King Ropes: “Go Back Where They Came From” (2020) CD Review

King Ropes is a band based in Bozeman, Montana, mixing elements of rock, pop and country, with more than a hint of psychedelia. On their new album, Go Back Where They Came From, they offer some delicious covers, material covering a fairly wide spectrum of artists and styles, including pop and country. It is probably not often that you find songs by Roger Miller, Elton John and Beastie Boys all on one album. Yet the way these guys handle the material keeps it from being jarring when they switch from one genre to another. The band is made up of Dave Hollier on vocals and guitar, Ben Roth on guitar and keys, Keith Martinez on bass, and Jeff Jensen on drums. On this release they are joined by Aaron Banfield on bass and guitar, Sam Hollier on cello, and Lucy Hollier on trombone.

The album opens with a cover of “Tall Trees,” a single from Matt Mays & El Torpedo’s 2008 release, Terminal Romance. And right away I am excited by the approach they take to the song, opening it with a drum beat, and speeding the song up a bit. But what I love most is the addition of cello, giving the track an interesting and unusual sound, which I am crazy about. That is Sam Hollier on cello. This version is a bit more pop than rock, and the vocals have a sweet folk edge. It’s a wonderful start to the album. It is followed by “Take Me To The River.” This song was originally recorded by Al Green, but the first version I heard was that by Talking Heads, and it sounds like that version helped inspire this rendition. It is a cool rendition. Things get wonderfully strange toward the end. And then they follow that with a Talking Heads song, “Drugs,” from that band’s Fear Of Music LP (my personal favorite Talking Heads album, and an interesting one to listen to while on acid). King Ropes offers a really good rendition, with some cool touches and additions, particularly on the vocals, but also on cello.

King Ropes delivers an unusual take on Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” For some reason, this song has been in the air a lot lately. Ellis Paul has been offering a rendition during his nightly concerts online, playing it on acoustic guitar. This version by King Ropes has some interesting percussion during the verses. On the chorus, it sounds more like you might expect it to, though I love that work on guitar during the chorus. And this track features more wonderful stuff on cello, which really adds a lot to that atmosphere, to that sense of loneliness. That’s followed by a haunting, moody rendition of “Eisler On The Go,” a song with lyrics written by Woody Guthrie, but with music by Billy Bragg. It was originally included on Mermaid Avenue, and is one I haven’t heard covered all that much (or at all?). The song from that album it seems most folks gravitate toward is “Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key” (though “California Stars” is my personal favorite). This rendition features some beautiful work on cello (yes, I love that instrument). Then Lucy Hollier joins the band on trumpet for a gentle and pretty rendition of “Girls Like Us,” a song from Tandy’s album To A Friend. This is a song I wasn’t really familiar with, and it ended up being one of my favorites. The original version is excellent too. Here is a taste of the lyrics, written by Mike Ferrio: “See how long this lasts/Anything could break/And everybody knows/That’s the chance you take/Your hiding place/Now you see it, now you don’t/Without a trace/You need to be alone.” That is followed by a good version of Steve Earle’s “Transcendental Blues.”

King Ropes gets into the country realm with a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Bloody Mary Morning.” I really like what these guys do with this song. It’s quite different from other versions I’ve heard. I’m used to bluegrass rendition. It certainly has more of a rock sound, but not like that version Supersuckers delivered on the Twisted Willie album. This one has a slower groove, and features some cool guitar work, as well as more good work on cello. I’ve always enjoyed this song, but appreciate it even more since I’ve been living in Los Angeles. The band follows that with another country number, Roger Miller’s “King Of Road,” a song that has been covered a lot over the years, including an odd, messy version by R.E.M. and a cool , delightful rendition by The Proclaimers. This version by King Ropes is a bit slower than many versions, and the steady percussion features prominently.

We then get a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles),” here listed as “Neighbourhood #4 (7 Kettles),” a song from that band’s debut LP, Funeral. This is another one I wasn’t familiar with, but I am seriously appreciating it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Sam Hollier returns on cello for this one. “Killing old folks just like we knew it would” is a line that stands out during the pandemic. From there, the band takes another turn to deliver a rendition of Beastie Boys’ “Song For The Man,” a fantastic song from their 1998 album, Hello Nasty. This version omits that opening comment, “I don’t like your attitude, boy.” I dig the catchy garage sound once the song kicks in. Lucy Hollier plays trumpet on this track, and on the album’s final track, an interesting take on “The Danger Zone,” a song written by Percy Mayfield and recorded by Ray Charles. It was used as the flip side to the 1961 single of “Hit The Road Jack,” also composed by Percy Mayfield. That is, the ABC-Paramount release of it, not the Phillips record, which also came out in 1961. Anyway, is this not a perfect song to leave us with? The opening lines are: “Sad and lonely all the time/That’s because I’ve got a worried mind/You know, the world is in an uproar/The danger zone is everywhere.”

CD Track List

1. Tall Trees
2. Take Me To The River
3. Drugs
4. Rocket Man
5. Eisler On The Go
6. Girls Like Us
7. Transcendental Blues
8. Bloody Mary Morning
9. King Of The Road
10. Neighbourhood #4 (7 Kettles)
11. Song For The Man
12. The Danger Zone

Go Back Where They Came From was released today, May 22, 2020.