Branching Out: Herbie a Consideration?

[Chris May]

Ok, my taste in music is very diverse, although I never purchased or studied any of Herb's stuff. (WAIT, DON'T SHOOT)

If I was going to recommend ONE album to someone who has NEVER LISTENED to the TJB, with ONE goal in mind: TO GET THEM HOOKED, what would that album be? -Chris

(...who is gradually expanding his A&M repertoire, online...)

 

[Captaindave]

It will no doubt be a matter of opinion, but I will suggest GOING PLACES.

 

[Mike]

I second that emotion -- "Going Places" is a good choice.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Another vote for GOING PLACES. Chris, I can guarantee you will love this album. Here's everything it has going for it:

1. Two of the biggest TJB hits of all time - Tijuana Taxi, Spanish Flea

2. A great group of ballads with some of Herb's best playing ever (More and More Amor is a personal favorite)

3. Cool treatments of old standards -- wait'll you hear "Getting Sentimental Over You" with it's awesome Edmondson trombone solo

4. Flat-out rock'n'roll ... Third Man Theme and Walk, Don't Run

5. Great Julius Wechter mallet work on "A Walk in the Black Forest" and "Tijuana Taxi," among others

6. And topping it all off is the song that'll leave your jaw on the floor, saying "how did they do that???" "Zorba the Greek."

7. It is also the first album recorded after Herb had formed the "real band," as opposed to just using studio musicians, so the group's sound had really coalesced by this time. This is one of the tightest albums you will ever hear.

Seriously. This album is just excellent and you can't go wrong with it. Coolest part: It'll be out on CD in April!

If I had to make a second recommendation, it'd be WHIPPED CREAM, or if you are a jazz fan, BEAT OF THE BRASS. In fact most of the albums after WHAT NOW MY LOVE are more jazzy and less "pop," so if I was looking to hook someone, I'd find out if they were more of a jazz fan or a pop fan and go from there.

Not that there's a BAD album in the bunch. (Although I would not recommend VOLUME 2 or LONELY BULL for a beginner. The later albums were the essence of the Brass's sound.)

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I feel too much "big band" flavor to that album, Going Places, and because of that I would say "Whipped Cream" is the definative TJB CD.
Going Places is right up there though.

 

[thetijuanataxi]

GOING PLACES hands down. I think this album has the most fun, most listening durability, and features Herb at the top of his game. This album rocks throughout starting off with "Tijuana Taxi" and ends with the fast paced double -tonguing bonanza "Zorba The Greek". This LP was responsible for hooking me when I was 7 yrs. old. My first three TJB favorites are on this album. "Tijuana Taxi", "Spanish Flea" and "Cinco De Mayo". As stated earlier Herb's treatment of "Getting Sentimental Over You", "Walk, Don't Run", and "And The Angels Sing" are extroardinary. "Third Man Theme" is the rockingest version out there. "A Walk In The Black Forest", and "Mae" are covers that Herb made his own as well. Then add "More And More Amor" and the very first John Pisano composition to appear on a TJB album, "Felicia" and you have an album that will make you smile as much 40 years from now as when you first listen to it. As an aside, John Pisano said that after he submitted "Felicia" to Herb and did his session work on "Going Places", he pulled Herb aside and told him that he didn't think he could play this music full time. He was used to more traditional jazz and this frothy, bouncy music wasn't really his thing. A few days later, he went to his mailbox and there was a royalty check for $40,000 for the use of "Felicia" on the GP album. He said after he showed his wife the check and his breathing returned to normal, he phoned Herb and said "I think that possibly I could get into this music". The rest as they say, is history.
BTW, according to Shout! Factory, GOING PLACES is scheduled for June release along with WHAT NOW MY LOVE and S.R.O.
David,
NP- GOING PLACES

 

[Phil Fox]

Ditto on Going Places. It is the one that hooked me. It has the whole range of musical styles and I have always considered it the expression of the TJB's Golden Age.

Phil

 

[Greg Shannon]

Wow. There's not much diversity of opinion on this question. As much as I love virtually every TJB album (through Brass Are Comin'), I, too, would not hesitate to recommend Going Places as the best introduction to the TJB. I may be prejudiced, as that album was not only my first TJB album but also my first album of any kind, aside from some children's albums, so it's a sentimental favorite, but it also is an icon. It could be titled "Definitive Hits."

Greg Shannon

 

[Mike Blakesley]

GOING PLACES is scheduled for June

I thought it was coming in April along with WHIPPED CREAM. So WC is coming out all by itself in April?

 

[Brasil_Nut]

GOING PLACES or SRO...both strong albums (IMHO), but GP definitely stands above the rest. Couldn't agree with everyone more!!

Jon

 

[thetijuanataxi]

As of yet, WHIPPED CREAM is the only title they've announced for April.

David,
who hopes that VOLUME 2 will sneak out in April as well......

 

[Brasil_Nut]

...who hopes that VOLUME 2 will sneak out in April as well......

Here! Here!! David!!!

Jon

 

[Brasil_Nut]

As an aside, I cannot wait for the release of HERB ALPERT'S NINTH...definitely another favorite. When I look back on the TJB, four albums immediately come to mind: GOING PLACES, WHAT NOW MY LOVE, NINTH and THE BEAT OF THE BRASS. Like Greg mentioned, these particular titles hold sentimental value for me...definitive of the TJB sound.

Jon

...who forgot to add SRO to the list...

 

[thetijuanataxi]

Yes, the NINTH as well as SOUNDS LIKE are rediculously overdue. Why they didn't make the first round of TJB reissues in 1988, I'll never understand.

David,
anxiously waiting

 

[Rudy]

GOING PLACES is scheduled for June

I thought it was coming in April along with WHIPPED CREAM. So WC is coming out all by itself in April?

You got it--WC in April, and three titles in June.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

You can't go wrong with Going Places, but I personally prefer S.R.O., because of its jazzy quality as well as I think this was the first time the TJB really sounded like a band, instead of a studio group. South Of The Border would be another goody to start with.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

I always recommend a compilation...but in this case, the only one out there ("Definitive Hits") is not one I'd pick. My favorite is the original "Greatest Hits", which is out of print on CD but still available used.

Picking an actual album, I'd go with "Going Places" like the others picked, followed by "Whipped Cream" and "South Of The Border" in that order.

 

[Dave]

Hmmm...I'm suprised nothing has been said about Warm--not even in the "reissue" threads...

With what I've been reading about it on the OLD A&M Forum, it was sure where I started...

Songs like the sonically enticing, "The Sea Is My Soil" (Though I like "Sandbox", best!), Herb's singing on, "Without Her", the "old-time TjB-feel", of "Ob-La-Di, O-La-Da", the vocalese on "Warm", and the tremolo-guitar-led, "Girl Talk", were what nearly made a REAL TJB FAN outta' ME!!!


Dave

 

[TonyCurrie]

Another vote here for GOING PLACES, and I agree with everything that's been said about the album. Quintissentially TJB.

Second choice would be WHIPPED CREAM, and if you went for a compilation (which as Rudy suggests can be an easy way to get into an artiste's music) I'd choose SOLID BRASS, assuming you could find a copy. I'd certainly not choose DEFINITIVE HITS!

 

[Mike]

I like "WARM" more than "Going Places", but wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to HA & TJB.

 

[Harry]

No doubt about it - GOING PLACES for sure is a great introduction to the Tijuana Brass. There are about 8 zillion copies out there on vinyl - so if you've got a turntable, it's a quick and easy introduction to the band, on the format that made them famous.

With the new series due on CD from Shout! Factory, more and more of the old CDs are showing up on eBay, and the prices are trending down. You might luck out on an early copy that way, if CD is your only option.

And then there's wait five months and you'll be able to grab the latest and hopefully greatest version on CD.

A second choice for an introduction would be WHIPPED CREAM AND OTHER DELIGHTS, and a third might be WHAT NOW MY LOVE.

Any of those "middle three" are what I consider to be the Brass' best period, and are the heart of group's output.

Harry
...telling Chris to get GOING PLACES, online...

 

[Tom]

I would concur with most everyone here at The Corner. Here is how I'd pick 'em....1) Going Places! 2) SRO 3) Herb Alpert's Ninth. IMHO, these albums and cuts define what The TJB was. All of the cuts are absolutely incredible. Herb and the guys SHINE brilliantly. Each of them show incredible talents including versatility, and range. There is not a bad cut on any of these albums. If I can sing the praises of Julius for a moment. I took notice of his brilliance on the marimba on the Whipped Cream album. And, what can I say about Julius's performance on Tijuana Taxi. I've listened to that cut thousands of times, and he still grabs me, and makes me smile when I hear that marimba. It's nothing less than awesome. I am grateful Herb chose very wisely to use Julius on all his albums. Thanks Herb for giving us incredibly timeless, fresh music. It still holds up 40 years later. That's genius!

Tom

 

[Mike Blakesley]

So Chris, are you convinced yet?

 

[Chris May]

So Chris, are you convinced yet?

OH, were you guys talkin' to me?


Heehee...GOING PLACES, ha? Well, the only place I am going this week is down to Best Buy to pick up this album.

Hey, on another Herb related note, wasn't it the TJB that did the theme song on "The Dating Game"?

 

[Rudy]

Not yet: the Going Places CD hasn't been released yet!

And yes, they did use a song of his for the Dating Game: "Whipped Cream", I believe.