Track Listing

1. You Can't Stop Progress
2. Power Player
3. The Devil & Me
4. White's Ferry
5. Child of the City
6. Electric Worry
7. One Eye Dollar
8. Rapture Of Riddley Walker
9. When Vegans Attack
10. Opossum Minister
11. Black Umbrella
12. Mr. Shiny Cadillackness

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27513 in Music
• Released on: 2007-03-27
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
From Beale Street to Oblivion lacks the fire and passion heard on 2005's excessively excellent Robot Hive/Exodus. It's not that the Maryland-based band has betrayed the sound that made it famous or that it has suddenly become incapable of writing a memorable riff of having a go at a good ol' rock 'n' blues stomp. Rather, it's that not much of anything awe-inspiring happens in the course of these 12 tunes. Listeners have to wait until the record's third track ("The Devil & Me") before the rockin' really sticks and from that point forward wade through several successive almost-great moments, feeling the stinging darts of disappointment as the album moves toward the dark and narrow sidewalks of Beale Street's end. Some of the tracks––namely "Electric Worry" and "Rapture of Riddley Walker" are impossibly pleasing but taken as a whole, this serves as a bummer set from one of the most promising and consistently imaginative acts. Certainly not a bad record for most bands but one that falls below the high expectations held for Clutch. ––Jedd Beaudoin

Customer Reviews

Bridge of Highs
Love all the Howlin Wolf lyric references and Robin Trower guitar leads.

Check out Mighty High...In Drug City.

Bluesy goodness

I was pretty surprised by this CD. Good stuff, maybe a little heavy on the keyboards.

Another great one.
Clutch would have been my Led Zeppelin back in the day, if I was closer to my parent's age. Yes, maybe that is a bold statement. I will come off as bragging here, so excuse me. However, I know rock and metal music. I'm a music dork. There is not a band of this style, to surface in "modern" times that has been this solid and versatile. They put forth some of the best honest rock music there is to offer. They have evolved from a metal/stoner rock style to a more blues based rock style with a dose of "funk". But along the way they have never lost the ability to jam. When I heard that Clutch made the shift towards a more "rock" style on Robot Hive/Exodus, I'll admit I was skeptical. I thought they might lose their identity. But my mind quickly changed when I heard that album. They never lost that groove and heaviness. Even though the music is different and perhaps more accessible, there is still a unique sound going on. The songwriting of Clutch is it's own animal. And Neil's voice is like no other. One thing I notice about Clutch's music: When you are into the groove of it, suddenly, the brilliant lyrical content blindsides you.

From Beale Street to Oblivion is just what I would expect from Clutch..Another batch of great songs. There is no masturbatory cock-rock crap. Its just pure. It is without a doubt one of the best rock albums I have ever heard. This album is (only) slightly better then Robot Hive/Exodus in my opinion, simply because I think it has a more infectious feel to it.
A new album by Clutch might not be held in high regards. Maybe it will never be recognized like a Zeppelin album..But, as far as I am concerned, Clutch is bridging that gap from from the past to present, and keeping the imaginative rock music alive. This is what From Beale Street to Obivion does. It bridges the gap and then continues on, carving a dusty dirt road...And setting another standard. Very few bands continue to release one great album after another consistently. This band is responsible for one of my favorite albums of all time--The Clutch S/T. And they haven't let me down since.So, obviously I love this band, and I have many legitimate reasons to. The only negative remark I can think of is that once in a great while, Clutch might write a song that I don't like...at least not as much as others.
To wrap this up, I would like to add that you are missing out if you don't see Clutch live. This is not a band you just want to hear through your stereo. Trust me. See when they are playing your town, get those tickets and get ready to rock.