About Mr. Brown by O.A.R.
September 24, 2004 | 
18 Comments
The Artist: O.A.R.
The Song: About Mr. Brown
The Album: 34th & 8th
Released 2004
When O.A.R. (which stands for Of A Revolution — kind of goofy if you ask me) was recommended to me a few months back, I was a bit reluctant. I’d heard a bit of their music, but I had put them in the “hippy jam band” category. A category that is kind of hit or miss with me.
I mean, I can’t stand Dave Matthews, I HATE Phish and The Dead, but I like artists like Jack Johnson (who I’m going to see this weekend), Ben Harper and Great Big Sea. It’s this last band, Great Big Sea, that O.A.R. reminds me of most. That’s a good thing. I’m a big fan of Great Big Sea.
After my first few listens through 34th & 8th I wasn’t sure if I liked it. I knew I didn’t hate it, but I was a bit unsure at that point. It could be that as I wasn’t familiar with their music, to hear it live was a bit hard to grasp.
It really grew on me though and now I can say I really enjoy this album and I’m interested to see them live. I mean, even though I don’t like Dave Matthews, I do enjoy his shows a bit. Hippy jam bands do have good shows.
But there is more to O.A.R. than meets the eye. They’re a bit more groovy than most jam bands, and they’ve got a pretty diverse selection of tunes. Many of their songs are of the sing- and dance-along variety, and they do a great job of mixing in different instruments (love the horns) and styles.
All in all I think I’ve found another hippy jam band I can get behind in O.A.R. and I can safely say that if that’s your “thing” you’d probably really enjoy this album.
Recommended if you like: Great Big Sea, Jack Johnson, Guster, Dave Matthews, The Paperboys, Black Happy
Filed under: Song of The Week
Comments
1. Donnie said:
Yeah, OAR is nothing like DAVE MATTHEWS or PHISH - MUCH MUCH BETTER. Dave Matthews sucks ass.
… and I agree of a revolution is a retarded name.
Posted on September 24, 2004 12:27 PM | #
2. Jeremy Flint said:
Yeah, I have been into OAR for a while now.
Then again, the “hippy jam band category” is sort of my preferred genre anyway.
They are pretty much what Dave Matthews was until he sold his sold to the dev…i mean, Glenn Ballard, for that piece of crap known as Everyday.
Good pick Keith. I have some of their live shows if you want any. They are taper friendly.
Posted on September 24, 2004 12:47 PM | #
3. Jeremy Flint said:
By the way, the new Ben Harper realease with the Blind Boys of Alabama is great.
Posted on September 24, 2004 12:50 PM | #
4. James said:
Wow, I never thought I’d see Great Big Sea discussed on a design site. Are you a fan of the latest album? I think their songwriting has never measured up to the traditional material, so I’m looking forward to the next album (reportedly all trad).
Posted on September 24, 2004 01:02 PM | #
5. Stu Schaff said:
I wasn’t too into O.A.R. until fairly recently either. Having really taken another look at them a few months ago, I would have to say that my favorite songs that they’ve recorded would be (in no particular order):
- “Old Man Time”
- “Right on Time”
- “Dareh Meyod”
And I’ll bet that there’s some other pretty good stuff out there by them.Posted on September 24, 2004 01:13 PM | #
6. Paul said:
Wow.
Awesome to see you mention The Paperboys. I found them a long time ago, when they opened for Moxy Fruvous. Now I can find very little on them. Good thing I bought their two CDs. I love that stuff.
Keep it up. : )
Posted on September 24, 2004 01:34 PM | #
7. Keith said:
Paul – The Paperboys are great. They come through Seattle quite often. I think they usually play St. Patrick’s day here, which is great…although lately I’ve been down in Austin for SXSW…
Posted on September 24, 2004 04:08 PM | #
8. Kyle said:
OMG dude… you have no idea how excited I was when I saw OAR on your site. Excellent band, one of my favorites.
Until you go to one of their shows, however, you’re missing a lot. In case any of you want some free music by OAR (yes, free) I highly reccomend this show.
P.S. There are no horns on 34th & 8th :) Only a saxaphone.
Posted on September 24, 2004 04:59 PM | #
9. Mike said:
YES!!
It’s awesome to see a west-coast boy listening to OAR. A little history – they actually graduated from Ohio State about 4 years ago (about) and have almost a religious following from every college on the east coast. If you go to school at OSU, I think it’s a law that you HAVE to be an OAR fan.
Good stuff Keith. Oh, and I’m gonna win the whole damn league so you better watch out (had to throw it in!)
“I’m not gonna quit and I’m not gonna stop/ I don’t give a shit cause I’ve got the drop!!!”
Posted on September 24, 2004 06:05 PM | #
10. ryan said:
Listen to Widespread Panic!
Thats all I have to say.
Posted on September 24, 2004 10:54 PM | #
11. Cher said:
I just got introduced to this band by a friend and I must say they are awesome. Too bad I dont live in the NY area, I would love to go to their concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Has anyone noticed that they somewhat change their songs throughout the years? For example, that was a crazy game of poker sounds somewhat different on each album. I think I like the version on 34th and 8th the best. “I say of, you say a,….
Posted on November 24, 2004 04:24 PM | #
12. phil young said:
Check out archive.org……here’s spearhead & oar live…Great stuff!
http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=8389
Posted on February 3, 2005 10:57 AM | #
13. Nick said:
First of all, Dave Matthews Band is what it says. They are a BAND. It’s not Dave Matthew’s Band. It’s Dave Matthews Band. All 5 Members (including all the members from phish, the dead, and widespread panic) could all single handedly blow O.A.R off the stage. What O.A.R. does has been done three thousand times before. They are not a bad band, but they will certainly not break through to as much sucess as the Dave Matthews Band or Phish. C’mon, if DMB sucks so much, do you think O.A.R. would want to open for them?
Posted on April 8, 2005 04:01 PM | #
14. Jack Staw said:
Dave Mathews does suck, and he is pretty talentless. His whole schtick is finding augmenting jazz chords and then singing thoughtless lyrics in perfectly mirrored melody with them. He has no ear and no range. If the guitar ain’t making the tone, his voice ain’t singing it. News Flash: that’s what a 10 year old does during their first year of playing. Another idiot that does this is Geddy Lee from rush. A grating example is Fly By Night. Dave Mathews and Geddy Lee. Beautiful. The two worst singers of all time. Frankly the popularity of DMB is just another another ringing endorsement that Americans are by and large uneducated, unrefined, borish idiots. I mean AMERICA LOVES DAVE MATHEWS – think about it. How proud he must be when he goes home at night thinking to himself that his fans also bought 38 trillion Big Macs. Here’s one person that hasn’t bought, copied, or accepted a single piece of his tripe. And by God I change the station when he’s on the radio, and I walk out of stores, restaurants, bars, airports, baseball games when his mealy, puiny, melodramatic, self-absorbed crap is within ear shot. Fuck him, he does suck, and his band should go find another gig.
Posted on April 19, 2005 10:27 PM | #
15. aj said:
i dont really see anything wrong with DMB, i happen to think they’re a very good band, just as i think about O.A.R, im acually going to a concert in july in which O.A.R. is opening for DMB, and i can honestly say im looking forward to seeing both of them play
Posted on May 14, 2005 07:24 PM | #
16. Dan said:
BUllshit! Dave Matthews is better than any of them, even though i like jack johnson. Dave is better than anyone
Posted on September 14, 2005 01:40 PM | #
17. Eric said:
I agree that O.A.R is a great “hippy jam band” but i think that dave matthews is on the same page as O.A.R. dave jams just as much as o.a.r and his lyrics are somewhat better.
i’m looking for other “hippy jam bands” do you know of any more simular to o.a.r
Posted on September 20, 2005 02:50 PM | #
18. Dan-o said:
OAR is great. If you want to check out a diffent jam band check out Dispatch.
Posted on January 4, 2006 01:33 PM | #
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