Herb Alpert & The TJB - WARM Comments + Reviews
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The remastered version is the one available at iTunes.
It's VERY difficult for me to get ALL songs from this album at iTunes!!! Captain Bacardi
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john taulton said:
Hmmmm, $9.99 for iTunes vs $14.99 for a CD. Yeah, that makes sense.
Capt. Bacardi
Friendly Reminder®: This thread is supposed to discuss the music, please use the other thread for iTunes-related discussion.
Captaindave
Well-Known Member
This album is a very different sound and style for Herb Alpert up to that time. It is, IMO, sort of an "acquired taste." At least for me. I like the album, as long as I remind myself of what I am hearing, and that it isn't the old TJB.
Having "cut my teeth," so to speak, on the sound, music, and playing of the TJB from South of the Border to Beat of the Brass, I was surprised when this album first made its rounds on my turntable back in 1969. The amount of orchestration and vocal made me a little bit uneasy when hoping for another album featuring bold lead trumpet and brass backed by what had to be the world's tightest, most driving, powerful rhythm section.
Not bad or wrong, mind you...just very different.
Having heard the TJB in concert in August, 1968, probably made this album seem to me to be more unusual, because this wasn't the sound and music that created SRO venues, Grammy Awards, competition with the top artists of the times, and regular radio airplay less than a year earlier. This group was an extremely tight and musically superior concert performance ensemble, and to hear them play a concert was a unique experience in itself. The songs that made up the performance really came alive even more than the recordings. That made an impression that influenced my sonic and visual memory of the TJB from that time on.
So, I am glad I can have this music in the contemporary format to add to my Herb Alpert collection. But, it is as a collector's interest more than as a fan of this particular album.
I do like some of the songs in themselves - probably the favorite is Girl Talk - but I would have liked the whole thing better had Herb stayed a little closer to the previous musical and stylistic format.
Having "cut my teeth," so to speak, on the sound, music, and playing of the TJB from South of the Border to Beat of the Brass, I was surprised when this album first made its rounds on my turntable back in 1969. The amount of orchestration and vocal made me a little bit uneasy when hoping for another album featuring bold lead trumpet and brass backed by what had to be the world's tightest, most driving, powerful rhythm section.
Not bad or wrong, mind you...just very different.
Having heard the TJB in concert in August, 1968, probably made this album seem to me to be more unusual, because this wasn't the sound and music that created SRO venues, Grammy Awards, competition with the top artists of the times, and regular radio airplay less than a year earlier. This group was an extremely tight and musically superior concert performance ensemble, and to hear them play a concert was a unique experience in itself. The songs that made up the performance really came alive even more than the recordings. That made an impression that influenced my sonic and visual memory of the TJB from that time on.
So, I am glad I can have this music in the contemporary format to add to my Herb Alpert collection. But, it is as a collector's interest more than as a fan of this particular album.
I do like some of the songs in themselves - probably the favorite is Girl Talk - but I would have liked the whole thing better had Herb stayed a little closer to the previous musical and stylistic format.
Numero Cinco
New Member
To my ears Warm is most like !!Going Places!! in a fundamental way: While I do not enjoy all tracks equally, there is not a single track on either album that I do not enjoy. And like !!GP!! Warm's "B–side" is every bit as superb as its A–side.
Listened to from another corner of the room, Warm is a much more adventurous album, perhaps the most creative and cohesive TJB outing since Whipped Cream. It is the one Alpert album whose arrangements and orchestrations are heavily the work of another musician–Shorty Rogers–and the thing really cooks. Rogers, of course, assisted Herb with the Christmas Album, but his work here seems to me superior in every way: lush, versatile, and, well, warm.
This is a flat-out gorgeous album. It's Nelson Riddle to Sinatra. It's the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. it out–Serigios Mendez, if that's possible. It is the best ten or twenty bucks anyone will ever spend.
I don't think there's a harder album in Herb's catalog for me to pick a favorite. I love every track on here, different as they are from one another, yet a crucial component of a consistent whole. I'll even court everlasting vituperation and stake a claim that either of Herb's two solos on Warm is superior to "This Guy's in Love with You." "Without Her" and "To Wait for Love" seem to me more honest and heartfelt, precisely because the singer was dissolving one marriage and entering another.
Finally, though, I voted for "The Sea Is My Soil." Usually I go for the less orchestrated, "purer" Brass sound, but I can't talk myself out of this one. "Sea" is an absolute knockout arrangement, exquisitely performed. If Debussy had been knocking back Bacardi while channeling Freddie Hubbard, this is what it would have sounded like. And it's heaven on a turntable.
Listened to from another corner of the room, Warm is a much more adventurous album, perhaps the most creative and cohesive TJB outing since Whipped Cream. It is the one Alpert album whose arrangements and orchestrations are heavily the work of another musician–Shorty Rogers–and the thing really cooks. Rogers, of course, assisted Herb with the Christmas Album, but his work here seems to me superior in every way: lush, versatile, and, well, warm.
This is a flat-out gorgeous album. It's Nelson Riddle to Sinatra. It's the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. it out–Serigios Mendez, if that's possible. It is the best ten or twenty bucks anyone will ever spend.
I don't think there's a harder album in Herb's catalog for me to pick a favorite. I love every track on here, different as they are from one another, yet a crucial component of a consistent whole. I'll even court everlasting vituperation and stake a claim that either of Herb's two solos on Warm is superior to "This Guy's in Love with You." "Without Her" and "To Wait for Love" seem to me more honest and heartfelt, precisely because the singer was dissolving one marriage and entering another.
Finally, though, I voted for "The Sea Is My Soil." Usually I go for the less orchestrated, "purer" Brass sound, but I can't talk myself out of this one. "Sea" is an absolute knockout arrangement, exquisitely performed. If Debussy had been knocking back Bacardi while channeling Freddie Hubbard, this is what it would have sounded like. And it's heaven on a turntable.
Being the Huge TJB fan that I am I was elated to hear that finally my dream would come true that "Warm" would be re-issued. The allure for me is the departure from the standard TJB sound. "Soil" is my favorite along with "Zazuiera". The "warm" muted sound of the album just drew me in. It knocked me out. No wonder it didn't fair well as the others did. What happened when they changed the Coca-Cola formula? Maybe that's a bad example, but I welcomed the change. "Sandbox" and "Margorine" are more of the typical sound, but as an album I have to say it was my favorite. Herbie has been a part of my life since I was 4 and 5 years old. I'm 45 now and I can remember the sixties and the The Tijuana Brass rocking my world at an early age and I've never recovered. There is almost nothing else playing in my CD player in the car. Isn't that pathetic? I can't help it though. It's a part of me and it always will. I would love a chance to interview him on my small radio program.
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
Gus said:
To quote the great Julius Wechter, "You're not weird, you're our kind of guy."
Dan
I always thought, and still think, that the word "bra" sounded sort of dopey in the original "Ob La Di." What is the point of it, anyway? I'm glad Herb substituted "Hey!" but I think it was done more to create a party atmosphere on the record than out of political correctness.
Now the Carpenters, on the other hand....that was definitely done with respect to their clean image. (I wonder if Richard now regrets the decision, since he came to dislike the image after a few albums.)
Murray
Well-Known Member
Thanks to a fellow Corner member, I've now had the opportunity to listen to the WARM album. Although it doesn't sound like a typical TJB album, I like it very much, and really appreciate the orchestration. Having read the comments from many of you about "The Sea Is My Soil", I was greatly anticipating hearing this song, and I was not disappointed! It's a masterpiece for sure, and it got my vote. If I had to pick a runner-up, it would be "Pretty World".
Of the TJB albums that I've heard (8 of them now), I'd rate WARM second only to GOING PLACES.
Of the TJB albums that I've heard (8 of them now), I'd rate WARM second only to GOING PLACES.
Numero Cinco
New Member
Two questions about Warm, which I'm sure someone will be able to answer:
1. Is Herb playing flugelhorn on all or only some of these tracks? Maybe the answer is "on none of them," and the sound is created in the mixing. Still, to my ears, there's a much mellower sound to his horn. "Girl Talk" is a good example of what I'm hearing.
2. Does anybody know an English translation of the lyrics to "Zazueria"? What is the chorus saying when it answers the lines in Alpert's first stanza? For that matter, what does "Zazueria" mean?
Thanks.
1. Is Herb playing flugelhorn on all or only some of these tracks? Maybe the answer is "on none of them," and the sound is created in the mixing. Still, to my ears, there's a much mellower sound to his horn. "Girl Talk" is a good example of what I'm hearing.
2. Does anybody know an English translation of the lyrics to "Zazueria"? What is the chorus saying when it answers the lines in Alpert's first stanza? For that matter, what does "Zazueria" mean?
Thanks.
ZAZUEIRA
(Jorge Ben)
Ela vem chegando
E feliz vou esperando
A espera é difícil
Mas eu espero sambando
Pois uma flor é uma rosa
Uma rosa é uma flor
É um amor essa menina
Essa menina é meu amor
Ela vem chegando
E feliz vou esperando
A espera é difícil
Mas eu espero sambando
Menina bonita é um céu azul
É um colírio é um mar de rosas
É olímpica sua beleza
Ela é alegria de minha tristeza
Zazueira Zazueira.....
Ela vem chegando
E feliz vou esperando
A espera é difícil
Mas eu espero sambando
Zazueira....
Translation through Babelfish (for what it's worth!):
ZAZUEIRA (Jorge Ben) It comes arriving and happy I go waiting the wait is difficult But I wait sambando Therefore a flower I am a rose a rose I am a flower I am a love this girl This girl I am my love It I come arriving and happy I go waiting the wait is difficult But I wait sambando pretty Girl I am a blue sky I am a colírio I am a sea of roses I am olímpica its beauty It I am joy of my sadness Zazueira Zazueira..... It comes arriving and happy I go waiting the wait is difficult But I wait sambando Zazueira....
Harry
(Jorge Ben)
Ela vem chegando
E feliz vou esperando
A espera é difícil
Mas eu espero sambando
Pois uma flor é uma rosa
Uma rosa é uma flor
É um amor essa menina
Essa menina é meu amor
Ela vem chegando
E feliz vou esperando
A espera é difícil
Mas eu espero sambando
Menina bonita é um céu azul
É um colírio é um mar de rosas
É olímpica sua beleza
Ela é alegria de minha tristeza
Zazueira Zazueira.....
Ela vem chegando
E feliz vou esperando
A espera é difícil
Mas eu espero sambando
Zazueira....
Translation through Babelfish (for what it's worth!):
ZAZUEIRA (Jorge Ben) It comes arriving and happy I go waiting the wait is difficult But I wait sambando Therefore a flower I am a rose a rose I am a flower I am a love this girl This girl I am my love It I come arriving and happy I go waiting the wait is difficult But I wait sambando pretty Girl I am a blue sky I am a colírio I am a sea of roses I am olímpica its beauty It I am joy of my sadness Zazueira Zazueira..... It comes arriving and happy I go waiting the wait is difficult But I wait sambando Zazueira....
Harry
It's nice to know that the song is a love song and not about war or something, the way some of the Brasil '66 songs turned out to be in translation!
Herb only uses the first four lines of the words....inspired by Sergio's "Scarborough Fair," maybe?
Herb only uses the first four lines of the words....inspired by Sergio's "Scarborough Fair," maybe?
Of course there is - produced by Sergio Mendes himself on Bossa Rio's ALEGRIA! album
1 Spinning Wheel (David Thomas)
2 Zazueira (Jorge Ben)
3 Girl Talk (B.Troup / N.Hefti)
4 The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (B.Weisman / D.Wayne / M.Garrett)
5 What a Pity (Que Pena) (Jorge Ben)
6 With Your Love Now (M.Valle / P.S. Valle / N. Gimbel)
7 Open Your Arms (D.Caymmi / E.Souto / P.Tapajos / J.Livingston / R.Evans)
8 Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)
9 Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Bart Bacharach / Hal David)
10 Blackbird (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)
Harry
1 Spinning Wheel (David Thomas)
2 Zazueira (Jorge Ben)
3 Girl Talk (B.Troup / N.Hefti)
4 The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (B.Weisman / D.Wayne / M.Garrett)
5 What a Pity (Que Pena) (Jorge Ben)
6 With Your Love Now (M.Valle / P.S. Valle / N. Gimbel)
7 Open Your Arms (D.Caymmi / E.Souto / P.Tapajos / J.Livingston / R.Evans)
8 Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)
9 Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Bart Bacharach / Hal David)
10 Blackbird (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)
Harry
Captaindave
Well-Known Member
Numero Cinco said:
There is no mention about instrumentation, but there is a definite flugelhorn sound on certain tracks, including Girl Talk and Sandbox.
The use of flugelhorn would be consistent with the overall concept of the album.
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
This is when Herb's tone really started to tank, so I think it's just his trumpet.
Capt. Bacardi
Capt. Bacardi
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
Rudy said:
Astrud Gilberto also recorded it...I'm not sure which album, though...I attempted to download it from Napster, and it was incomplete, but I remember hearing a 12-string guitar and a harmonica; the arrangement was almost folkish.
Dan
You know the only part of this album that has a (to me) really bad trumpet sound is right before the second verse of "Ob-La-Di," right at the lead-in to that verse it sounds like Herb is REALLY weak on that first note especially. I always liked the "off-handedness" of the trumpet on that song, but that little bit sounds like .... well, if it'd been me I'd've re-done it.
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
DAN BOLTON said:
I went to Amazon, and found out that it's from the album Astrud did with Stanley Turrentine. The sound sample is rather short, but it doesn't sound much like Herb's arrangement. There are a lot of words to get into the phrases, and to me, it doesn't work nearly as well...Herb's version is much better. Only using the first few lines of the lyrics were probably a good idea.
dan
Numero Cinco
New Member
Harry said:
Something's lost in translation. Never mind what "Zazueira" means. It's probably "I Am the Walrus."
Dave
Well-Known Member
Harry said:
In the Link said:
A country "blessed by God", eh?
ANOTHER "God's favorite Nation"?! 
inkshield: (Besides THIS One?) :usflag:
Gonna have to check out those "miles of beaches" there, someday! 'A Natureza', seems to suggest something "exotic" about its inhabitants there, too...
--Sort'a what "The Sea Is My Soil" makes you think of, right?!
--Make mine a DOUBLE...!!!
Dave
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