I have been an Over the Rhine devotee since their debut in Cincinnati over ten years ago. By happy coincidence, I was living there when the group formed, and caught a few of their first performances in tiny clubs such as Sudsy Malone's. Karin Bergquist's rich vocals, combined with the keyboard and complimentary backup vocals provided by husband Linford Detweiler, have set a standard that artists like Sheryl Crow could only hope to aspire to. Unfortunately, as it seems with many of my favorites, this has not translated into a large number of record sales, or the worldwide acclaim they so richly deserve.
Changes Come is a present from Over the Rhine to their fans. Available strictly from their website, it is an Ohio-era concert recorded in late 2003. "Show Me" is phenomenal, a perfect match between vocals and music. "Nobody #1" features Detweiler's keyboards and organ playing that mesh with Bergquist's vocals in such way to elevate this song to a sublime level.
"Lifelong Sunshine" marries the OTR song with the classic Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine". Long time concert standard "All I Need is Everything" shows itself to be a fan favorite, with audience vocals clearly heard in the background. "When I Go" is over ten minutes of euphoria, and "B.P.D." soars.
"Changes Come" closes the show with the plea for "Jesus [to] come...turn this way around". It, like the rest of the album, illustrates what a lucky few already know -- that Over the Rhine can take songs that seem ordinary to good upon face value, then turn them into something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Simply a transcendent album that makes its listeners wish they had been there to see this performance.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Trae CadenheadGenerally, I'm not all that into live albums. I've picked up a few that I've enjoyed, but rarely do they find themselves being played repeatedly. Well, when Over the Rhine released their live album Changes Come that pretty much changed everything. The album was recorded at an unknown site on the fall 2003 tour. Most of the set list comes from the recent masterpiece Ohio and dare I say, these…More from Over the Rhine
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2001Films for Radio
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