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A mainstay on the Northern California music scene since 1994, II BIG has been through various personnel changes over the years, but the original vision of founder and drummer Ken Ingels has never wavered—these guys come to rock! Over the course of hundreds of gigs, II BIG has opened for a veritable who’s who of classic rock: Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, Loverboy, Grand Funk Railroad, Joe Walsh, REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, Jeff Healy, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Styx.
Whether they’re playing a smoky little bar in their hometown of Ukiah or before 5,000 opening for legendary rockers in the outdoor theatre of Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa in Kelseyville, the dynamic fivesome puts on a show worthy of their status as regional legends.
The vibe was more AC/DC and Van Halen-like in the early days with the original members, but since the Hansen Brothers, singer and guitarist Aubrey and keyboardist, guitarist and co-lead vocalist Tom, joined in the early 2000s, II BIG has drawn crowds from miles around to hear a sound that Aubrey calls “Brand New Classic Rock.” The band is huge on the festival, fair and rodeo circuit, playing everywhere from the Bay Area to Reno and Eureka, where they recently played the Live at the Boardwalk series.
“Although our audience seems to be made up of people of all ages, we’re most popular with those folks who grew up with the sounds of classic Eagles, Bob Seger and ZZ Top,” says Ingels. “When we play live, we mix in some covers with our originals, anything from Jim Croce to Eddie Money and Marshall Tucker, but whatever we’re doing, Aubrey puts a boogie on everything he plays. We’re always out there having a blast.”
“Each individual member of is truly an artist in his own right,” says Ingels. “Their other specialties in life tie in perfectly with the artistry they bring to the band. But music is truly our sanctuary, and when we’re not out playing, we’re enjoying the creative energy we create in the studio. It’s just very enjoyable hanging out with these guys. When we say it’s ‘Brand New Classic Rock,’ essentially it’s about carrying forward the rich legacy of that classic sound everyone knows and loves.”
All of II Big’s releases, including Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, Like It II Much, II Big For The Radio and Sound Of The Highway, are available via outlets like CD Baby, Amazon and The Orchard. The band also has its entire catalog of over 100 songs on iTunes.
II BIG is produced by Tony Saunders. He produced, played and arranged on the Face in the Glass CD.
Larry Batiste and Tony Saunders did the song Baby Come Back for II BIG. Baby Come Back is on the Mendocino Town remix CD by II BIG.
music-reviewer.com review: II Big, Face In The Glass
(Russian River Records)
You may not have heard of II Big. If you haven’t you might be surprised to discover that Face in the Glass is their eighth release. II Big is a working band, having toured with rock icons from the 1970s such as Foghat, journeyman bands that at one point filled arenas and can still get ass in the seat on a regular basis. II Big has been selling its CDs off of bandstands and the like for near nigh a decade and doing fairly well at it --- when they started I doubt that they ever thought that doing so would become the music industry model for the 21st Century --- and Face in the Glass will undoubtedly please those folks who have been following them for lo these many years.
The subtitle of Face in the Glass is “Brand New Classic Rock,” a statement which I didn’t really get until the third or fourth time through this disc. I think of “classic rock” as late 1950s, early 1960s music, The Drifters, Eddie Cochran, The Beatles, Fats Domino, The (early) Rolling Stones. Of course, depending on your age, that definition, fluid in any event, is going to change. II Big aims its classic rock definition at a period a bit later than I would. Accordingly, what you get in Face in the Glass is a bunch of original tunes and one cover (Wooden Ships by Crosby Stills & Nash, as well as less famously recorded by Jefferson Airplane), through a pre-Michael McDonald Doobie Brothers filter with, perhaps, a pinch of Alabama thrown in. To their credit, Wooden Ships is not the best track on the CD. That honor could be given to Pack of Wolves (a subtle smack at collection agencies and telephone solicitors), Vegas, or the title track. This isn’t boogie music or metal; it’s more of a mid-road jam, some of which will get you on your feet without necessarily having to break a sweat. It’s pleasant --- there’s really not a bad track on the disc --- but alas, there’s nothing especially memorable either. You can listen to all of Face in the Glass without wanting to turn it off, but by the end of the CD you might have a problem remembering any particular song over another.
My problem, I guess, is that I heard Listen To The Music a time or two too often on the radio. Listen To The Music by The Doobies was the Susudio of the 1970s; you could turn on the radio day or night and hear it over and over and over. And, unfortunately, a lot of Face in the Glass sounds like “Listen” - era Doobies. It sounds better, for the most part; but it still sounds like it. A lot of folks might say, “Well hey, what’s wrong with that?!” to which I say, “Well, nothing, really. What ever works.” And it works well for II Big. There’s nothing here that will wake you up and lift your soul; however, there’s a fairly large audience of folks out there who like there music gently shaken and stirred, and I would direct them, unhesitatingly, to Face in the Glass.
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melodic.net CD review: II Big, Face In The Glass
(Russian River Records)
If you let Foghat work on a bunch of songs by The Doobie Brothers in country versions, then you're gonna get II Big.
These cowboy hat rockers sure look cool and they label their music as Brand new classic rock which is right in a way but when it comes to Country rock I prefer Big & Rich. Fans of Bob Seger and The Eagles might enjoy this new album from these 3 way harmony singing dudes. It sounds a lot like it could've been recorded back in the 70's and songs like "Katrina" and "Pack of wolves" are pretty good, but II Big just don't rock as much as I want to.
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BallBusterHardMusic.com CD review: II Big, Face In The Glass
(Russian River Records)
This was some good ole southern rock n roll that really surprised me as not many groups are doing this sort of thing these days. The music is very catchy and the singer has a nice soulful voice that I really liked. The music has a southern rock flavor to it and I love the guitar sound and the way the songs are written and played. If your a classic rock fan, then you'll love this as did I.
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Pitch Perfect CD review: II Big, Face In The Glass
(Russian River Records)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 geetars
Every band needs a gimmick - something they can say makes them stand apart from all others. II Big gimmick is to call their sound ‘Brand New Classic Rock’ … to clarify, it’s the kind of blues/rock band you’ll find in any backwoods biker bar.
The five-piece is compised of 40-something-year-old guys who, with the exception of one full-time musician, still work day jobs as construction workers, a grocery store owner and a vineyard businessman. But it’s when they’re onstage in those smoky bars that things fall into place.
Songs like “Mountain Girl” show off the guys’ harmony talents, as does the cover of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Wooden Ships,” on which they do a stand-up job of finding a unique voice while staying true to the original’s soulfulness. There are some lighter songs, like “Hey Girl,” and ballads, “Vegas,” perfect for slow dancing with your old lady. But it’s the blues rockers like “Buzzard Luck” and “Pack of Wolves” that really tap the keg.
This is music for those nights you feel like taking the hog out for a spin and grabbin’ a beer with the boys. And II Big will be at the bar to greet you. |
NeuFutur Magazine CD Review:
ll BIG – Face in the Glass / 2007 Self / 10 Tracks /
http://www.thebandiibig.com /
The walking bass that is present during the opening track of “Face in the Glass” will undoubtedly remind listeners of the work of Charlie Daniels and The Outlaws, and the insistent quality of the vocals of II BIG will link them to country stars like Garth Brooks. The guitar solo that is present on the track is impressive.
In fact, this issue is worked out by the time that the second track, “Katrina”, starts. “Katrina” continues with the seventies rock sound found during “Thunder Road”, and even includes a little bit of the bass heard during the Eagles recordings and the ropy, bassy vocal stylings of Frank Zappa. The band comes up with a second strong track in “Katrina”, but allows themselves enough space to change and modify their sound in subsequent tracks. By taking two different tacks during the introductory tracks of “Face in the Glass”, a song like “Wooden Ships” can be present and not sound completely out of place. “Wooden Ships” has a funkier sound than either “Katrina” and “Thunder Road”, but does not eschew the same solid foundation that II BIG imbued previous tracks with. After a few tracks in which it was absent from the disc, the country influence that started out “Face in the Glass” is restored during the title track.
This track could conceivably be a crossover hit for II Big, as it has the same piano and narrative structure that early Billy Joel and Elton John had, while having a family-friendly sound that could easily be eaten up by Christian radio. Rather than falling into a rut, II BIG continues to vary their sound as the disc spins on. The Steppenwolf-like “Mountain Girl” is one of the fast songs on the CD, and will undoubtedly get individuals onto the dance floor in droves. II BIG has to be a hell of a bar band, as they can player the slower, somber tracks as well as they can the quicker, harder rocking songs. The energy exerted by this band coupled with the classic rock style present on “Face in the Glass” will ensure that they have a fan base whenever they end up playing that night. Pick it up.
Top Tracks: Vegas, Katrina
Rating: 7.1/10
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DMusic.com CD Review:
II Big In A Mendocino Town
Those big dudes form Northern California are back with a new album. It has been a few years since I heard new music from this talented band. II Big always aims to please and as they say on the CD sleeve- “We’re here for one reason alone, to share our love of music.” Well let me tell you, they do a fine job conveying those feelings on In A Mendocino Town.
They are not doing anything new here; it is the same formula-rock with a southern like flair (think Molly Hatchet) and a solid foundation of classic rock to keep their engines purring straight on through this platter. You know, even though they keep it consistent on every album and do not veer off course, their music still sounds crisp and fresh, just like that northern California morning air coming off the bay. Hey, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. For a band that can keep pumping out the same music album after album, yet continue to satisfy their listeners, well, that is an accomplishment by any standard. I am continually looking for something new and original and this band defies that rule of thumb every time I hear them, even though I know what to expect before I pop the CD in my stereo. I cannot pay a band more respect or compliment them any more than that.
There is some real good old-fashioned kick ass rock on this CD, yes sir. “She’s No Stranger,” “Howlin at the Moon” and “Hammer Down” get some real down n’ dirty lead guitar licks courtesy of Aubrey Hansen and an entire cast of guest musicians. Old reliable Eddy Ottenstein showed up for the sessions again to add his truckload of experience. His six-string weeps with joy when he picks it up and starts playing.
You can tell that this band is from wine country, they are getting better with age. This is their best outing yet. I hope a live album is coming from them soon, just so I can feel the energy of the crowd responding to their sound. You get the next best thing on this CD - they have a montage of their songs from live performances on a video for you to check out. It is just a little taste, just enough to keep you coming back for more, so you will anticipate the next CD. They may look like a bunch of bikers and cowboys but they are just as smart as all the suits that cross the Golden Gate Bridge every morning to go work for corporate America.
Their timing is perfect, its summertime, and time to roll those windows down and blast the tunes. The men in the band may be II Big but their sound is just right for everyone.
© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
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Artist Spotlight at The Muse's Muse
 A mainstay on the Northern California music scene since 1994, II BIG has been through various personnel changes over the years, but the original vision of founder and drummer Ken Ingels has never wavered—these guys come to rock! Over the course of hundreds of gigs, II BIG has opened for a veritable who’s who of classic rock: Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, Loverboy, Grand Funk Railroad, Joe Walsh, REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, Jeff Healy, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Styx. |
II Big - Live
II Big performs songs from their "In A Mendocino Town" CD. Includes portions of live performance at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa, recording session at the Russian River Records studio, and several other performances.
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Russian River Records
Our renovated digital studio incorporates the ProTools digital audio system, plus a fine selection of analog and digital supporting gear, and plenty of room for live recording, with carefully designed acoustics and lighting throughout. It's a modern, upscale facility in a beautiful rural environment, just two hours North of San Francisco. |
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