Stinking Lizaveta

Caught Between Worlds (At a Loss)
by Brian Varney

Stinking Lizaveta is my kind of jam band. In possession of a nimble, subliminal band groove, the type made possible only by playing together for large spaces of time (I’m guessing these three could play for a few hours without a single glance at one another), and also a wealthy succession of chunktastic guitar riffs. SL is composed of lifers, folks who’ve been doing this for little acclaim and less money for many years, will continue to do so for many more years, and have no problem with it. Cheesy and clichéd though it may seem in an Almost Famous kinda way, the members of SL are in love with music and none of the superficial trappings that sometimes accompany membership in a band.

Stinking Lizaveta is primarily a live band. Like similar previous luminaries such as The Allman Brothers Band and 15.60.75, the recording studio is a hindrance to this band, leashing and muzzling the untamed animal that prowls freely in the live environment. Caught Between Worlds is a much better representation of the SL experience than previous studio recordings, but it acts more as code for the live experience. So although live is the way to see Stinking Lizaveta, if you want to pick up an album, this is the place to start.
(www.atalossrecordings.com)