In celebration of their 20th anniversary, String Cheese Incident dug deep into their archives. They found a cassette tape, recorded and distributed circa 1995 as a promotional item. For those unaware, a cassette tape looks like this:
Anyway, as SCI is revved up for their 20th year, the band digitally released these early recordings. Here’s the band’s statement:
Back in 1995, the band recorded a compilation album on cassette tape, and spread it amongst the community. Now, the newly named “Aged Cheese” album can be yours (sorry, digitally only… do you still even use cassette tapes?). This old school album features early recordings of 14 classic SCI songs like “Lester Had a Coconut”, “Jellyfish”, “Little Hands” and more!
Naturally, L4LM had to listen to this compilation album, and boy are we glad we did! While the band is certainly more developed now (twenty years will do that to you…), the raw talent is ever-present on Aged Cheese. With intricate compositions and masterful musicianship, it’s easy to see why String Cheese Incident is so renowned in the music community.
The album starts with the upbeat catchy melody “Lester Had A Coconut,” a tune that sounds like a cross between Caribbean island music and bluegrass. With guitar and fiddle soloing aplenty, we defy you to listen to this song without dancing!
In fact, dancing seems to be the unifying theme of this diverse compilation. While the SCI bluegrass influence is unmistakable, the sound is mixed amongst a slew of genres throughout Aged Cheese. One song sounds like traditional bluegrass, the next will have a jazz-influence, and the one after that will show influences of world music. The latter, “Turkish in the Straw,” is a short instrumental with exotic, grooving percussion.
All in all, this is fantastic album. Most of the tracks are instrumentals, but the lack of lyrics never subtracts from the music. A tune like “Moonflower” doesn’t need lyrics; the melody speaks for itself. But, farther along the album, the song “Johnny Cash” shows the light-heartedness of String Cheese Incident with humorous lyrics amidst a goofy-yet-groovy musical progression. According to SCI, “Johnny Cash don’t smoke hash.” Good to know.
For audiophiles or cheeseophiles alike, Aged Cheese is definitely worth a taste. Plus, if you attended any of the SCI NYE shows, the download is free. So, what are you waiting for?
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)
Aged Cheese
Lester Had a Coconut
How Mountain Girls Can Love
Sunny Skies
Turkish in the Straw
Moonflower
Jellyfish
Little Hands
Blackberry Blossom
Rhythmess
Dudley’s Kitchen
Johnny Cash
Black Clouds
Johnny Cash (Bruce Hayes Pack of Dogs Remix)
Lester Had a Coconut (Bruce Hayes Pack of Dogs Remix)