Many have found it hard to take
the Holy Modal Rounders seriously, probably because they've never seemed to be taking themselves seriously. At the same time, it's hard to listen to the group's bizarre mixture of folk and rock, along with its original songs, and not get the idea that an intelligence -- be it a very demented one -- is operating behind the scenes. The release of
Bird Song: Live 1971, capturing the group at the crossroads between its rock past and stripped-down future, probably won't change the group's non-mainstream status, but so what? Lack of mainstream recognition shouldn't prevent fans and music critics from enjoying the band's contribution to roots music.
The Rounders did quite a few things, like inserting fiddles into rock bands that also used saxophones, that were rather odd at the time, but which have become common in the post-millennium jam band environment. In fact, the Rounders don't so much have a sound on
Bird Song as several sounds. "Low Down Dog" qualifies as thrash-folk, "Pink Underwear" as ragtime, and "Pollyanna" as '50s rock & roll. As
Peter Stampfel points out in the entertaining liner notes, there's often too much going on in these songs, with all seven members banging away at once. One might also note that the vocals are a bit rough. But the Rounders always come out on top because of their no-holds-barred execution of the material. Whatever they're doing, they seem to believe in it and give it their all, and that makes
Bird Song: Live 1971 a nice addition to their catalog.