“Clear some room, lay on the music and let the high times commence!”

Off the back of several highly successful touring seasons, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood are back with another live installment, Betty’s Blends, Volume Two: Best From The West. Recorded under the guidance of former Grateful Dead audio engineer, Betty Cantor-Jackson, the seven-track selection offers a pristine slice of the CRB’s romp through the west coast in the summer of 2014.

Beginning with a dynamic, cascading version of “Vibration & Light Suite,” the CRB prove (again) why they are among the leading purveyors of contemporary psychedelic rock. The songs moves with an effortlessness and an ease that is reminiscent to a mid-70s Grateful Dead jam vehicle. And like a classic GD jam vehicle, the songs can stop and turn on a dime into a different dimension. They wade through light and dark, with many shades of grey sandwiched between. 

Fan favorite “Rosalee,” recorded at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library, follows. A downright fun and funky tune, keyboard player Adam MacDougall takes a journey intermingling his signature sound with the stylish guitar of Neal Casal until the jam reaches an ambient, dream like state, finishing up with a rocking outro that has band-leader Chris Robinson inquiring, “Is the air getting thinner? Are we getting high?”

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One of the great things about Betty’s Blends Volume Two is the inclusion of two excellent covers amongst the Brotherhood’s originals, the first being the Grateful Dead’s “They Love Each Other.” A staple of the CRB repertoire since the get-go, this sweet, sultry version had to have put a smile on Betty’s face. After all, this was the woman who aided in the recording of the Dead’s infamous Cornell ’77 show. The second cover tune, “Driving Wheel,” comes via Tom Rush. A love ballad no doubt, this song plays to Robinson’s strength on vocals and sounds like something that could have easily come out of the CRB’s catalog. When the CRB player a cover they own it 100%.

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“Tumbleweed In Eden” makes an appearance on the new release, a song from a previous Robinson project, The New Earth Mud. Originally released on 2004’s The Magnificent Distance, the song has found a proper home in the Brotherhood and gains some serious steam towards the latter half of the song. 

“Shore Power” recorded at Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA and “Burn Slow,” recorded at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver from 2014’s Phosphorescent Harvest round out the second installment of Betty’s Blends and provide CRB fans a great dichotomy of material. The former, a punchy, head-bobber is contrasted against the soothing, melodic tones of “Burn Slow.” All in all, Betty’s Blends Volume Two is a solid offering from a still relatively young band. The sky is the limit for this group of veteran musicians.

Due out on June 2nd, Betty’s Blends Volume Two: Best From The West will be issued by Robinson’s label Silver Arrow Records as a limited edition release, with only 2000 2-LP sets, 2000 CDs and 2000 downloads available. Be sure to get yours while they’re still in stock!