illusionofjoy | OTR: Bill's Band

Live at the Troc was the initial CD by Bill's Band to arrive at WAIH. The radio station only received the group's proper studio album after they played at SUNY Potsdam. Since they had been receiving airplay on WAIH, despite the fact that CUB had booked the gig, WAIH was "allowed" to interview them on the air.

Live at the Troc, which was recorded live at the Philadelphia Trocadero Theatre. The disc contains only two songs from Basic Tracks - "Swear To God" and "That Door" - every other song on the album was previously unreleased.

One striking thing about this disc is how low the fidelity is, despite being recorded in 1998. This sounds like it is being played over an AM radio; the fact that the group is fully entrenched in the world of 1970s classic rock does nothing to dispel the illusion. I wouldn't say this is a bad thing, necessarily - the retro trappings and AM radio fidelity are actually quite charming, all things considered. I dare say that in this world where the promise of perfect sound has given way to clinically sanitised sound, this actually sounds warmer than most albums mastered today.

Of the previously unreleased songs, "I and I" along with "Sunday Morning" stand out. However, like much of their other material, these sound very much like songs that Neil Young never got around to writing or, if he did, never bothered to put on any of his albums. I don't think Bill's Band ever managed, or wanted, to grow past their roots and influences. Fair enough; there are plenty of groups like that...though very few of them manage to create a legacy for themselves.