Moses Guest
Home Or Arkansas
review = B

It takes guts to put out a live, three CD box set. Especially for an independent band who is relatively unknown outside of its region. It also takes a lot of material. Moses Guest, a rootsy rock outfit from Texas has both. Thanks to solid songwriting and outstanding musicianship, the guest never wears out its welcome during the almost three hours of music. Culled from concert performances dating back to June of ‘98, through July of ‘99, -Home Or Arkansas- is one tasty, triple decker, rock whopper. Lots-o-good stuff on each disc. Best described as a -sophisticated- electric/acoustic rock band, MG rarely slips into an easily defined groove. Sure there’s a hint of jazz, a bit of blues, a flicker of funk, a tad of traditional, and a potent dose of psychedelia, but no single tune falls cleanly into any of the genres. Even a just-for-fun cover of George Benson’s "On Broadway," defies easy categorization. MG just sound like themselves, regardless of what they’re playing. That said, fans of the Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic will find familiar ground in the guest’s wide open, barefoot boogie approach to jamming. Whether the final destination is -Home Or Arkansas-, Moses Guest navigates plenty of peaks and valleys to keep the ride interesting.