Your Favorite Tijuana Brass album
- Thread starter Rudy
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Again, no compilations this time around.
I'm not voting on this category yet...mainly because I really don't know which my favorite is. My least favorites would probably be The Brass Are Comin', Sounds Like..., S.R.O., The Lonely Bull and Volume 2. (And even that's saying a lot, because there are still songs I like on each one, and they're not really bad by any means!)
Middle of the pack, I'd pick Whipped Cream, You Smile, Bullish, Coney Island, Summertime and Ninth. Going for the top spot would be South Of The Border, Going Places and Warm.
And as always, this can change from day to day...
-= N =-
...deliberately deliberating...
Middle of the pack, I'd pick Whipped Cream, You Smile, Bullish, Coney Island, Summertime and Ninth. Going for the top spot would be South Of The Border, Going Places and Warm.
And as always, this can change from day to day...
-= N =-
...deliberately deliberating...
I decided to vote for GOING PLACES, although WARM is constantly nipping at its heels because it contains several of my favorite tunes (including my hands down all time favorite, "The Sea is My Soil"). However, GOING PLACES contains no bad tracks at all, where WARM has maybe one or two throwaways. And, GP was the first TJB album I ever bought and contains the first TJB song I ever heard ("Tijuana Taxi") so it almost has to be in the top spot.
The only TJB albums I can say I don't like the majority of the songs are LONELY BULL and VOLUME 2, but even on them I have favorites. I don't have SOUTH OF THE BORDER at all, due to a serious oversight when it was out on CD. But, I'm sure some day the reissue gods will smile on us!
The only TJB albums I can say I don't like the majority of the songs are LONELY BULL and VOLUME 2, but even on them I have favorites. I don't have SOUTH OF THE BORDER at all, due to a serious oversight when it was out on CD. But, I'm sure some day the reissue gods will smile on us!
Mike Blakesley said:
That sort of echoes my own feeling about it. One clincher for the earlier albums is that I grew up listening to all of them, in all their monoaural glory, while I was growing up. Going Places was (and still is) good fun, and was probably the album I played the most out of any of them. At that young age, I always thought the ones following Going Places were sort of gloomy, so while I liked them, they sitll aren't up there among the favorites like Going Places. And as for Warm, my mother didn't play it often, but it was one of those albums I'd always stop what I was doing to listen to "The Sea Is My Soil". Since I paired SUmmertime with Warm in my own homegrown CD, the former has grown on me quite a bit also.
-= N =-
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
I had to go with Coney Island myself, simply because I found it to be an incredibly adventurous outing by the second herd of the TJB. I thought Alpert really opened up the sound of the Brass by giving the other musicians some space to play. I thought Julius Wechter did some of his best playing on this album as well. Add to the mix the great playing by Dave Frishberg and Bob Findley and this was just an outstanding album, period, whether it was a TJB album or not.
As far as the original group goes, S.R.O. would be my top choice. This was the first time that the Brass actually sounded like a band, rather than a recording project. Alpert's arrangements were top-notch, and the band really swung on this LP. I thought this was the jazziest release of the original albums.
Not far behind was Going Places, The Beat Of The Brass and South Of The Border. Good arguments could be made for these albums. My bottom feeders would be Volume 2 and The Brass Are Comin', although as others have said, there are enjoyable tunes on these as well, but the overall album did little for me.
Capt. Bacardi
As far as the original group goes, S.R.O. would be my top choice. This was the first time that the Brass actually sounded like a band, rather than a recording project. Alpert's arrangements were top-notch, and the band really swung on this LP. I thought this was the jazziest release of the original albums.
Not far behind was Going Places, The Beat Of The Brass and South Of The Border. Good arguments could be made for these albums. My bottom feeders would be Volume 2 and The Brass Are Comin', although as others have said, there are enjoyable tunes on these as well, but the overall album did little for me.
Capt. Bacardi
I've not yet voted, but here's my current thinking. As has oft been said, it's hard to top !!GOING PLACES!!, and Mike's right: there's not a clunker on there. Still, for all it's wonderfulness, I find I don't play it as often as one would think, although over the years, it's had its share of turntable time. I also have recently decided that SRO ain't half bad either, and although I'd never looked at it as one of the best, it's gaining favor. But the one that always comes back to haunt me is WARM. There's no doubt that "The Sea Is My Soil, with it's inviting arrangement is, for me, right at the top of any TJB song list, and having it open up WARM makes it a top chioce for throwing a TJB disc in the player. Indeed, I splurged for a CD recorder four years ago (when they weren't all that common - and still expensive) with the idea of finally being able to get WARM to the CD format.
So, I'll continue to mull this one over carefully. I will not be voting for THE LONELY BULL or VOLUME 2 -- that's a given, but there are tempting reasons to consider SOUTH OF THE BORDER, WHIPPED CREAM, and maybe even the NINTH and ...SOUNDS LIKE...
But most likely, it'll be between GOING PLACES, SRO, and WARM.
Harry
...wondering if CNN will come and interview me as one of the great undecided voters, online...
So, I'll continue to mull this one over carefully. I will not be voting for THE LONELY BULL or VOLUME 2 -- that's a given, but there are tempting reasons to consider SOUTH OF THE BORDER, WHIPPED CREAM, and maybe even the NINTH and ...SOUNDS LIKE...
But most likely, it'll be between GOING PLACES, SRO, and WARM.
Harry
...wondering if CNN will come and interview me as one of the great undecided voters, online...
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
Uh, did somebody forget to put THE BRASS ARE COMIN' into the mix? It's a real tossup for me, I like SRO for the same reason that Bacardi does: the TJB FINALLY sounds like a band...TBAC and SUMMERTIME because Herb really began to stretch his creative legs on these two albums...and CONEY ISLAND because it sounds so spontaneous and fresh, like a live album. Still, SOUTH OF THE BORDER has a certain appeal, because it seems that Herb's arranging talents were finally finding their legs, and the TJB sound formula was finally finding a mature voice.
It seems that the band really poured their hearts into THE BRASS ARE COMIN', at least that's the feeling that I get as I listen to it...the promotional effort was prodigious, and the TV special was by far the best that the TJB ever did, so, that album will probably be a sentimental favorite, at least. But, the group was really on fire for SRO, everything seems to "click" on that album in a way that none of the other albums can quite match...so...it gets the nod, but just barely.
Dan, wanting more categories, almost as undecided as Harry...
It's a real tossup for me, I like SRO for the same reason that Bacardi does: the TJB FINALLY sounds like a band...TBAC and SUMMERTIME because Herb really began to stretch his creative legs on these two albums...and CONEY ISLAND because it sounds so spontaneous and fresh, like a live album. Still, SOUTH OF THE BORDER has a certain appeal, because it seems that Herb's arranging talents were finally finding their legs, and the TJB sound formula was finally finding a mature voice.It seems that the band really poured their hearts into THE BRASS ARE COMIN', at least that's the feeling that I get as I listen to it...the promotional effort was prodigious, and the TV special was by far the best that the TJB ever did, so, that album will probably be a sentimental favorite, at least. But, the group was really on fire for SRO, everything seems to "click" on that album in a way that none of the other albums can quite match...so...it gets the nod, but just barely.
Dan, wanting more categories, almost as undecided as Harry...
For whatever it matters, I made my choice. I decided finally on !!GOING PLACES!!, an early gut choice that held up. Using the old 'desert island' test, which of these to me would best represent the TJB. The choice was then simpler. !!GOING PLACES!! has to be considered the quintessential TJB album.
Harry
...with a final decision, online...
Harry
...with a final decision, online...
I'm working on a Desert Island area for the future...but if given a choice between taking an original TJB album, vs. one of the TJB compilations, I'm not sure what I'd pick. If I could take homemade CDs, my "compilation", a quickie at that, would be both of the Greatest Hits (minus stuff like the drone-a-thon "Never On Sunday"), filled out with a few tracks from Foursider. If I had to take only a compilation that existed already, it would be the first Greatest Hits.
Still undecided on the album for this vote, though...
-= N =-
...making a lot of compilations lately...
Still undecided on the album for this vote, though...
-= N =-
...making a lot of compilations lately...
jimac51
New Member
Neil and I are almost at the opposite end of the spectrum,'cause I would have put "The Brass Are Comin'","Sounds Lke..." & SRO near the top and "South of the Border" just a shade above "Vol.II". That is part of the fun in casting a vote. "Going Places" is possibly the "All killer,no filler" album of the canon,but "What Now My Love" earns the spot in my heart. Besides the title track being my favorite of all TJB songs, "Memories of Madrid" and "So What's New?" are two of the best originals ever. John Pisano's increasing role as someone with something fresh to say really shows on this one. Julius is there as musician and composer,Sol Lake contributes and the inventive bass lines on "Five Minutes More" freshens up a big band standard. Negatives? There is nothing new in "It Was A Very Good Year" and the album never should have ended with "Shadow of Your Smile". Mac
I have always wondered what happened on the production for THE BRASS ARE COMIN'. On that one, the bass isn't as bassy, the trumpets sound less enthusiastic. In particular the guitar sound has always bothered me. The acoustic is replaced with an electric, which is OK but it just sounds like its played through a cheap speaker or something. The album has no depth to it, in many places. There are some great songs there (the TJB never really made a BAD album, I don't think!) but overall TBAC just sounds tired.
Of course, your mileage may vary!
Of course, your mileage may vary!
"Tired" is a phrase I've used for TJB albums since Beat Of The Brass was released...even there, the whole concept sounded tired, almost "going through the motions" for the band. No surprise Warm and Summertime would follow and give a stretch of the legs. Herb did sound a little tired on Summertime also, but the arrangements were fresh enough to overcome it, IMHO.
What strikes me about TBAC is that it sounds too good...too perfect, perhaps. It's a fluid, slick album and does have some good songs on it. ("Good Morning, Mr. Sunshine" is classic mariachi!) But for some reason, there's also not much of a "spark" there either. To my ears, the real "spark" went out of the TJB once Going Places was released--that album locked in on the "band" sound. The What Now My Love album was wildly popular (9 weeks at #1) mainly due to anticipation built up by Going Places...but I can't really put my finger on that "spark" of earlier albums which is missing on these later albums.
I'd liken it to a creative rut: the TJB fought for five albums to find itself, and finally did. They still made great music after the first five albums, of course, but if you think about it, that body of work between the first five and Warm (plus TBAC) is pretty much static and constant...you could almost mix up the order of songs between the albums and they'd all fit in well with each other.
That's probably what attracts me to the first five LPs: good or mediocre, you hear artist and band developing, and ditto the transition from Warm to Summertime (w/o TBAC), where I feel like I'm hearing the first couple of prototype "solo" albums. The other albums, still good in their own right, don't really show progress, but you do get treated to hearing an ace band of musicians playing some unusual arrangements that made up the TJB trademark sound. I don't blame Herb for "thinking outside the Brass box" at that point--as a listener, I like to hear a band's shaky first album, then hear them "find their legs" on later ones. When they start repeating themselves, then I lose interest.
The "new" TJB in the 70's had a more modern sound, and Coney Island was a big, solid growth from You Smile. The concept begun with Coney would have been interesting had it continued--stretching out more, taking on more challenges...but as history was written, we got the dark, introspective Just You and Me, followed by a really big stretch with Masekela, followed by a pop/funk/jazz masterpiece with "Rise" (the single). And from there, it's all been a constant change, often with each album. Which is probably why we all still listen after all these years--we get to here someone familiar playing something new!
-= N =-
NP: "Bron-y-awr Stomp", Led Zeppelin (did I slaughter the spelling or what???)
What strikes me about TBAC is that it sounds too good...too perfect, perhaps. It's a fluid, slick album and does have some good songs on it. ("Good Morning, Mr. Sunshine" is classic mariachi!) But for some reason, there's also not much of a "spark" there either. To my ears, the real "spark" went out of the TJB once Going Places was released--that album locked in on the "band" sound. The What Now My Love album was wildly popular (9 weeks at #1) mainly due to anticipation built up by Going Places...but I can't really put my finger on that "spark" of earlier albums which is missing on these later albums.
I'd liken it to a creative rut: the TJB fought for five albums to find itself, and finally did. They still made great music after the first five albums, of course, but if you think about it, that body of work between the first five and Warm (plus TBAC) is pretty much static and constant...you could almost mix up the order of songs between the albums and they'd all fit in well with each other.
That's probably what attracts me to the first five LPs: good or mediocre, you hear artist and band developing, and ditto the transition from Warm to Summertime (w/o TBAC), where I feel like I'm hearing the first couple of prototype "solo" albums. The other albums, still good in their own right, don't really show progress, but you do get treated to hearing an ace band of musicians playing some unusual arrangements that made up the TJB trademark sound. I don't blame Herb for "thinking outside the Brass box" at that point--as a listener, I like to hear a band's shaky first album, then hear them "find their legs" on later ones. When they start repeating themselves, then I lose interest.
The "new" TJB in the 70's had a more modern sound, and Coney Island was a big, solid growth from You Smile. The concept begun with Coney would have been interesting had it continued--stretching out more, taking on more challenges...but as history was written, we got the dark, introspective Just You and Me, followed by a really big stretch with Masekela, followed by a pop/funk/jazz masterpiece with "Rise" (the single). And from there, it's all been a constant change, often with each album. Which is probably why we all still listen after all these years--we get to here someone familiar playing something new!
-= N =-
NP: "Bron-y-awr Stomp", Led Zeppelin (did I slaughter the spelling or what???)
Mike Blakesley said:
I attribute the poor bass and enthusiasm to the HAECO crapilizer system employed on this LP and others from that era. Hoepfully when Herb & Larry Levine remasters this one they'll fix that, that is if they ever do!
--Mr Bill
Mr Bill said:
That HAECO processing continues to exist on all of the LPs that made it to CD, unfortunately. To get rid of it, they'd have to really go back to the original master tapes -- something A&M and its subsequent owners have done only sparingly.
Harry
...stuck at work while an IBM guy is fixing the mainframe computer, online...
I voted for SOUNDS LIKE mainly on the strength .... or I should say incredible strength of "Treasure of San Miguel," my all time favorite TJB song, Every time I play it it gives me goosebumps. For me it represents the entire ensemble coming together for its finest moment.
Geez, I've got to stop holding in my emotions!
Other outstanding cuts: "Wade in the Water" (love the guitar intro) and "The Charmer."
JB
Geez, I've got to stop holding in my emotions!
Other outstanding cuts: "Wade in the Water" (love the guitar intro) and "The Charmer."
JB
Harry said:
If I'm thinking correctly, then yes, the HAECO-CSG would have been on the LP masters. Thing is, I think some of the tape masters could have ended up with the processing also, since they could have just run a tape master from an LP master. (No wonder their reel tapes sound so lousy at times!)
-= N =-
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry, but I just don't see WARM as being a "regular" TJB album...I think it's really a "solo" album, and should be treated as such. I don't want to take anything away from it musically, because it really has some great stuff on it, like "The Sea Is My Soil" and "Zazuiera"; but those aren't really TJB tunes, and they owe as much to Shorty Rogers as they do Herb as far as arrangements go. They were wonderful collaborations, but I never really considered them TJB tunes. The marketing influence was entirely focused on Herb, no pictures of the TJB were available from those innersleeve offers, and there weren't any group shots. THE BRASS ARE COMIN' and SUMMERTIME both featured the Brass members much more than WARM did...these are all valid points, I think, in favor of the other albums. Maybe they weren't as well manufactured or mastered, but that shouldn't take away from their content, and I think it's easy for an audiophile to make that judgement-I've probably done it myself. I don't hear the differences in sound quality as having a psychological presence...to me the mastering techniques were unfortunate mistakes that probably should cost a soundman or recording engineer his career, but they shouldn't cast a pall over the music...after all, we all have equalizers, don''t we? If necessary, rerecord the thing on your own disc the way you want it...that 350 page handbook that came with my GET IT ON CD didn't come with the package for nothing.
It's easy to read things into the music after nearly 30 years, too... I never felt too hepped up over WHAT NOW MY LOVE[except for the title song] as an album, even though it sold a bundle; it was a letdown after "Spanish Flea"...nothing could have followed that song or GOING PLACES and had as great an impact...it'll always be "the one after 909" as far as I'm concerned, and that doesn't do that album or Herb any favors...that's why compilations are so important...you get to hear the music in a different context, and I need to get CLASSICS VOL 1 out and play it a few times, to recharge my batteries as far as this album is concerned...
Therein lies the problem with a giant hit...what do you do for an encore? Herb was lucky, he had enough resources to last awhile, readily available tunes that fit his particular style, and a style that was flexible enough to last for several years. He began to run out of material and the music scene changed, society changed, and all of a sudden, people classify him with Lawrence Welk...so why isn't he on PBS? IOf somebody at TV Land decides to reair all the old Hollywood Palace shows, I'll be there with bells on...
I know these are random thoughts and not everybody will agree with them...but I get the feeling that a couple of albums weren't getting a fair shake for resons that were beyond Herb's control...and I felt it was unfair.
Once again. I don't want to take anything away from WARM as an album...I think it's great...I just never really knew what to classify it as...I do know one thing, though...I'd loike to see TBAC and SUMMERTIME as a 2-for-1 package...but I'm dreaming....
Dan
It's easy to read things into the music after nearly 30 years, too... I never felt too hepped up over WHAT NOW MY LOVE[except for the title song] as an album, even though it sold a bundle; it was a letdown after "Spanish Flea"...nothing could have followed that song or GOING PLACES and had as great an impact...it'll always be "the one after 909" as far as I'm concerned, and that doesn't do that album or Herb any favors...that's why compilations are so important...you get to hear the music in a different context, and I need to get CLASSICS VOL 1 out and play it a few times, to recharge my batteries as far as this album is concerned...
Therein lies the problem with a giant hit...what do you do for an encore? Herb was lucky, he had enough resources to last awhile, readily available tunes that fit his particular style, and a style that was flexible enough to last for several years. He began to run out of material and the music scene changed, society changed, and all of a sudden, people classify him with Lawrence Welk...so why isn't he on PBS? IOf somebody at TV Land decides to reair all the old Hollywood Palace shows, I'll be there with bells on...
I know these are random thoughts and not everybody will agree with them...but I get the feeling that a couple of albums weren't getting a fair shake for resons that were beyond Herb's control...and I felt it was unfair.
Once again. I don't want to take anything away from WARM as an album...I think it's great...I just never really knew what to classify it as...I do know one thing, though...I'd loike to see TBAC and SUMMERTIME as a 2-for-1 package...but I'm dreaming....
Dan
thetijuanataxi
Well-Known Member
As some of you probably guessed, I voted for GOING PLACES for several reasons, some already mentioned. It IS the quintessential TJB album, it rocks all the way through with no throw away tracks, it has my two all-time favorite TJB tracks (Spanish Flea, Tijuana Taxi), Cinco De Mayo and Zorba, also up there on my favorites list, even tracks that I didn't care that much for as a kid such as Mae have grown considerably on me. This album was also my introduction to the TJB, mesmerizing me as I listened to Tijuana Taxi playing on my parent's stereo. It would also be my choice to take to a desert island if only allowed one choice. Can't argue with Harry's logic there. Other solid albums I think were WHIPPED CREAM because it was their breakthrough album and had the sexiest cover of the decade. I feel WHAT NOW MY LOVE has gotten somewhat of a bum rap here. While I think it would have been impossible to top GOING PLACES, I think WNML was a superb album as well. I think calling it a darker album is the wrong choice of words. I think more emotional and schmaltzy would be more accurate. There is still plenty of bounce (Freckles, Five Minutes More) both rock. Brasila is up there in the list of all-time favorites. So What's New, Magic Trumpet also quite catchy. And the slow numbers, Herb gets a little more emotional with his playing, softer, more expressive. There needed to be a bit of a contrast to the "wall of sound", rock 'em sock 'em feeling of GOING PLACES. I think it would have cheapened the uniqueness that GP has if Herb immediately followed it's success with the release of GP pt. 2. My only criticism of WNML is the recording/mastering quality as compared to GP and WC. I always felt it was lackluster on most of the tracks. Doubly so on the CD. I think they should also have used a more updated photo for the cover. I guess worthy of honorable mention are THE BEAT OF THE BRASS and SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The rest are all favorites too, but I think that these are the biggest standouts. As for Coney, You Smile, and Bullish, While all great albums, I don't think of them in the same category as the originals.
David,
saving his sealed copy of GOING PLACES for the desert island, just in case......wonder if we can take a turntable..........
David,
saving his sealed copy of GOING PLACES for the desert island, just in case......wonder if we can take a turntable..........
I have to say a word in defense of THE BEAT OF THE BRASS, too. That was the 3rd TJB album I had (WNML was the 2nd) and while I will admit that Herb is starting to sound a bit tired on this album, there are plenty of bright moments. I have always loved "Monday Monday," especially for those bells on the bridge and for Bob Edmondson's trombone playing. I don't think a better Herb/Bob duet exists on record.
One of my early favorites was "Cabaret." I remember hearing this on the radio. A great example of Herb taking what was a fairly boring song and jazzing it up.
Another fave is "Panama." The vibe work on this is awesome. It would have been great to hear this onstage with Julius guesting.
And, I'm forgetting "Slick." I really like the trumpet/sax duet. This sounds great loud.
And of course "This Guy," which was probably my intro to Bacharach arrangments, and still tied for my favorite Herb vocal track (with "I Belong").
I will admit this is a pretty uneven album. The high points are way up there, and the low points are ...well..."Talk to the Animals," nuff said!
Gotta get this out and listen to the whole thing again...it's been a while!
One of my early favorites was "Cabaret." I remember hearing this on the radio. A great example of Herb taking what was a fairly boring song and jazzing it up.
Another fave is "Panama." The vibe work on this is awesome. It would have been great to hear this onstage with Julius guesting.
And, I'm forgetting "Slick." I really like the trumpet/sax duet. This sounds great loud.
And of course "This Guy," which was probably my intro to Bacharach arrangments, and still tied for my favorite Herb vocal track (with "I Belong").
I will admit this is a pretty uneven album. The high points are way up there, and the low points are ...well..."Talk to the Animals," nuff said!
Gotta get this out and listen to the whole thing again...it's been a while!
Captaindave
Well-Known Member
This is a tough one - IMO,there's enough differences in all the albums to make comparing them difficult.There are songs on each album that I like a lot.I tend to think of the albums in groups that sort of chart the development of the Tijuana Brass over the years.
You have Lonely Bull and Volume 2 which sort of start out the TJB as a new type instrumental sound.Then along comes South of The Border,which, to me, begins the "sound" that I identify as the TJB from there on as the Herb Alpert sound,especially like you hear with Mexican Shuffle,Up Cherry Street,etc.
Whipped Cream sounds like Herb got some new ideas about what all kinds of music the TJB might play,moving beyond the strictly Mexican/mariachi style.
Then comes Going Places,which to me, is the beginning of where I sense that Herb Alpert and the TJB are an actual group recording together as a band.To me,this album sets the stage for everything that comes next out to the end of the original TJB group.I bacame a fan of the TJB with this album back about 1965.I think this album,with Tijuana Taxi,Spanish Flea, Zorba the Greek,Third Man Theme,may have the most widely recognized TJB songs with the general population.
I hear the same type of sound in What Now My Love as in Going Places,but the types of songs have changed.Still a continuation of tight,well planned arrangements with everything very synchronized and perfected,but choice of songs affect the "feel"of the album.I can see the group taking the Going Places concept into some new songs and arrangements.The sound is maturing and developing.....
SRO could have passed for a live album if some crowd sounds had been put in.Again,a definite band is being recorded so it sounds.Good variety of material - it's definitely not a Mariachi band anymore.Mainstream pop/jazz has arrived.Top 40 sound.The TJB is now famous as concert performers and recording artists...
Sounds Like is a more "laid back" type album,to me. Interesting songs played with a more "relaxed" approach.Although Wade In The Water and Casino Royale are driving songs,I sense a relaxed atmosphere with this album.Along here somewhere, not sure exactly where but definitely by the next album - being a trumpet player myself - I'm starting to hear a little different trumpet sound - compare his tone on some of the earlier stuff and now - - maybe more airy tone quality coming from Herb's trumpet -
Herb Alpert's Ninth is a new type of direction again,with Herb exploring some different kinds of songs and arrangements.The sound is changing somewhat,but I'm not exactly sure how.
The Beat Of The Brass, to me,is the end of the Herb Alpert and the TJB era as it had been developing throughout the sixties.Songs like Slick and Panama show just how far the TJB has evolved from the early days of studio musicians and the Mariachi style.They are finally a full-fledged,mainstream pop group.This album had just recently been recorded and This Guy's In Love With You was high on the charts when I saw the group for the first time in live performance in 1968.By then, they were the ultimate live performance act ,with a terrific sound and stage presentation.
Warm was an album that did not seem to me to be Herb Alpert and the TJB as I had come to know them.Herb's trumpet seems to be taking on a different sound.More orchestration.I don't hear what I had grown accustomed to hearing as TJB as much anymore.Not a bad album at all and a favorite of many,but it seemed that the old sound was gone to a great extent.
Brass Are Comin',now that I have the benefit of hindsight,was the actual end of what had started in 1962 with the Lonely Bull.
The topic is what is the favorite TJB album....I think I'll vote for Going Places,because that is the one which introduced me to the TJB and started me out as a fan,and it is IMO,the album that really marks the beginning of the transition from TJB as a studio project to TJB as seven real identities on album covers,live performances,i.e. an actual band.I think it's along about here in 1965 that the TJB starts to become a big part of the "soundtrack" of the sixties and a real part of the culture of that time period.
As I finished writing this post, a comparison with the Beatles recordings over a similar period of time comes to mind.I think of the evolution of sound and style of both these gorups over several years;i.e.,increasing sophistication of songs,arrangements,overall sound,moving from a more basic sound to more highly polished and exploring greater variety,etc.as the artists are becoming more "mature" and experienced.
You have Lonely Bull and Volume 2 which sort of start out the TJB as a new type instrumental sound.Then along comes South of The Border,which, to me, begins the "sound" that I identify as the TJB from there on as the Herb Alpert sound,especially like you hear with Mexican Shuffle,Up Cherry Street,etc.
Whipped Cream sounds like Herb got some new ideas about what all kinds of music the TJB might play,moving beyond the strictly Mexican/mariachi style.
Then comes Going Places,which to me, is the beginning of where I sense that Herb Alpert and the TJB are an actual group recording together as a band.To me,this album sets the stage for everything that comes next out to the end of the original TJB group.I bacame a fan of the TJB with this album back about 1965.I think this album,with Tijuana Taxi,Spanish Flea, Zorba the Greek,Third Man Theme,may have the most widely recognized TJB songs with the general population.
I hear the same type of sound in What Now My Love as in Going Places,but the types of songs have changed.Still a continuation of tight,well planned arrangements with everything very synchronized and perfected,but choice of songs affect the "feel"of the album.I can see the group taking the Going Places concept into some new songs and arrangements.The sound is maturing and developing.....
SRO could have passed for a live album if some crowd sounds had been put in.Again,a definite band is being recorded so it sounds.Good variety of material - it's definitely not a Mariachi band anymore.Mainstream pop/jazz has arrived.Top 40 sound.The TJB is now famous as concert performers and recording artists...
Sounds Like is a more "laid back" type album,to me. Interesting songs played with a more "relaxed" approach.Although Wade In The Water and Casino Royale are driving songs,I sense a relaxed atmosphere with this album.Along here somewhere, not sure exactly where but definitely by the next album - being a trumpet player myself - I'm starting to hear a little different trumpet sound - compare his tone on some of the earlier stuff and now - - maybe more airy tone quality coming from Herb's trumpet -
Herb Alpert's Ninth is a new type of direction again,with Herb exploring some different kinds of songs and arrangements.The sound is changing somewhat,but I'm not exactly sure how.
The Beat Of The Brass, to me,is the end of the Herb Alpert and the TJB era as it had been developing throughout the sixties.Songs like Slick and Panama show just how far the TJB has evolved from the early days of studio musicians and the Mariachi style.They are finally a full-fledged,mainstream pop group.This album had just recently been recorded and This Guy's In Love With You was high on the charts when I saw the group for the first time in live performance in 1968.By then, they were the ultimate live performance act ,with a terrific sound and stage presentation.
Warm was an album that did not seem to me to be Herb Alpert and the TJB as I had come to know them.Herb's trumpet seems to be taking on a different sound.More orchestration.I don't hear what I had grown accustomed to hearing as TJB as much anymore.Not a bad album at all and a favorite of many,but it seemed that the old sound was gone to a great extent.
Brass Are Comin',now that I have the benefit of hindsight,was the actual end of what had started in 1962 with the Lonely Bull.
The topic is what is the favorite TJB album....I think I'll vote for Going Places,because that is the one which introduced me to the TJB and started me out as a fan,and it is IMO,the album that really marks the beginning of the transition from TJB as a studio project to TJB as seven real identities on album covers,live performances,i.e. an actual band.I think it's along about here in 1965 that the TJB starts to become a big part of the "soundtrack" of the sixties and a real part of the culture of that time period.
As I finished writing this post, a comparison with the Beatles recordings over a similar period of time comes to mind.I think of the evolution of sound and style of both these gorups over several years;i.e.,increasing sophistication of songs,arrangements,overall sound,moving from a more basic sound to more highly polished and exploring greater variety,etc.as the artists are becoming more "mature" and experienced.
HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE SRO? I THINK IT WAS THE RECORD WHERE HERB REALLY DISCOVERED THE BEST WAY TO DUB HIS HORN AND UTILIZE HIS SIDE MEN...EDMONDSON'S TROMBONE, CEROLI'S DRUMS. PIASNO'S 12 STRING. OK, YOU COULD ASHCAN "FREIGHT TRAIN JOE" BUT DON'T FORGET THAT "FOR CARLOS" SOON TOOK ON NEW LIFE AS "WIND SONG". HAVING SAID THAT, MY FAVORITE BRASS SONG (AT LEAST FOR TODAY) IS "WADE IN THE WATER", AND OF COURSE, NOBODY BOUGHT THAT!
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