Favorite track from THE LONELY BULL

[Harry]

Now that the new SHOUT! Factory releases are out and listenership is up on these old albums, what is your favorite track from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' THE LONELY BULL?

Pick a choice and tell us why.

 

[Rudy]

I'm torn on this one. If this were mono, "Acapulco 1922" would win it, hands down. Otherwise, with the added percussion in the stereo, it doesn't do it for me. Still an honorable mention, along with "Desafinado", "Lonely Bull" and "Limbo Rock". So I have to go with "Crawfish", my other big favorite on this one, as it has a nice little samba groove going.

 

[Dave]

"Limbo Rock" was what the Latin Rock Music market was all about...! You can almost tell Herb & TjB were trying to gain that audience, as well... Or make their version, (and instrumental, at that) one played at wedding-receptions and parties, too!


Dave

 

[Harry]

I have to go with the classic here - "The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)." It was an amazing record 43 years ago and has lost none of its charm today. As clichéd as the idea seems, once you're listening to it, it'll grab you all over again.

My second choice would be the reflective "A Quiet Tear" one of those slow tunes I used to skip over years ago that crept up on me later.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

This one's easy for me..."A Quiet Tear." I heard this song before I heard any of the rest of the album, on the flip side of a 45. ("This Guy" I think?) I just never get tired of listening to it.

"Lonely Bull" would be in 2nd place, but not by much. It's a song I didn't care for all that much when I first heard it, but it really has grown on me over the years. I first heard it on GREATEST HITS.

 

[alpertfan]

"The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)", "Limbo Rock", "Desafinado", "Tijuana Sauerkraut" and "Never On Sunday". I had never heard the whole album before until I picked up this recent reissue at our local Borders' Books. neeye:

 

[seashorepiano]

This one's easy for me..."A Quiet Tear." I heard this song before I heard any of the rest of the album, on the flip side of a 45. ("This Guy" I think?) ...

Yes, you're right, Mike. "This Guy" was the B-side to the original 45. I know this because I bought it a couple of days ago from a massive, disorganized rack of 45s in Boston. I voted for Desafinado just because I think Herb catches the bossa nova flame here and puts it down very nicely.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

While "The Lonely Bull" was the song that hooked me into the TJB, I find that "A Quiet Tear" is my favorite track. It's such a simple piece, but the voices give this recording such a haunting quality to it, and there's a lot of neat things going on in the background that add just the right touch.

"Crawfish", "Desafinado", "Limbo Rock" and "Never On Sunday" round out my top picks.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[jfiedler17]

I had to go with the title track. It's just a classic, what can I say???

Jeff F.

 

[Phil Fox]

The Lonely Bull IS the Tijuana Brass. Acapulco 1922 and A Quiet Tear are greats, but there was no competition for top spot.

Phil

 

[Mr Bill]

I know I'm in the minority here, but the one track I cannot listen to is "A Quiet Tear." To this day I wonder why they picked a tune from the first LP to be the B-side of "This Guy's..."

For me "Limbo Rock" and "Acapulco 1922" are faves. "Desifinado" has grown on me since my appreciation of Samba and Brazilian music has grown in recent years. Just to be differente I'm the one who voted for my favorite tune when I first found this LP as a twelve-year-old, 32 years ago: "Tijuana Sauerkraut."

--Mr Bill

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I know I'm in the minority here, but the one track I cannot listen to is "A Quiet Tear." To this day I wonder why they picked a tune from the first LP to be the B-side of "This Guy's..."

I'm guessing that it was because "Quiet Tear" was used on The Beat Of The Brass TV Special and they wanted to either tie the songs together or make sure the flip-side of "This Guy" wouldn't get played by DJs.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

My second choice would be the reflective "A Quiet Tear" one of those slow tunes I used to skip over years ago that crept up on me later.

When I was growing up, "A Quiet Tear" was one that I never liked--it was always remembered by me as the distorted song that ended the album. Now that I have a "real" turntable, I don't have that problem anymore. I don't know about the arrangement, but it's that melody that I just can't get out of my head sometimes--it does grow on you.

 

[Captaindave]

A Quiet Tear is probably my favorite...followed by Lonely Bull.

All the tunes are interesting in their own way. Sometimes, I enjoy hearing Never On Sunday also.

I used to have some fun playing Struttin' With Maria...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I'm guessing that it was because "Quiet Tear" was used on The Beat Of The Brass TV Special and they wanted to either tie the songs together ...

My guess was because the "This Guy" single was rush released, the sales dept. just said "I don't care what you put on the B-side, just get it out there!!" and the guy in charge just looked at Herb's song list and quickly picked something that looked good from the "A's".

 

[Harry]

I think the Captain is closest to the truth here. "A Quiet Tear" was indeed featured in the same show, and with the known demand for the new single, the powers that be probably decided to go with something appropriate from the past.

Harry

 

[Rudy]

"Struttin'" is a blast! Weird flashback though--I seem to remember it got played on some ancient 60s game show.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

"Struttin'" is a blast! Weird flashback though--I seem to remember it got played on some ancient 60s game show.

Yeah, I remember it too...Larry Blyden was the host, but I forget the name of the show.


Dan, who remembers a girlfriend who loved the song, and was quite taken by the BMB, especially the guy with his back to the camera on all the covers...

 

[Phil Fox]

Interesting that those who dislike Quiet Tear trace it back to your younger years. I can remember sitting in high school (can't remember if it was Spanish class or chemistry) and humming the tune to myself. It was so obsessive to me that I remember writing lyrics to sing with the song. The years have mercifully erased them from my memory.

Even then, the album was probably 4 or 5 years old. I was a little late discovering the TJB.

And I too had "distortion" problems with these albums. My mom didn't want to buy a record player since it would only result in wanting more and more records (Boy did that prophecy come true!). So an aunt finally gave me one. The only problem was that when it got good and warm, the turn table would start to wobble giving the music a most undesirable vibrato. I was in heaven when I finally sold enough tomatoes, okra, and pears to be able to afford a $49 Penney's portable stereo.

Phil

 

[Numero Cinco]

Dan (and Rudy): Yeah, I remember it too...Larry Blyden was the host, but I forget the name of the show.

The show was Personality (NBC).

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I voted for DESAFINADO, because it's really the first time that Herb really sounds like he does on most of his later albums. It's also the first time Julius makes an appearance, even though I think he played the vibes on TELL IT TO THE BIRDS. It might have been a rushed take, but it still sounds good.



Dan

 

[AudiophilePhil]

Choosing a favourote track from the Lonely Bull is much easier than choosing from South of the Border.
My first choice is "Acapulco 1922" for its haunting melody and the sound of the double-tracked trumpet.
This instrumental track was used in the film "Good Morning Vietnam."

 

[bruckner1]

I love "Desifinado" - that to me is the quintessential Herb Alpert sound.

 

[ormandy]

Not one of my favorite albums from the early days.
I always enjoyed SOTB and V2 more.

I'm the first to vote for "Never On Sunday."
What a great tune.

 

[Chinese Sausage]

I voted for Crawfish. I like the sound of it. Acapulco 1922 is a very close second.