Record Reviews

STEPPENWOLF ~ STEPPENWOLF / THE SECOND BGO 450 (Barcode: 5017261204509) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 1999 1st and 2nd albums by the classic US (of Canadian origin) band SteppenwolfFind albums by this artist, which epitomize not only the birth of American Rock, but also the atmosphere and state of mind of the young generation during the turbulent times of the Social upheaval in the late 1960s. Steppenwolf´s origins go back about a couple of years before the music included here was recorded, when Canadian singer John KayFind albums by this artist (a German immigrant) formed the band SparrowFind albums by this artist. After Sparrow disbanded Kay formed a new band, which he named Steppenwolf – a title of an influential novel by the German / Swiss author Hermann HesseFind albums by this artist (one of the most widely read authors in the late 1960s, whose mystical and philosophical ideology and love of the orient and the occult appealed to the hippie generation – yours truly included). Their debut album, which included the monster hit "Born To Be Wild", became an instant classic and was soon after immortalized, when Dennis HopperFind albums by this artist included the song in the soundtrack of his cult classic movie "Easy Rider" (one of the first US independent cinema productions created outside of the Hollywood dominated movie industry), which became a visual anthem of the era, and in turn made the song the era´s musical anthem. This mega success worked (in retrospect) against the band´s interest, as they remain conceptually linked to the phenomenal success of that one song and as a result both listeners and critics kept neglecting and diminishing their overall output, which was always excellent and surely deserved more recognition of their talent (see the pitiful entry on the band in All Music Guide). Kay was a formidable singer / songwriter and his charisma and vocal ability was as powerful and striking as the charisma of many other singers, who became legends of their time (i.e. Jim MorrisonFind albums by this artist). The band´s other members were all great instrumentalist and the guitar / organ layers of sound, which characterized their music, are classic examples of early Hard Rock at its best. Moving between Blues, Blues-Rock, Rock and Hard-Rock, those two albums truly define the musical era they represent and influenced hordes of other Rock bands to follow suit. The tunes, usually based on unforgettable riffs, are all delivered passionately and confidently, sounding as fresh today as they were when heard for the first time, and perhaps even better, as this music ages well, as does good wine. If the term "Classic Rock" has any meaning at all, it applies to this music better that to most of the stuff that is often associated with it. I can´t imagine any decent record collection, which does not include these two albums.

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MIKE WESTBROOK ~ THE CORTEGE ENJA 9587 (Barcode: 063757958727) ~ UK ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 1982 Released: 2011 This is a reissue of the monumental work by British pianist / composer / bandleader Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist and his 17-piece Orchestra, recorded in 1982, which features some of the most important British Jazz musicians active at the time, many of them Westbrook´s cohorts many years before and after the recording of this masterpiece. This of course includes his lifetime partner vocalist Kate WestbrookFind albums by this artist, and among others guitarist Brian GoddingFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Phil MintonFind albums by this artist, trombonist Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Chris HunterFind albums by this artist and Chris BiscoeFind albums by this artist and bassoonist Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist; in short a dream team by all respects. Originally released as a 3 LPs set it was remastered and released here as a double CD. "The CortegeFind albums with this title" is a concept album, related to the funeral procession and all it symbolizes, in this case a procession accompanied by music, like the customary New Orleans Jazz funeral which goes back to the cradle of the Jazz idiom, but not stopping there of course, neither conceptually not musically. The lyrics, which are incorporated into the concept, which are poems written by celebrated European poets: Arthur RimbaudFind albums by this artist, Hermann HesseFind albums by this artist, Frederico Garcia LorcaFind albums by this artist, Giuseppe Gioachino BelliFind albums by this artist, John ClareFind albums by this artist and Pentii SaarikoskiFind albums by this artist (included in the album´s booklet both in their original language and in English translations, when appropriate), present an additional layer to the conceptual approach, which presents a three part cycle of life / death / after(life), with all the philosophical, aesthetic and even theological aspects involved. Of course listeners interested only the musical layer of this complex work, are perfectly free to enjoy it as such in the fullest. Mike´s and Kate´s musical universe was always an amalgam of music and poetry in one way or another, and their approach to music as simply one facet of what we call Culture, being inseparable from its other manifestations, has been very consistent. Their familiarity with the literary world in many different languages and originating from all across Europe is truly phenomenal, and as an avid connoisseur of European Culture myself, I have always admired the Westbrooks for what they were doing. Since the Jazz & Poetry idiom, which this work and many other works by the Westbrooks belong to, is my specialty (bordering on obsession some may say) it is plainly obvious that I absolutely admire this album since I first heard it and unwaveringly continue to do so. In Westbrook´s prolific recorded legacy this album serves as a turning point in many respects; although some of the albums recorded before "The Cortege" already included literary references, like those dedicated to the work of William BlakeFind albums by this artist ("Tyger (A Celebration of William Blake)Find albums with this title" from 1971 and "The Westbrook Blake (Bright As Fire)Find albums with this title" from 1980), the inclusion of literary contents from this point forward was about to become almost a modus operandi, both for the large scale orchestral and more intimate projects. Blake, of course, is not missing from this album and a rendition of his eternal "Jerusalem" is included herein. It is fascinating to make a comparison of the orchestral arrangements present on this album with Westbrook´s early orchestral works from the late 1960s and early 1970s, which clearly depicts his ever developing palette as a composer / arranger as well as his shift towards less dominant orchestral sound, which is rarely used in its full might on this album with subtlety and allusion playing a much more significant role. In many respects "The Cortege" embodies the spirit of European Jazz; it includes a grain of the Jazz tradition, but expands the idiom dramatically, incorporating contemporary European Classical Music elements, Folklore, Rock, Cabaret, and a myriad of other musical and non-musical ingredients. This transformation could be described by a mathematical analogy of expanding a singularity (a point) into a multi-dimensional space. In retrospect this album is one of the most important European Jazz (and beyond) recordings, which to this day has very few, if any, equivalents and which serves (or rather should serve) as a model of human ingenuity in the world of Art, which is sadly extremely rarely followed by anybody these days. I can hardly imagine any serious European Jazz connoisseurs who miss this epic album in their collections. In case anybody does miss it, this can be easily rectified, as this remastered edition of the album is still available. Don´t dare to think twice about it!

Updated: 28/03/2016Posted: 28/03/2016

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend