continues to insist upon peppering its sets with long-winded, meandering jams, which largely consist of a soloist affably chugging along above a ridiculously repetitive rhythmic groove. Not a single one of the four expansive outings on All You Can Eat even comes close to reaching that glorious space of ultimate transcendence, which makes the bulk of the album nothing more than pleasant background music. It’s a shame, too, because there are moments when The Recipe lays down some exquisite instrumental work that ironically fills its more concise tunes — particularly Playing in My Dreams and Breaking Out — with far more effusive energy.

In the end, The Recipe isn’t a bad band. In fact, by today’s standards, it’s quite good at what it does, especially given the turmoil of its line-up in recent years. But stacked up against the groups it wholeheartedly admires — Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, even Phish and Steve Earle — The Recipe stills comes out sounding like a collegiate rip-off that is fixated more on recycling old material rather than creating something new.

All You Can Eat is available from Barnes & Noble.
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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 © 2003 The Music Box