String Cheese Incident, The
'Round The Wheel

Listening notes

The String Cheese Incident's 'Round The Wheel arrived on vinyl in 2021 through the band's own SCI Fidelity Records, carrying catalog number SCI1003v. The release spreads across four sides, a format that accommodates its eleven tracks with running times ranging from the brief 42-second "Samba DeGreely" to the title track's 7:25 closing the D side.

The genre designations attached to this release — Alternative Rock, Bluegrass, Folk, World, and Country, Jazz, Jazz-Rock, and Rock — point to a band that has never settled comfortably into a single category. That breadth is reflected in the tracklist itself, which moves from shorter pieces to extended ones with some regularity. The longest tracks are "Galactic" at 7:13 on the B side and the title track at 7:25, while "Good Times Around The Bend" at 3:26 closes the album on a comparatively compact note.

The double-LP configuration organizes the material across four sides: A and B carry five tracks between them, while C and D carry six. Side C opens with "100 Year Flood" and moves into "MLT," both running past six minutes. Side D concludes the record with three tracks, ending with the title cut before "Good Times Around The Bend" serves as a brief final statement.

SCI Fidelity Records, the band's label, handled the release, maintaining the kind of direct-to-fan distribution approach the group has long favored. Beyond the basic facts of format, label, catalog number, and year, collectors and listeners arriving at this record should consult additional sources for detail on personnel, pressing specifications, and the recording's origins.