dat@hpcnoe.UUCP (dat) (11/27/84)
Some album reviews - all '*****' on my scale;
Electronic:
Jean Michel Jarre, "Les Chants Magnetiques" (Magnetic Fields)
Possibly the best stuff that Jarre has ever committed
to vinyl, this album is very upbeat and definitely worth owning
if you like the man. (This isn't new, I don't think, but the
local record store just got a copy, which, needless to say, isn't
there any more!)
Jazz:
Gary Burton, "Ring", with Eberhard Weber
This is an old album I scrounged out of the back of a
bin at the local store - in fact Weber has front cover credits,
while Pat Metheny is listed in the small print on the back as
the guitarist (Seems to me that Gary 'gave' Pat his start in
the industry with this LP - anyone know?). This is really good
stuff! The album is more musical and listenable than the other
stuff I have by Gary (except the Burton/Corea duets...!) and is
a good example of the type of jazz being produced in the early
seventies. Good introduction to Burton, too!
Kate Bush, "Never for Ever"
Hmmm... I don't think I can even catagorize this music,
let alone give an (un) biased review! Kate is a sort of way-out
fringe vocalist with a FANTASTIC voice and very strange and witty
lyrics. The backing on the album is excellent...sort of neo-jazz
with a very lush full sound. Worth owning!
Chick Corea, "Childrens Songs"
I have most of these on other albums of Chick's, but to
have them all in one place is certainly worth the cost of the
album! They are all solo piano pieces of no more than 120 seconds
each - more suggestions of melodies than full-blown songs. Very
intriguing stuff! Good Corea!
David Darling, "Cycles"
Excellent acoustic jazz...Darling plays Cello and the
rest of the group are also playing the 'classical' instruments
in a jazz manner. Related albums, with some overlap of musicians
are;
Gallery, "Gallery" (excellent)
Steve Eliovson, "Dawn Dance" (even better!)
Dave Grisman, "Mondo Mando"
This must be heard to be believed! Upbeat bluegrass/jazz
mandolin. Super stuff! ANY of his albums, in fact!
Keith Jarrett, "Solo Concerts"
Easily his best music, this triple album set is a real
tour-de-force (?) of Jarrett music. Great for people who like
acoustic piano jazz with some variations (like occasionally
pounding on the sounding-box or kicking the floor!)
Mike Mainieri, "Wanderlust"
Not quite up to par with Gary Burton or Lionel Hampton,
Mike Mainieri is a much more accessable vibraphone/harp player.
This album is his only one, as far as I know, and is a very
peppy jazz fusion disc.
Paul McCandless, "All the Mornings Bring"
Paul is the woodwinds player from the group Oregon (see
further in for them...) and is possibly one of the more under-
rater flute players currently in Jazz. Very beautiful, lyric
acoustic and mellow jazz flute. Excellent album.
Pat Metheny, "First Circle"
Yech! This is the only BAD album I am including here.
Somehow it is very indicative that this album, probably the
worst they have ever come out with, is now #86 (or so) on the
billboard charts! The music here is a lot of remixes of stuff
off of previous albums - either too 'caterwaulingly wailing'
(hows THAT for a phrase!) or just plain rip-offs of their
earlier stuff - no creative new work!
Pat Metheny, "Rejoicing"
This is much better than "First Circle"! It is also
a refreshing change for Pat from the fusion that they have
been churning out for a few years (which I think is great!)
it is just him, a bass player and a drummer sitting and doing
night-club type acoustic sets. Very good, and an excellent
demonstration of what a dynamite guitarist Metheny is.
Oregon, "Oregon"
Fantastic album! Some of the best mellow acoustic
jazz I have EVER heard! To get an idea of what type of music
this is, consider the instruments the musicians play;
Sitar, percussion, tin whistle, flute, oboe, bass,
viola (I think), guitar, etc.
For anyone who likes either Windham Hill or ECM type artists,
this is a MUST!
Steve Schoenberg, "Pianoworks"
Very interesting stuff from a pianist out of Amherst
College - it is all solo work recorded either in the studio or
during recitals at the college. The best thing about it is
that it is ALL improvisational...and Steve is a very accomplished
pianist! The only critique, if any, is that he never seems to
keep with any one melody line long enough to let you appreciate
it.
Barry Shulman and Gregory James, "Tibet"
Real good find: flute and guitar. Very good album,
with a lot of lush lyrical, meditative music. This would be
a good album to flip on and sip a cup of hot tea to. (hows
THAT for a strange review!)
John Surman, "Upon Reflection"
Fantastic stuff: John Surman is a woodwind/keyboard
player and this album is all solo stuff with lots of fun playing
at multi-tracking and stuff. He plays clarinet, alto clarinet,
and synthesizers (all of which I've played too!) (not near as
well though!) and weaves some intricate and fascinating musical
tales. Well worth having.
Ralph Towner, "Diary"
Excellent solo piano work by this member of the group
Oregon.
And, finally,
Rock and Roll:
Roger Hodgson, "In the Eye of the Storm"
This guy is an ex member of Supertramp, and based on
what he does with overtracking and a few backup people, I really
wonder what the hell everyone else in Supertramp ever donated to
the sound of the group! This is so much like the early (good)
Supertramp, like "Even in the Quietest Moments", that it is almost
eerie! If you like the older ST music you will REALLY like this
album. I wish Roger much success - so he can produce MORE of this
kind of stuff!
musically, and with a large investment
in albums,
Dave Taylor
ps: copies of my entire record list are available on demand ... for those
who are interested in either my biases (Biases? I don' need no STINKIN
biaes!) or better yet, for those who are interested in swapping tapes
occasionally...
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