When I Woke

Description

Rusted Root was part of the first wave of post-hippie jam bands and perhaps the most commercially successful of all, as When I Woke from 1994, their second album and first release on a major label, went platinum. In fact, the band's popularity transcends the ties of this planet, as their hit "Send Me on My Way" was chosen as the "wake-up" music for the Mars exploration rover Opportunity! But we Earthlings have heard this song everywhere on our own terrestrial airwaves, from sitcoms like New Girl to movies like Ice Age. Acoustic jams in the style of Grateful Dead, Peter Gabriel-esque chants, and world rhythms reminiscent of Graceland infuse this music with both an intoxicating nostalgia and avant-garde fusion; recent bands like The Polyphonic Spree certainly owe a debt to Rusted Root. But it is the spiritual concerns of lead songwriter Michael Glabicki that give When I Woke its healthy weight... This album has more in mind than just having a good time (though it is all that and more!).