Two Steps from the Middle Ages [2017 Remastered/Expanded] [CD]

by Game Theory

Overview

Arriving in 1987, Lolita Nation was Game Theory's masterpiece, a strikingly ambitious and accomplished exercise in power pop at its smartest. But it was also a purposely difficult double album, and it did little to boost the group's somewhat precarious career status. For Game Theory's fifth LP, group leader and songwriter Scott Miller set out to make something more user-friendly, and 1988's 2 Steps from the Middle Ages reflected a more streamlined approach, stripping away some of the more baroque elements from the tunes, abandoning the aural montage that had become a major part of the group's approach, and delivering a relatively concise 13-song set. There was also a bit more gloss in Mitch Easter's production than in his previous work with the band, and tunes like "Wyoming," "In a Delorean," "Rolling with the Moody Girls," and "What the Whole World Wants" sound like they could have found a comfortable spot on college radio, if not mainstream FM outlets. However, 2 Steps manages to play like a compromise in the best sense of the world -- it's a far easier album for a beginner to slip into than Lolita Nation or Real Nighttime, but it still boasts plenty of superb songs from Miller, and the band carries this material with impressive strength, especially Gil Ray's drumming and Shelley LaFreniere's keyboards. And on the second half of the album, Miller lets his dour, literate personality shine bright on "Don't Entertain Me Twice," "Throwing the Election," and "Initiations Week," which rank with his best songs. 2 Steps from the Middle Ages proved to be Game Theory's final album, and it's hard not to wish they'd allowed their grand finale to flaunt the group's eccentricities. But think of it as their answer to the Velvet Underground's Loaded, a superb example of a challenging band playing nice without throwing away the smarts and ideas that made them worthwhile. [In 2017, Omnivore Recordings released a remastered and expanded edition of 2 Steps from the Middle Ages as part of their comprehensive Game Theory reissue program. The set includes 11 bonus tracks, which is a relatively small number considering how much material was added for some of Omnivore's previous GT titles, but the demos for "Room for One More, Honey" and "Wish I Could Stand or Have" offer an interesting look into how the album took shape, and Miller's solo guitar cover of Paul Simon's "America" is lovely. The package also includes excellent liner essays from Ken Stringfellow, Mitch Easter, and Franklin Bruno, while Dan Vallor includes a heartfelt dedication to drummer Gil Ray, who died while the project was in progress. For longtime fans or Game Theory novices, this package presents 2 Steps in definitive form, and is well worth exploring.] ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/09/2017
Label:	Omnivore
UPC:	0816651014132
Rank:	161375

Tracks

1. Room for One More, Honey
2. What the Whole World Wants
3. The Picture of Agreeability
4. Amelia, Have You Lost
5. Rolling with the Moody Girls
6. Wyoming
7. In a Delorean
8. You Drive
9. Leilani
10. Wish I Could Stand or Have
11. Don't Entertain Me Twice
12. Throwing the Election
13. Initiations Week
14. Together Now, Very Minor
15. Amelia, Have You Lost
16. Bad Machinery
17. Room for One More, Honey
18. The Waist and the Knees
19. Wish I Could Stand or Have
20. Rolling with the Moody Girls
21. America
22. I Turned Her Away
23. Wyoming
24. Sleeping Through Heaven

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Game Theory   Primary Artist
Guillaume Gassuan   Bass,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Craig Silvey   Vocals (Background)
Scott Miller   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond)
Mark Slagle   Vocals (Background)
Mitch Easter   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Gil   Drums,Vocals (Background)
Mitch   Vocals (Background)
Scott   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond)
Donnette Thayer   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)
Dunbar Poor   Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Rhythm)
R. Dunbar Poor   Bass,Guitar,Synthesizer
Gil Ray   Drums,Vocals
Shelley LaFreniere   Vocals,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond)
Shelley   Keyboards,Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)
Dave Barrett   Saxophone

Technical Credits

Guillaume Gassuan   Composer
Paul Simon   Composer
Craig Silvey   Engineer,Second Engineer
Scott Miller   Composer,Engineer
Mark Slagle   Engineer
Alex Rodriguez   Second Engineer
Mitch Easter   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Gary Hobish   Engineer
Donnette Thayer   Composer
Chad Munsey   Engineer,Second Engineer
R. Dunbar Poor   Mixing,Engineer,Keyboard Programming
Gil Ray   Composer
Deanne Franklin   Mixing,Engineer,Second Engineer
Chris Furman   Engineer