sorry didn't mean to discomfort you, was just trying to share my own misgivings about that vibra sound...like you, i too am a novice with jazz and now as it seems with language too...maybe coaltrain will be able to shed more light on this..
Short Album Reviews
- Thread starter ranojoy
- Start date
yep, i feel guilty too
perhaps someone can move this to a different thread so that we don't mess with ranojoy's original intent?@ hiten and moktan
i wouldn't want to second guess what your likes/dislikes are but fwiw, here's my take on how beginners feel about jazz (including me, when i first started listening):
very simplistically put, most jazz tracks can be broken up into 3 sections: statement of the melody, improvisation, and a re-statement of the theme at the end.
newbies to jazz are usually attracted to the rhythm, drive and energy of the music in the first section. or, alternatively, the 'mood' and 'soul' of slower jazz numbers. the trouble starts when the improvisation begins!
the following clip is a perfect example of what i'm talking about. i'm quite sure most music lovers will be swept along by the sheer energy and melody of the first movement. but i also think hiten (and psychotropic) will not be too happy at 3.10 when hutcherson begins his solo.
is it 'dissonance' that puts them off? what about tyner's piano solo that starts at 5.30? is the piano easier to digest than the vibes? also, please check out the second part of this track on youtube for a stunning (to my ears!) bass solo from moffett.
YouTube - McCoy Tyner e Bobby Hutcherson - African Village Part 1
i may be completely wrong about how you'll react, but if you folks could listen to this clip and tell me what you like/dislike, perhaps we can get a better understanding of how to approach jazz. you may wonder, and rightly so, if it's worth all this effort to simply enjoy some music? speaking from my own experience, the answer has to be an emphativ 'yes'!
and again, my apologies for turning 'short album reviews' into 'jazz 101'
for a long time the only music that i have been listening to is jazz...my especial affinity is for the sound of the wind instruments...one reason why i like jazz over all types of music is because it is so difficult to pin down the melody (isn't melody what attracts us to music and then tires us off...)...i know this may sound like a cliche but if someone were to ask me what sort of music i would like to get marooned on an island with, then that would have to be jazz (I would take Charlie Parker or even Ernett Coleman..and the only regret would perhaps be in being rescued only too early) ..i would have to wait for a little less than an eternity to really 'figure' out what was really happening musically speaking in all those sounds before i would get 'bored' with it...
of course there is an island that we all live in..that is one of finances..it isn't just possible to make musical priorities override all other priorities in apportioning family budgets...but if meager music money (such as what i have access to) has to be spent then it has to be spent on jazz because , and pardon me this very materialistic cliche, as far as the 'bang for bucks' justification of spendings are concerned, 'jazz' will justify your investments over a period of time(sonically speaking).....of course people may make the same conclusions about folk, classical or other types of music and yes they are right.....
of course there is an island that we all live in..that is one of finances..it isn't just possible to make musical priorities override all other priorities in apportioning family budgets...but if meager music money (such as what i have access to) has to be spent then it has to be spent on jazz because , and pardon me this very materialistic cliche, as far as the 'bang for bucks' justification of spendings are concerned, 'jazz' will justify your investments over a period of time(sonically speaking).....of course people may make the same conclusions about folk, classical or other types of music and yes they are right.....
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African Village 1. yes didn't like vibraphone at later stage, dont know why ?
moktan - you have more passion for jazz than me actually thats good. Since I like to explore new things (that's why I like all types of music) I get merely a taste of it.
I think "rhythm/melody" you immediately start enjoying, but to enjoy finer details one has to learn and adapt him/herself to it. (just like eating fast food vs Nutritional food)
Totally agreed, enjoyed the second part
moktan - you have more passion for jazz than me actually thats good
. Since I like to explore new things (that's why I like all types of music) I get merely a taste of it.
sameer kumar
Well-Known Member
Alice In Chains : 'Unplugged [LIVE]'
Timeless classic...Whatever your taste in music is, this great acoustic album will fit you.Passionate acoustics.....No heavy rocking!!!,simple guitar, drums and voice.You can feel every pluck of the guitars and every tap on the drums.Just superb.....
Timeless classic...Whatever your taste in music is, this great acoustic album will fit you.Passionate acoustics.....No heavy rocking!!!,simple guitar, drums and voice.You can feel every pluck of the guitars and every tap on the drums.Just superb.....
If you like Alice in Chains...then you may also want to listen to Jane's Addiction, Perry Farrel's alternative outfit that started it all...
Ritua De La Habitual is one album that easily comes to mind....
of course the alternative movement started a long time back with bands like The Velvet Underground, sometimes with Nico..
Some of their songs like the The Gift, tell bizarre stories...(the music is minimalist)..others like that writhing, grinding, Heroin sung, almost dead pan.. on screechy guitars is a nightmarish take on drug addiction so is Waiting for my man... Rock and Roll, Lisa Says, Venus in Furs..Femme Fatal...have all passed into the pantheon of great rock songs..
Pere Ubu with David Thomas takes the concept of avant garde even further...apart from the experimentation there are two outstanding aspects of Per Ubu's music..one is David Thomas' voice which a critic once described as being "James Stewart trapped in an Oboe' and Ravenstine's synthesizer...many consider him to be the greatest exponent of the 'instrument' ever..while others played it (synthesizer) like say the organ or the piano etc...he plays it as if it is an instrument by itself...much before Tom Morello of RATM was making those sounds with the guitar it was Ravenstine doing the same with his synths...
Ray Gun Suit Case, Dub Housing, The Modern Dance etc are some of their albums which one may begin with.....
Ritua De La Habitual is one album that easily comes to mind....
of course the alternative movement started a long time back with bands like The Velvet Underground, sometimes with Nico..
Some of their songs like the The Gift, tell bizarre stories...(the music is minimalist)..others like that writhing, grinding, Heroin sung, almost dead pan.. on screechy guitars is a nightmarish take on drug addiction so is Waiting for my man... Rock and Roll, Lisa Says, Venus in Furs..Femme Fatal...have all passed into the pantheon of great rock songs..
Pere Ubu with David Thomas takes the concept of avant garde even further...apart from the experimentation there are two outstanding aspects of Per Ubu's music..one is David Thomas' voice which a critic once described as being "James Stewart trapped in an Oboe' and Ravenstine's synthesizer...many consider him to be the greatest exponent of the 'instrument' ever..while others played it (synthesizer) like say the organ or the piano etc...he plays it as if it is an instrument by itself...much before Tom Morello of RATM was making those sounds with the guitar it was Ravenstine doing the same with his synths...
Ray Gun Suit Case, Dub Housing, The Modern Dance etc are some of their albums which one may begin with.....
sameer kumar
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the info.Its my first Alice In Chains ('Unplugged [LIVE]) album and I am enjoying it non stop.Please suggest few more similar sounding albums... I mean ...acoustic rock.
i don't know if this will classify as 'acoustic' rock...but if you like the Southern Rock sound, you will enjoy The Black Crows...their first album called Shake Your Money Maker hard a glorious cover of Otis Redding's 'Hard to Handle'..also done by Grateful Dead in their Bear's Choice...
speaking of 'acoustic' rock, why don't you listen the the Dead's American Beauty...there is a chance that you may dig folksy numbers such as Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Trucking etc....
speaking of 'acoustic' rock, why don't you listen the the Dead's American Beauty...there is a chance that you may dig folksy numbers such as Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Trucking etc....
Hello Moktan,
Nice suggestion! Grateful Dead is a great band. Their initial albums like Grateful Dead, American Beauty, Workingman's Band are the good albums to start with. Adding to Dead i add few more bands which Sameer may like.
1. Allman Bros. Band
2. Little Feat
3. The Band
4. Lindisfarne
5. New Riders of Purple Sage
Nice suggestion! Grateful Dead is a great band. Their initial albums like Grateful Dead, American Beauty, Workingman's Band are the good albums to start with. Adding to Dead i add few more bands which Sameer may like.
1. Allman Bros. Band
2. Little Feat
3. The Band
4. Lindisfarne
5. New Riders of Purple Sage
sameer kumar
Well-Known Member
Thank you
I have Dead's..American beauty and Allman bros Band...Greatest Hits.Try to get the remaining titles.
sameer kumar
Well-Known Member
Tom Petty : Wildflowers
Its just the simplicity and honesty make this a special CD....close miking ,true instrument sounds ,uncluttered songwriting and very pure and minimalist production.I enjoy this album, and it's style of production.
Its just the simplicity and honesty make this a special CD....close miking ,true instrument sounds ,uncluttered songwriting and very pure and minimalist production.I enjoy this album, and it's style of production.
American Beauty by some folks reckoning is one of the best studio albums by the Dead...but since you talked about 'acoustic rock'...i guess, you should give a listening to RECKONING...the Dead album is made up of acoustic material from a number of live performances... i used to own a number of pirated cassettes( the 'label' i guess was 'peacock' or something) and it had some of the best Dead numbers such as...Dire Wolf, The Race is On, Dark Hollow,Ripple, Jack a Row..and my all time favorite ...The Monkey and the Engineer....the new CD released seems to be packed with even more additional material....
if you want the acoustic sound of the The Dead then i guess this album is a must have....
psychotropic
Well-Known Member
hey coaltrain, thanks a ton for that. Exactly as you predicted, the inital bits i really enjoyed, but the solos on the vibraphone and the piano were not up my alley. Yes it is this "dissonance" that i seem to have an issue with.
I really enjoyed the bass solo in Part 2. But I can imagine loving this live but not "seeking out" this piece in a recording.
Which brings me to another point.I find that many of the live jazz performances I've seen (including stuff at the NCPA, the jazz yatra, some stuff in Chennai), I've enjoyed, but jazz recorings not so much. I wonder why exactly this is.
I really enjoyed the bass solo in Part 2. But I can imagine loving this live but not "seeking out" this piece in a recording.
Which brings me to another point.I find that many of the live jazz performances I've seen (including stuff at the NCPA, the jazz yatra, some stuff in Chennai), I've enjoyed, but jazz recorings not so much. I wonder why exactly this is.
yep, i feel guilty too
@ hiten and moktan
i wouldn't want to second guess what your likes/dislikes are but fwiw, here's my take on how beginners feel about jazz (including me, when i first started listening):
very simplistically put, most jazz tracks can be broken up into 3 sections: statement of the melody, improvisation, and a re-statement of the theme at the end.
newbies to jazz are usually attracted to the rhythm, drive and energy of the music in the first section. or, alternatively, the 'mood' and 'soul' of slower jazz numbers. the trouble starts when the improvisation begins!
the following clip is a perfect example of what i'm talking about. i'm quite sure most music lovers will be swept along by the sheer energy and melody of the first movement. but i also think hiten (and psychotropic) will not be too happy at 3.10 when hutcherson begins his solo.
is it 'dissonance' that puts them off? what about tyner's piano solo that starts at 5.30? is the piano easier to digest than the vibes? also, please check out the second part of this track on youtube for a stunning (to my ears!) bass solo from moffett.
YouTube - McCoy Tyner e Bobby Hutcherson - African Village Part 1
i may be completely wrong about how you'll react, but if you folks could listen to this clip and tell me what you like/dislike, perhaps we can get a better understanding of how to approach jazz. you may wonder, and rightly so, if it's worth all this effort to simply enjoy some music? speaking from my own experience, the answer has to be an emphativ 'yes'!
and again, my apologies for turning 'short album reviews' into 'jazz 101'
yep, i feel guilty too
no problem at all coaltrain ! so long as we get to educate ourselves about good music - whatever be the genre - we should all be happy i guess !
that, in any case, was the "original intent". i, for one, have no complaints. i 'll shortly be getting a copy of "romantic warrior". i have heard chick correa and al di meola before, but never playing together (i think). shall give my feedback.
sameer kumar
Well-Known Member
Please let me know the music store details.
@ hiten and psycho
thanks for the feedback guys, and apologies for the delayed response. i've been up to my eyeballs in work
to be honest, your reactions to the improv sections were exactly how i reacted to jazz the first time i started listening. it was only over a period of time that i came to understand what was going on. mind you, this was waaaaay before computers and the net entered our lives, so the learning process was even longer!
which brings me neatly to youtube. i think it's a great way to get into the music as jazz is great fun to watch. as you rightly observed, psycho, the live experience of jazz is something else. if i had to venture a guess, i'd say it's the raw energy the musicians exude, coupled with their high levels of musicianship.
here are 2 more clips you can check out. the first is a classic herbie hancock track called cantaloupe island. funky, finger snappin and hot! the dvd - one night with blue note - is available in india. the second is something more melodic and easier to digest.
the point is that there are numerous entry points into this genre. as you guys have already taken steps to check it out, i hope you will continue to explore and find stuff that appeals to your ears. for my part, i'll keep throwing stuff at you from youtube, and hope for the best!
@ ronojoy
many thanks for the thumbs up do share your thoughts on rtf after a listen.
YouTube - Cantelope Island
YouTube - Teen Town ( Jaco Pastorius ) by Marcus Miller ( live )
thanks for the feedback guys, and apologies for the delayed response. i've been up to my eyeballs in work
to be honest, your reactions to the improv sections were exactly how i reacted to jazz the first time i started listening. it was only over a period of time that i came to understand what was going on. mind you, this was waaaaay before computers and the net entered our lives, so the learning process was even longer!
which brings me neatly to youtube. i think it's a great way to get into the music as jazz is great fun to watch. as you rightly observed, psycho, the live experience of jazz is something else. if i had to venture a guess, i'd say it's the raw energy the musicians exude, coupled with their high levels of musicianship.
here are 2 more clips you can check out. the first is a classic herbie hancock track called cantaloupe island. funky, finger snappin and hot! the dvd - one night with blue note - is available in india. the second is something more melodic and easier to digest.
the point is that there are numerous entry points into this genre. as you guys have already taken steps to check it out, i hope you will continue to explore and find stuff that appeals to your ears. for my part, i'll keep throwing stuff at you from youtube, and hope for the best!
@ ronojoy
many thanks for the thumbs up
do share your thoughts on rtf after a listen. YouTube - Cantelope Island
YouTube - Teen Town ( Jaco Pastorius ) by Marcus Miller ( live )
Ray Charles..Live at the Olympia 2000...the voice is sublime, the piano magical and the synergy between the four artists (hastily cobbled together as the liner notes explain, since Ray's Big Band had got stranded at the airport and could not make it to the concert) just as good as jazz should ever.get....
check out ...Route 66, Stranger in my home town, Hallelujah I lover her so etc....almost every song is a gem..understandably many critics rank this as one of the 'greatest jazz concerts ever'....yes none of the cerebral stuff here, just music played straight from the heart...
i picked this up from the Silk Road Label with another Ray Charles CD (Thanks for bringing love around again) which, at least i thought was just so, so ....but the live album more than compensates for the mediocrity(don't lynch me Ray aficionados) of this one....
check out ...Route 66, Stranger in my home town, Hallelujah I lover her so etc....almost every song is a gem..understandably many critics rank this as one of the 'greatest jazz concerts ever'....yes none of the cerebral stuff here, just music played straight from the heart...
i picked this up from the Silk Road Label with another Ray Charles CD (Thanks for bringing love around again) which, at least i thought was just so, so ....but the live album more than compensates for the mediocrity(don't lynch me Ray aficionados) of this one....
if you like the piano...CoreaHancock is a wonderful collaboration between..Herrbie and Chick Corea...(there is of course also HancockCorea)...the album offers no embellishments...just chick on the left, hancock on the right and a celebration of spontaneity...it is so easy to conjure up a duel..(especially if one was into Rock of the Deep Purple variety where... one would watch/listen with dismay as the music turned into a slanging match between the guitar and the drum and the key board)..but this one is a game played by two self assured gentlemen with nothing but respect for each other....
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