Let's revisit "The Best Herb Alpert Album Ever"

[Rudy]

...then he played a song called Factory from an HA album called Beyond (I think...) he said THIS is Herb Alpert -- not that muzak from the 1960s!!

Peter Frampton guitar solo on that track.

I had a similar situation with some friends I grew up with. TJB was "old fogie" music to them, but they really dug the Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela album.

I guess for him (and his ilk) innocent '60s pop was no match for the streetwise grooves of the '80s. Of course we all know he got it "brassackwards"!!]

I think if I had to introduce the TJB to someone, they'd probably best recognize "A Taste of Honey" (which wasn't their highest charting single, but is probably their most definitive one IMHO), and as a great pop instrumental, I'd run 'em down "Mexican Shuffle".


Favorites? Going Places and Whipped Cream, the two I've listened to the most throughout life. Warm and Border get honorable mentions. Solo? Fandango, Rise, Keep Your Eye On Me (I'm a fan of the Minneapolis sound, and Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis). "Best"? Won't go there.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I notice that the Almo Sounds Cds aren't making the the best of.. I frankly don't listen to them-was Colors on Almo?
Tell me what was wrong with them? Something was obviously.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

Herb seems to have 9 lives- a few more left- all very different feels-Perhaps there is a # 1 hit in the future.

Julius Wechter took me to A&M when I was 16 to watch the TJB rehearse- I met Herb- spent hours in the Chaplin Screening Theater where I sat in shock for hours. I think it was the highlight of my life..but, Julius, Herb and myself were talking at a break in the lot- and I told Herb he was my idol, etc. He thought this was pretty unusual- it was 1974- He was just releasing "You Smile" a few months later.. anyway- I said I can see him hitting # 1 again soon..he acted like that was almost impossible- as though his commercial days were gone- I said- No- you are gonna do it again and again. "Rise" in '79-80? was NUMERO UNO..and there ya go!

 

[DAN BOLTON]

The Herb Alpert album I listen to most often is WARM, but I don't consider it to be all Herb's work...the album owes as much to Shorty Rogers' orchestrations as it does anything else. Of course Herb put it all together, but Shorty was very much in the picture. I can't really call it a Tijuana Brass album, because the regular Brass members don't seem to be featured as much as on other albums, even if it is billed as being the Tijuana Brass.

There are so many facets to Herb Alpert's career that it's almost impossible to nominate a definitive album. If I had to do this, I think I'd pick LOST TREASURES, because it touches a lot of bases...there are a lot of musical ideas presented here, from TENNESSEE WALTZ and FLOWERS ON THE WALL to POPCORN and AND I LOVE HER...from the Statler Brothers to the Beatles, this album shows just how versatile the TJB sound really is...he branches into solo work here, with TRADEWINDS, and HAPPY HOUR is vintage SRO TJB. It's all there... so, it's my pick as the best Herb Alpert album.



Dan

 

[thetijuanataxi]

GOING PLACES hands down for TJB
FANDANGO for solo hands down.

David

 

[Hurrikane]

As far as the TJB goes, my favorite would have to be Warm

As far as Herb solo goes, my favoite like many others would be Fandango. I was sad when Herb disbanded the Brass and this was the closest to sounding like a TJB album. When Bullish came out, it couldn't have been further from sounding like a TJB album. If you are going to call it TJB at least record it with the original TJB members.

 

[JOv2]

James - you should get hold of Herb's "solo" era CLASSICS disk...now out of print but probably still findable. It has the best of the post-Brass period except "Coco Loco" which is one of my all-time Herb favorites.

Thanks, Mike -- We're fortunate enough here in San Francisco to have Amoeba Music (the "world's coolest record store"...Steven J's got one in Hollywood as well) so I'll be scouring the bins for this and/or Fandango!

I had a similar situation with some friends I grew up with. TJB was "old fogie" music to them, but they really dug the Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela album. I think if I had to introduce the TJB to someone, they'd probably best recognize "A Taste of Honey" (which wasn't their highest charting single, but is probably their most definitive one IMHO), and as a great pop instrumental, I'd run 'em down "Mexican Shuffle".

I defer to your better judgment, Rudy! At that age that would've been a better move (I played The Sea Is My Soil, but should've flipped over to Zazueira , instead we next heard Without Her -- it was all over at that point. So that was Frampton + Herb? I can't remember the song at all, hard to imagine Frampton doing "urban" music -- it must've been more of a rocker, or perhaps more experimental.)

-James

 

[rickster]

Going Places, hands down, with South of the Border a close 2nd. Going Places because Herb was playing VERY well at that point, the group was utilizing that BIG Gold Star Studio sound, and the arrangements and material were absolutely top notch. A brilliant record.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I played The Sea Is My Soil, but should've flipped over to Zazueira , instead we next heard Without Her -- it was all over at that point.

I think if you want to impress a young person with the coolness of the Brass using the WARM album, you can't go wrong with "Marjorine." Swing music never goes out of style and that arrangement just cooks.

 

[manifan]

"Going Places" has to be the tops. Great energy and such impressive arrangements!

"Warm" is second for me.

 

[TonyCurrie]

Best: as a TJB album, it really has to be GOING PLACES
As s solo, FANDANGO stands out

But my favourite remains BULLISH!

 

[Hurrikane]

As I said before, Bullish is not a TJB album! I am sorry to say it is not one of Herb's best solo albums. At least the Tour made up for the lack of TJB alumni!!

 

[Mike]

James, if you think you're going to find a copy of Fandandgo in a San Francisco music store bargin bin... good luck!

Dude! You'll have better luck finding the holy grail in front of Fisherman's Warf'

Keep on truckin'!
Mike

 

[Harry]

FANDANGO LP's can be readily found on eBay or in other used record bins.

Finding the CD at the present time is the challenge, but even that is getting easier to find as word spreads of the impending Shout! release in the undetermined future.

Sharp speculators who've held onto their FANDANGO CD's will likely be attempting to get rid of their prize while it's still a rare commodity.

Harry

 

[Rudy]

Sharp speculators who've held onto their FANDANGO CD's will likely be attempting to get rid of their prize while it's still a rare commodity.y

I missed the boat. My CD is nearly flawless...except that I got a really small label-side scratch in the middle of the medley. I was able to rip the CD on my LiteOn burner, and have a perfect copy to play (and it makes me wonder why an $89 DVD-RW drive has better error correction than a $600 Pioneer Elite universal player, or any other player I own). And I always have the vinyl. But unfortunately with that flaw, it's impossible to sell.

 

[Harry]

There's an eBay seller listing just the artwork and jewel case for FANDANGO - and he want's $60!

Harry

 

[Michael Hagerty]

WARM...hands down.

---Michael Hagerty

 

[JOv2]

James, if you think you're going to find a copy of Fandandgo in a San Francisco music store bargin bin... good luck!

Dude! You'll have better luck finding the holy grail in front of Fisherman's Warf'

Hey, Mike -- Well, you're definitely correct in the short run, but given SF-Amoba is second to none in volume (it's a converted bowling alley!!) + the eclectic musical tastes characteristic of SF/Berkeley, ultimately a copy will turn up (always does, nowamsain?). At this store I have have found the most amazing, hard-to-find CDs, stuff that I never thought I'd see. Just need a little patience...it'll show up...and best of all, it'll be marked USED at 8 bucks.

-James

 

[Mike Blakesley]

...or wait a little while and you can get a brand new "Signature Series" edition for about 11 bucks. (No, there's not an announced release date yet, but it's coming!)

 

[JOv2]

...given all the accolades, I'll be there on day 1. (Along with You Smile -- The Song Begins, these two post-"original" TjB releases intrigue me.)

-James

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I'm very fond of "You Smile..." It would make a terrific CD.

 

[Dave]

Just You And Me is a pretty unique offering--and kicks-off the first "Herb Solo"...



Dave

 

[Marty]

I'll probably be the only one but hey, I LOVE this album. I guess because I was only 12 or 13 at the time, but I loved the special & I loved the album. I was devastated after its release to learn about the "disbanding" of the Tijuana Brass, as they called it, in the New York Times. A clipping my Mom had cut out for me, that I still have to this day. Its for this reason that my favorite album is...

"THE BRASS ARE COMIN"

What kid infatuated with the Tijuana Brass would not be spell bound listening & seeing the gang come flying into town on a cloud of dust, with the Brass are comin title track chugging & chugging away.It was totally awesome especially with Lorne Greene, Johhny Carson ,Jimmy Stewart & Henry Fonda announcing their presence.
It was unforgetable.
Marty

 

[Gertbak]

A distant voice all the way from Denmark:

To me the best album is NINTH closely followed by THE BRASS ARE COMIN'.
I suppose the most important reason for picking these two albums is that they were the first Herb Alpert-records that I heard back in sixties. They are the two albums that opened the door to Herb's musical world.
Had I listened to other records as the first ones, they would probably have been my favorites. As much as it is the actual music it is also the memories and associations connected to the music - so therefore: NINTH and THE BRASS ARE COMIN'.

 

[nightcat]

I'm surprised that SRO isn't getting much mention. For me, SRO is by far the best TJB lp. It hosts a murderer's row of great tunes and is very solid from beginning to end. After SRO, I'd say "Going Places", "Sounds Like" and then "The Ninth".

As far as I'm concerned, if I could only have one TJB lp, without question it would be SRO.