LOST TREASURES - Your Reviews

[martin]

And FINALLY...the package arrived yesterday at the last day for it's estimated turn up according to Amazon. I even had to pay customs and VAT..never mind!
What a strange and great feeling at the same time. To hear Herb and the TJB playing new, never heard tunes.. Favorites? Sure, after a while but my first thoughts were: It was as I suspected all along: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - it's really great music! Don't misunderstand, but it's just that tunes you have listened to over and over since childhood is impossible to view in an objective way. With the listening to these songs and arrangements, like the loose and jazzy "Raindrops" or wonderfully relaxed "Killing me softly" and the fun treatment of "Popcorn", making a real corny peace of music sounding almost like a jazz standard, I have a renewed respect for Herb as an arranger and musician and the whole idea behind the Tijuana Brass.
In addition of course, the wonderful packaging, rich liner notes and the expectations for the other re-releases with bonus tracks etc.. It's Christmas in February and April and....

- greetings from the bright and sunny north -
Martin

 

[PartyRico]

Today I listened to LT for the fourth time, and must say, it satisfies the desire to hear some REAL music again! I had not bought a CD in ages, I was a bit disgusted with current musical offerings. I hungered for happy, real, and uplifting music.
They say "music is love transformed into sound", so I guess Herb Alpert is sort of our Pied Piper Of Hamlin! A Don Juan or Casanova of Sound. The man will seduce you with his Trumpet, and whatever he records has the perennial Midas touch. Muchas Gracias to Shout, Randy Badazz, Lani, Jerry Moss, Julius W.(R.I.P.), J. Pisano, and Herb Alpert.
May I humbly submit a sub-title for "Lost Treasures Vol. 2 - Seconds of Eternity"...

 

[EDBRAD]

I received my copy of LT today.I was already listening to the music sound clips on the web site of Amazon until I got my copy of LT . For a first real play of this cd the cd is great and I have listened to it only once thru.The sound quality is excellent.I will spend more time listening to this cd trying to put time frames as to when all of the song's were recorded and picking out certain sounds of the usage of instruments from the vinyl album records and picking out some similarity's of sound's. I think that Herb is trying to make us think about when the songs were recorded as the liner notes inside of the new type of packaging (Didgapak) do not say anything about where the tracks came from or to when they were recorded.I wonder how many more Lt's are hidden away that we don't know about. Maybe after all of the other cd's of Herb have been released there may be more new tunes that we don't know about. I Have to start purchasing the other cd's TLB,SOTB,WC&OD and so on as they become avaliable.

Smile

 

[pawdad]

I don't know about the rest of you, but listening to "Lost Treasures" has given me a new set of "ears" while listening to other TJB albums. I'm not sure what it is but I'm hearing nuances I didn't notice before. I am a retired trumpeter from one of the service bands in the D.C. area. I have a MM in music. I worked for my alma mater's recording facility and have always had "good ears." Does anyone else hear what I'm hearing?

 

[Mr Bill]

I hear what you mean. I'm a hack marimbaist and am hearing subtleties in Julius's playing I'd not noticed before (or at least not since I was 12 and realized I wanted to play marimba). I expect as more of the discs come out we'll here even more "details" in each musician's playing we'd not noticed before or were previously "buried in the mix."

What service band were you in? I'm a Navy guy myself and know a few Navy musicians out here in California. What a great job that would be! Not that mine (photography) is bad, but...

--Mr Bill

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I'm always surprised at how much I enjoy many of the TJB ballads. When I first got into the music, I always went right for the fast tunes. It was years before I realized the beauty of those slow tunes. Now on this new album, "Tradewinds" is one of my top 3 favorites. I guess there is SOME good about growing old(er).

 

[PartyRico]

Great point Mike B. Herb's ballads are exquisite. There are too many to mention, but "Tradewinds" is absolutely gorgeous. So is "Our Song" from "Keep Your Eye On Me." "Tangerine" is a classic. What a great musician Herb is. Can't wait to hear "It Was A Very Good Year", and "Felicia", on the upcoming re-issues.

 

[venturaguy49]

That 'new' T.J.B. release "Lost Treasures" really hits the spot, and with a few exceptions(the material from "You Smile, The Song Begins" and "Fire & Ice" which was both a single and also featured on a British Brass album "This Guy's in Love...", the remaining tracks are new. On first listening, "Happy Hour" also impressed me the first time around as being a later('68 on) recording, but the rhythm section does sound just like "Mex Road Race(or Rage, depending on one's frame of reference, but again, that exchange between trumpet and trombone comes across as more ambitious than Alpert's arrangements had been, for the most part. 'Till then, the trombone was used for brief cameo performances, supporting lines, harmony;
definitely there and audible, but not quite on equal par with the trumpets.
With "Alpert's Ninth", one hears a more engaging trombone that's far more involved than previous recordings, so maybe that's when this tune-"Happy..." was taped. One thing that is appreciable about the Brass is that they maintained their identity, while also expanding their sound/style, and so even to the very last album, there were selections that could have been carry-overs; conversely, there were undoubtedly experiments that were more adventurous than the bulk of what was recorded during a given session.
Many of the tracks can ony be dated in regards to when the orginal song was released, so "Lazy Days", being a Spanky and Our Gang item, would be circa '68, and likewise, material by Harry Nilsson, and such who had recognizable debut dates, could only likely be from that time on, but again, Nilsson did write material for others prior to issuing an album, so one can't be sure. What I listen for are ways in which drums were played(maybe a new piece,i.e tomtom or a tuning quality that identifies the time it originated, or mix of instruments, or so-forth which just •sounds• like a certain time.
So the tracks from "Whipped Cream" have their own ambience that identifies that album.Ditto w/ "Going Places". or most others. That's though entirely beside the point, as the main thing is a 'new' Tijuana Brass program is out, and with it the chance to enjoy wonderful trax that are such a refreshing experience, and that rates a solid from me. Yeah, "lost Treasures" really duzzit for me...hey, it's even better than(I can't believe that I'm saying this) HOOKAH...yeah, those are great trax. Loving 'em.

Warm Wishes,
the hookah kid that has found something better than that ole heartburn producer...well, not that much better, cuz after all, that hookah's some pretty caboose-kicking stuff. So is this recent offering by the Brass, and together they are just MAHWVELLOUS!

 

[ormandy]

Kind of a let down with this release.
I wish Herb would have spread these out-takes
around on the various remastered discs.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

How is it a letdown exactly? I would think a semi-casual fan would like to buy their two or three favorite albums and then maybe add LOST TREASURES as a bonus. I know if I was really cash-strapped, I would have bought LOST TREASURES first. I would hate to be forced to buy all the other albums to hear the unreleased songs.

 

[ormandy]

Perhaps it only seemed like a let down.
When I first played it, I wasn't in the best of moods at the time.

The alternate version of "Up Cherry Street" started things off
on a good note, but then as the album went on,
it seemed to fall a bit flat in my opinion.

Perhaps I should dust it off and give it a few more listens.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Perhaps I should dust it off and give it a few more listens.

That's always a good idea. Sometimes when I first listen to an album and it doesn't click right away I'll give it another try on another day and see how I feel about it. There are a couple of tracks on this CD that I thought were terrible, but listening to "Whistlestar" all but makes up for those weaknesses.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captaindave]

I like Lost Treasures. I'm glad it was released.

However, what makes it different for me is that I think there are more covers of other artist's songs, rather than songs written especially for the TJB.

Some of my favorite TJB songs from the other albums were songs that were written especially for the TJB, and appeared as original songs on TJB albums. I think I was drawn to those songs, just like any other original songs performed by the original artist.

IMO, sometimes when a song is covered by another artist - regardless of who the artist is or how good they cover it - it loses something in the "translation."

But, I still like LT because I enjoy Herb on the trumpet - whatever the song might be or where it came from originally.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I think I've mentioned this in another thread; but I remember that whenever I'd first listen to a new TJB album, I would almost always feel let down. It wasn't until I'd listened a few times that the "magic" would make its' presence felt.

The reason for this was that my expectations were way too high. I'd built up so much anticipation that there wasn't anything on earth that could have met them.


After so many years, it's only natural to have a lot of pent-up expectations for a new recording from our favorite artist, and we have to remember that the songs that make up LOST TREASURES were, in a lot of cases, rejects from other albums. So, it's also a natural to be a little skeptical of the material.

After a few plays, though, the genius of Herb Alpert really shines through, and overshadows all the negatives. I could see why some of these songs might not have made it to one of the earlier albums, but it wasn't important anymore. What was important was that I was listening to TJB music that I'd never heard before. And, while some of the content wasn't up to what made it on the earlier albums, it was still good enough to be thoroughly enjoyed, and it has been.

So, what am I trying to say? This album has a couple of possible negatives going against it in the marketplace; pent-up demand -driven expectations, and the fact that ther is some originally- rejected-for-release content on the playlist. So, it was kind of a risky thing to bring to the marketplace.

I can't speak for anyone but me, but I know that in the past my expectations have been unfairly high when it comes to Herb Alpert. It may be an easy feeling to harbor, but it realy doesn't do anybody any favors. I don't want anyone to think that I'm projecting my feelings on anyone else, because I'm not. I'm just saying that it's easy to fall into this kind of a trap. If it wasn't I never would have been able to have done it...


Dan

 

[ormandy]

Well, I do love the cover!

 

[bazeball]

I like this CD and am really glad it was released. "Happy Hour" is one of those songs that I immediately liked a lot upon first hearing (as opposed to some that grow on you after several times through).

"Tennesse Waltz" is really cool because it is not played anything like a waltz! "Flowers..." is a fun song too (but my pre-teen daughters hate the 5-6-7-8 vocal!)

Not to be too picky, but I would have preferred less of the rare tracks (which I was not overly fond of anyway) and much more of the previously unreleased tracks. I wonder if there were enough of them to make a complete CD?..

In any event, I'm greatful for the CD..

Tim (aka bazeball)

 

[JOv2]

I'm going through a Brasil '66/'77 thing right now; nevertheless, at the record store last night, I spied this issue for 7 bucks.

All the previous comments notwithstanding, I was pleasantly surprised -- both by the quality and by the abundance of what appears to be post '69 material. Aside from a few things here and there, am not familiar with the post-'71 Herb; therefore, much of this compilation was doubly exciting as it served well to introduce the '70s TjB group to my ears.

Allow me to chime in here with a stab at a few "dates" and/or LPs.

Lazy Day, Wailing Of The Willow, Julius And Me -- I'd put these at no earlier than '69 as all feature electric piano (which Herb did not employ prior to The Brass Are Comin'). The latter does indeed sound more like a Baja Marimba Band track ('68/'69) -- as was noted earlier in the thread. While Lazy Day seems to fit well with the feel of Summertime (also previously noted).

Chris, Speakeasy -- Beat of the Brass: Chis for its use of conga drums (like Panama) and Speakeasy for its Cabaret feel and arrangement.

Happy Hour -- Definitely Sounds Like ['67] as it exhibits some of the driving tension-filled ensemble arrangements that characterize that LP.

And I Love Her -- a tough one, but I'm gonna go with Going Places because of the electric 12-string and because Herb's tone is stellar -- otherwise, I'd place it from South Of The Border or Whipped Cream & Other Delights, as most listeners have suggested.

Of the "vintage" material those were the standouts.

Of the "new" (to me) material, all I can exclaim is WOW! Herb's tone is great. His technique and timbre are back to the level of Going Places. Promises, Promises was wonderful -- and instantly preferred to the Bacharach "it's showtime" version.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

James - You need to hear the version of "Promises, Promises" that's on the YOU SMILE - THE SONG BEGINS album. It's better than the version on this disk -- sounds more "finished," for lack of a better term. And, the song "Save The Sunlight" has some of Herb's best playing ever, and a decent vocal. Then there's "Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor," one of my favorite post-Tijuana tunes. And "Fox Hunt," a chart single that really announced "Herb's back in the saddle again!" And so on....

 

[JOv2]

Yeah, Mike --

That LP and its follow-up, Coney Island, are on my radar.

Given Herb's reference to this period as "unsuccessful", CD releases seem doubtful. Actually, it made me feel bad in that, what is clearly his finest trumpet playing since What Now My Love, he himself backhandedly disregarded. I'm guessing Herb's using LP sales as a gauge of success. This is unfortunate, for if the music wasn't initially "successful" it wouldn't have seen the light of day -- particularly in 1972 when Joe & Jan Lpbuyer weren't exactly trampling over each other after the latest Herb release.

In any event, the break served him well as he clearly must have re-evaluated his technique: his tone is gorgeous and full with solid support, and he's definitely putting more air through the horn (compare his playing to the patchy The Brass Are Comin' or Herb Alpert's Ninth -- some of which [e.g., Love So Fine] is unlistenable).

 

[Harry]

Be careful assessing Herb's tone on LOST TREASURES. Some of these tracks may have been re-done by Herb in the past few years - or so we've heard.

The tracks that are duplicates of the YOU SMILE era sound different than what's on the old album (for the most part), and the liner notes don't indicate which tracks were tampered with for LOST TREASURES by Herb. It's possible that some of the other tracks were just old backing tracks that Herb recently finished off.

That's why Mike mentions "Promises, Promises". It sounds different on the YOU SMILE album as compared with the version on LOST TREASURES. It's possible that there was more than one take back in the day and that today Herb favored a different one than he did back then, but it's also just as possible that his lead on the track(s) were recorded recently.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I continue to hope for a CD release of YOU SMILE because they left literally ALL of its best tracks off of LOST TREASURES!

 

[JOv2]

Good catch, Harry --

This explains the totally different phrasing and articulation on the brief improvised solo in Happy Hour -- that "punched in" solo is unlike any Herb trumpet technique on his '60s TjB releases. As for Promises, Promises, as a trumpeter, I hold that performance as Herb's finest trumpet playing for this pair of ears. The execution (articulation and phrasing) and timbre is preeminent. It would seem as though Herb finally found that unique combination he was presumably searching for: that close-miked "soft" sound of Herb Alpert's Ninth, but with a solid, metallic yet airy/breezy (kinda "puffy") tone. Clearly, to play such a challenging piece (which, by the way, is technically far more difficult than Zorba The Greek -- the latter just being essentially the same basic rhythm and articulation fragments repeated played over and over) Herb was in firm command of his trumpeting abilities. Burt wrote that song with a number of intra-song time changes. Herb plays it smooth as velvet brass -- which is a total 180 to the usual heroic and loud trumpets that tend to bully their way through the usual "Broadway" arrangement one normally hears.

Mike, I hope so too -- if these selections and Herb's playing ability are any measure, it would seem possible that You Smile -- The Song Begins could match the !!Going Places!! -- ...Sounds Like... period. Now that would be going places, indeed.

 

[Rudy]

Many of LT's songs were unfinished, so it was a given that the new parts were recorded for them.

To compare "Promises, Promises": the original trumpet performance is more staccato, where the newer one is legato.

JO--I think you'll like You Smile and Coney. The TJB really stretches on Coney.

 

[toeknee4bz]

Be careful assessing Herb's tone on LOST TREASURES. Some of these tracks may have been re-done by Herb in the past few years - or so we've heard.
It's possible that some of the other tracks were just old backing tracks that Herb recently finished off.
It's possible that there was more than one take back in the day and that today Herb favored a different one than he did back then, but it's also just as possible that his lead on the track(s) were recorded recently.

Harry

Keep in mind, also, that with today's computerized studios, artists many times are taking their favorite parts of each performance, combining them digitally and creating a "Composite" vocal, or in Herb's case, trumpet track.

However, given Herb's history of "first take feeling" being preferred, it is doubtful that he would be this selective.

Tony

 

[JOv2]

Many of LT's songs were unfinished, so it was a given that the new parts were recorded for them.

To compare "Promises, Promises": the original trumpet performance is more staccato, where the newer one is legato...

Rudy -- Are you're suggesting that Promises, Promises has a recent trumpet part? Care to take a stab at which selections you believe contain newly-recorded trumpet?