Blues Traveler

When over two years passed since the release of 1997's Straight on Till Morning, Blues Traveler released an EP of new songs through their website (www.bluestraveler.com) to reward fans who stuck around during the hiatus caused by Bobby Sheehan's death and John Popper's illness. The EP was called Decision of the Sky,subtitled "A Traveler's Tale of Sun and Storm," and is part of a since-abandoned concept album. (It is not clear if these recordings include Sheehan on bass or if they were recorded after his passing. All of the songs were written before 1999.) In total, four songs were made available, one per week, beginning in November of 2000. The first, "12 Swords," was written by John Popper in 1991 and later reworked by the band. The second, "The Sun and the Storm," is an optimistic reggae number built around bouncy bass and piano parts. The song ends with snippets from the Beatles' "Hey Jude," Prince's "Let's Go Crazy," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and their own "Hook." The third song, "Traveler Suite," is a seven-part epic that stretches over 22 minutes. The fourth song, "The Path," was planned to be the final song of the concept album, so it is appropriate that the funky ballad also closes this EP. Decision of the Sky confirmed Blues Traveler's new, largely harmonica-free direction that would crystallize to great effect on 2001's Bridge. This fan-only release will be most appreciated by those who understand Blues Traveler's muse. It is one of their least mainstream efforts, but with its studio noodling, rambling song structure, and sonic experimentation, Decision of the Sky is one of the band's creative highpoints. (Coincidentally, Bridge ends with the song "Decision of the Skies," which is an interpretation of the fable by Aesop called "The Sun and the Storm," all of which makes this EP a wonderful topic for discussion.) ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide