It’s easy to be skeptical of live records. Oftentimes they’re put out by labels looking to bring in a little extra money between releases while a band is plugging away on a new record. For Finnish prog metal disciples Amorphis, however, they saw it as a way to give fans not only a look at the band at its live best, but also a candid look behind the scenes…
When Mickey Hart's name is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the drummer's years with the Grateful Dead. But in fact, Hart has done a lot of worthwhile things outside of the Dead, including some world music projects. Produced by Hart in 1990, Honor the Earth Powwow: Songs of the Great Lakes Indians is one of his crowning achievements. This CD, which Hart produced, documents a Native American powwow in a rural area of northern Wisconsin. For the uninitiated, a powwow is a traditional musical/spiritual ceremony by Native Americans; the powwow heard on this disc celebrates nature, God, and Native American culture.