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Rusted Root is an American band formed in 1990 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by singer-guitarist Michael Glabicki, bassist Patrick Norman and percussionist Liz Berlin. The band got its start as the house band playing a weekly gig in Jack's Back Room on Pittsburgh's South Side. The band achieved fame in 1994 with its platinum-selling album When I Woke, which included hit single "Send Me on My Way." The song has been featured prominently in many films and commercials. Rusted Root has sold more than three million albums.
The band is known for its fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, and Native American influences. Michael Glabicki has acknowledged the popular success of Peter Gabriel's 1986 album So as an influence on his decision to incorporate worldbeat into his own music.
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There is a reason that Rusted Root still play the majority of the songs on When I Woke live over 20 years after its release. This is their best studio album and the only one they created where everything works. The vibe here is infectious and it runs throughout making this as enjoyable in a full sitting as it is by just listening to certain tracks. "Send Me On My Way", a catchy track similar to what the Talking Heads did later in their career, is the hit and while this is as catchy as hell, it's just the tip of the iceberg. "Ecstasy" is the band's signature track and they always do this live and lead in with a long percussion solo which is present here in the opening "Drum Trip". But as with most great albums, its eclecticism stands out as When I Woke is full of great songs with a range of moods as present on the reflective and passionate anthems "Back To the Earth" and "Cruel Sun", the more spirited and kinetic danceable tracks "Rain", "Laugh As the Sun", "Marty", and "Food and Creative Love" or the mid-tempo and funky "Cat Turned Blue" and "Lost In a Crowd". And as great as all of these songs are, the ballad "Beautiful People" may be the finest of them all. Mike Glabicki wrote some great songs after this ("Voodoo", "Hands Are Law", "Blue Diamonds', etc) but it is on When I Woke where everything he wrote was gold. Fantastic album, highly recommended.(Amazon review)
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