Three Kings (Dead Meadow album)

Three Kings, created by band Dead Meadow, was a joint live-music release coupled with a live-action DVD that strings together clips of concert performances with mixed psychedelic scenes. The live-music release is a mix of previous studio recordings played live coupled with five new-release songs. The combination was performed at their hometown, at the conclusion of a five-month tour to support Old Growth, their prior album.[5]

Three Kings
Live album by
Released23 March 2010
GenrePsychedelic rock, stoner rock, indie rock
Length44:02/90:41
LabelXemu Records
Dead Meadow chronology
Old Growth
(2008)
Three Kings
(2010)
Warble Womb
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
musicOMH[2]
Pitchfork[3]
Tiny Mix Tapes[4]

DVD

The DVD's base setting consists three mystics "kings" are swept into an alternate reality where they are tempted by various dark sides of humanity, with different reactions from each.[6] This is coupled with various psychedelic scenes, usually paired with the more upbeat, jammier, songs. There is no specific theme to these scenes. One example consists of bipedal "weed-creatures" self-igniting, with the resulting smoke inhaled by the moon.[3] Locations used include the Tatooine set from within Star Wars and residences from Diamonds Are Forever.

Track listing

Complete Edition
No.TitleLength
1."Til Kingdom Come" (Live)4:11
2."Between Me and the Ground" (Live)3:15
3."Good Moanin'" (Live)4:33
4."At Her Open Door" (Live)6:26
5."The Whirlings" (Live)4:01
6."That Old Temple"4:57
7."To the One"5:32
8."The Narrows"7:50
9."Push 'em to the Crux"3:29
10."Seven Seers" (Live)4:53
11."Greensky Greenlake" (Live)6:00
12."Beyond the Fields We Know" (Live)9:29
13."Everything's Going On" (Live)5:28
14."Lady" (Live)5:20
15."Darlin'"5:11
16."Queen of All Returns" (Live)5:46
17."What Needs Must Be" (Live - Bonus Track)4:20
Total length:1:30:00

Critical reception

Reviews of Three Kings varied between slightly and generally positive on both the music and the accompanying DVD.

AllMusic felt the music, including the newer songs, were good but not notably enhanced by their live performance as opposed to their standard studio albums, which are already played in a "loose and live fashion". However, the DVD was described as an "engaging visual experience".[1]

Exclaim! gave a positive report on the live music, describing it as spectacular and akin to a Jimi Hendrix jam session, although functionally mute on the visual aspect of the release.[5]

Pitchfork's review was more mixed, both towards the live-music release and the visuals DVD. The live-performance nature was not felt to add anything, indeed, to reduce the urgency of the otherwise high quality music. The DVD was alternatively described as bizarre, humorous and as having some potential parallels to Dead Meadow's own music.[3]

References

  1. Gregory Heaney. "Three Kings Review (AllMusic)". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  2. "Dead Meadow - Three Kings OST | Album Reviews". 16 May 2010.
  3. Aaron Leitko (26 May 2010). "Three Kings Review by Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  4. "Music Review: Dead Meadow - Three Kings".
  5. Keith Carman (19 March 2010). "Three Kings Review by Exclaim!". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  6. Josiah Hughes (27 January 2010). "Three Kings Preview". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
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