In episode 18 of Hooked on Creek, I review Max Creek’s performance on November 24, 2018, at The Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
A live recording of this entire Max Creek performance is available to stream or download here.
Episode 18 transcription
You’re listening to Hooked on Creek, a podcast celebrating the music, history and fans of the legendary jam band Max Creek. I am your host, Korre Johnson, and you are listening to episode 18.
Thank you for joining me on episode 18 of Hooked on Creek. I sincerely hope this episode adds a little joy to your life. I know this world can be a scary place, at times, but I believe music can bring us together, even when we are physically far apart. And as George Harrison once sang, “All things must pass” so we just need sit tight and wait for this pandemic to pass away, because it’s not always going to be this gray.
Alright, in this episode I am going to discuss Max Creek’s performance on November 24, 2018, at The Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and also included in this episode are full performances of the songs Estimated Prophet, Blood Red Roses and Katie Mae from this stellar show.
You can find a direct link to stream or download the entire Max Creek show I am reviewing in the episode show notes, or simply head over to hookedoncreek.com. And while you are there, click the contact link and let me know what you think. I am always looking for recommendations on topics to cover or Max Creek shows to feature in this podcast. Alright, now let’s get started.
Max Creek’s performance at The Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, back on November 24, 2018, starts with a punch as the band delivers an incredible version of Cocaine Lady. Stretched over 12 minutes, the song shines with an ethereal glow. The extended jam that begins about five minutes into the song works like a crowbar, opening a gateway into a new world, lush with magic. Together, through this jam, the band weaves a musical soundscape that engulfs all of your senses. Scott’s guitar playing here is gentle, fierce, clean and dirty, all at the same time. About 10 minutes into the song, the band gently slides into a transition jam, leaving you in suspended animation, as the band seems to aim their music to the heavens, broadcasting deep into the universe, waiting for a cosmic reply. And then, message received, as the band tears into Devil’s Heart.
And this hefty, 17-minute-long version of Devil’s Heart is a beast. I can only imagine what must have been like to be there, in the crowd, bathing in the heat generated by this sizzling version of this ageless song. About five and a half minutes in, the windup for the jam is set in motion, which is then delivered to the audience like a celebratory cake, layered with rich flavors. Approaching 10 minutes in, the song begins to return to its theme, allowing just enough space to catch your breath before the band materializes a new rhythm, initially set in motion by Jay and Bill, with John laying down a playful bass solo. But when Scott and Mark enter into the mix, the new groove is fully established, which inspires some hair-raising work by Mark on the keys to close out the song.
This combo of Cocaine Lady and Devil’s Heart is an incredible way to kick off an incredible show.
But things are just getting started, as Mark takes over and effortlessly leads the band through a sublime version of Sitting in Limbo, a song originally released by the Jamaican ska and reggae musician Jimmy Cliff on his 1971 album Another Cycle. While researching the history of this song, I learned Jimmy Cliff wrote it following the death of his longtime producer, Leslie Kong. The song reflects Jimmy Cliff’s state of mind, at that time, as he contemplated moving forward with his musical career in the aftermath of his producer’s death. And Mark, the paragon of storytellers, delivers this poignant song with perfection.
Next, Scott leads the band through a beautiful version of one of my favorite songs the band covers, Yellow Moon, which I played earlier during the introduction to this podcast episode. Yellow Moon is a song written by singer-songwriter and musician John Hiatt that was originally recorded and released by the Neville Brothers on their 1989 album by the same name. After riding that haunting rhythm for over 13 minutes, Bill delivers a top-notch version of I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight, a song by Bob Dylan first released on his 1967 album John Wesley Harding. And to close the first set, John and the band dish out a steaming cover of Slow Down, a song originally written and recorded Larry Williams in 1957, but popularized by the Beatles.
Max Creek opens the second set by delivering a gift to the Pawtucket, Rhode Island, crowd as Bill performs his song The Bees for the very first time with the band. And I just want to say, I love the creativity Bill brings to Max Creek and I think this song is a gem. I reached out to Bill via Facebook direct message after hearing this song last year and I asked him about it. Bill told me, “I wrote that one after listening to an in depth story about the ways bees communicate. They are amazing creatures.” So there you go. Apparently, Bill has a strong opinion about bees, which is fine with me.
And now, over the next 45 minutes of the show, Max Creek delivers an astonishing string of songs comprised of Estimated Prophet, Blood Red Roses and Katie Mae, that feature some impeccable jamming, mesmerizing vocals and mind-bending dips into profoundly psychedelic territories. I absolutely love the vision-inducing trip this 18-minute-long Blood Red Roses puts you on, before laying you in the gentle arms of Katie Mae.
Max Creek’s cover of the song Katie Mae reflects a variation of a traditional folk ballad from Britain that dates back to the early 1800s. The song, in one form or another, was handed down through the unwritten oral tradition, evolving as each performer over time reshaped the song, adding their own lyrics and nuances to the tune. Through this, the song has come to exist in a large number of variations under many different titles, including Silver Dagger, Molly Dear and Awake, Awake, Ye Drowsy Sleepers. And while these songs have different titles and lyrics, they continue to share an ancestry rooted in the theme of a night visit, which is common in traditional English songs.
From what I can tell, the song was first recorded commercially as “O! Molly Dear Go Ask Your Mother” by Kelly Harrell in 1926. And just for fun, I am going to play a short clip of what that 1926 recording sounds like.
After Mark leads the band through his version of Katie Mae, Max Creek delivers a crowd-pleasing version of You’re The Only One and ends the second set with a thunderous cover of Helter Skelter, which of course is a song by the Beatles released back in 1968 on their White Album. Based on what I’ve read, the song Helter Skelter reflects Paul McCartney’s attempt to create a sound as loud and dirty as possible. And rest assured, Scott delivers on that with ease as he culminates the second set.
And for the encore, Max Creek comes back with a nice cover of Shakey Ground, a 1975 R&B single by The Temptations that was co-written by Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel. And then, the crowd at The Met back on November 24, 2018, is gifted a second song during the encore as Scott rips into a cover of Mercury Blues, a song written by K. C. Douglas and Robert Geddins, originally titled Mercury Boogie, that dates back to 1948.
Now looking back over this entire show, Max Creek played Devil’s Heart which first appeared on their self-titled 1977 album, we heard Cocaine Lady from their 1980 album Rainbow, we heard Blood Red Roses which first appeared on their 1982 album Drink the Stars, we heard You’re the Only One from their 1998 album Spring Water, and we also heard Max Creek’s take on I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight, a song featured on the band’s 2019 album 45 & Live.
Alright now lets hear a few songs from this massive Max Creek show. Right now, you are going to hear Estimated Prophet, Blood Red Roses and Katie Mae from the second set. This is Max Creek performing live on November 24, 2018, at The Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
And that concludes my review of Max Creek’s performance on November 24, 2018, at The Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. This is another top-notch show you have to check out. You can stream or download this Max Creek show on archive.org, just check the episode show notes for a direct link. And if you have feedback about this episode or recommendations for future episodes, visit hookedoncreek.com and click the contact link to send me a message. Thanks for tuning in.