The bulk of the double-disc
Transmissions from the Sea of Tranquility
is culled from a concert
the Samples
gave at the Fox Theater in Boulder, Colorado in July of 1997.
The Samples
are at their best in concert, and many of songs on the album are actually stronger in this incarnation than they are on their studio versions. You would never know that
Kenny James
,
Rob Somers
and
Alex Matson
are new members -- they fit right into the group's sound. There are a handful of songs that were recorded live at the Boulder Theater but without an audience, as well as some studio cuts. While these aren't as exciting as the live tracks, they do mark the first time the songs
"Flying"
and "Prehistoric Bird" have been recorded, and they also include the new song "Sacred Stones" and a version of
John Lennon's
"Watching the Wheels." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine