Even since before the release/non-release of Trouble?s would-have-been comeback album, Simple Mind Condition (it?s a non-release if you?re in the US, thanks to Escapi Music biting the proverbial big one), there?s been no small amount of teasing for the release of their unplugged EP. For a while there, it grew into one of those, ?Yeah, that?ll be out one of these days? phantom albums, until the legendary Chicago outfit finally made it available in limited numbers on their website, late 2007. The first 100 pre-sold were signed by the band.

Now seeing wider issue via Germany?s SAOL imprint, Unplugged boasts four bonus demos with the original six tracks, making it a full-length compilation-type release. Two of the original six songs are ?new,? and two of the bonus tracks were previously available on the Demos and Rarities Pt. 2 (1984-1994) collection, so there are four presumably yet-unheard cuts, two of which were on the prior Unplugged, four alternate versions and the two other bonuses, ?Waiting for the Sun? (not the Doors tune) and the Yardbirds cover, ?Heartful of Soul.?

As the band explains in the liner notes, the impetus for Unplugged was their being offered an acoustic gig at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and wondering if they could pull it off, and even after listening, that?s still pretty much the question. Did they pull it off? So much of Trouble?s sound being set in the distorted crunch of Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell?s guitars, there?s obviously going to be something missing without that crucial element — the rational answer to which is, ?That?s the idea, dummy.? Then-vocalist Eric Wagner offers his dry-throated melody-driven croon with special deference to the Unplugged-only ?7:00 a.m.? and the strongly Beatlesian ?Smile,? which also has electric guitars (albeit clean toned), putting in a professional but staler performance for ?Rain? from Manic Frustration, ?Flowers? and ?Requiem? from Plastic Green Head and ?Misery? (a shortened ?The Misery Shows (Act II)?) from their 1990 self-titled.

They probably pulled it off, but if anything, Unplugged is a set geared toward a curious Trouble fanbase, done with them in mind and not really looking to break any new stylistic ground. The rearrangements of older songs are new but not especially imaginative, and the bonus tracks aren?t acoustic, really nailing down that whole, ?Hey, these were basically just tacked on? thing. ?Flowers? works, ?Requiem? works, but one has to wonder why if a band was writing a new song for an album called Unplugged, they?d come up with ?Smile? and have it based around electric guitar. If you feel like you need to hear it, then hear it, but don?t be surprised if you come out the other end with a better understanding of why the band was so hesitant to release it in the first place.

Trouble on MySpace

Tags: Chicago, Gods, SAOL, Trouble

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 at 6:33 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.