Customer Reviews

Adobe Dog House

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4 star:		(1)
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Gideon Freudmann is a classically trained musician who just may be the Les Claypool of the cello (if you go in for Hollywood-style analogies like that). His innovative and original music combines and juxtaposes musical styles in ways that are colorful, shocking, perhaps a little demented: jazz, funk, klezmer, American rock 'n' roll, and more.

His puckish sense of humor emerges not only in the lyrics to songs like "Geography" and "Due Course," but also in the lush instrumental arrangements. His "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" sends right into the atmosphere with his electric cello and recording effects, with a sly quote from the "Star Trek" theme snuck in at a poignant moment.

Although his songs will draw a wry grin, the most musical pleasure is to be derived from the instrumental selections, featuring his cello with guitar, djembe, mandolin, among other instruments. Overall, this is great fun.

This is an awesome CD! Nearly every song is amazing, espacially Abra Cadaver. Gideon even adds some humor to the CD with the Hasidic Jig. You'll want to listen to thhis CD over and over! I'd also recommend Hologram Crackers. Gideon is a musical genius and I gurntee you will love this CD.

I was first exposed to Freudmann's unconventional cello stylings when my wife heard Gideon's music on NPR, and put *Adobe Dog House* on her gift list.

Freudmann is an extremely talented cellist,composer and arranger who shows his strengths when working in classical-traditional (`Tuscany', `Manila Waltz'), or folk-folksy (`Hassidic Jig') genres. He also has an ability to fuse jazz /pop/classical genres and extrapolate styles effectively (`Baby Calamari', Over the Rainbow', `Frogwalking', `River Skeeters'). He can get fun/funky/whimsical with good effect too (`Adobe Dog House').

Gideon errs I think, when he insists on exposing his would-be-listeners to his voice and silly lyrics, which the compositions would be better without (`Due Course', `Geography', `I am a Disaster', 'Rhapsody Hill',`Cliffwalking' and 'Good Old Boy'). For example, he starts out `Cliffwalking` with a Bluegrass melody (Wow--Bluegrass cello!) but ruins it with an insipid and repetitive vocal ditty.

I've uploaded the instrumental pieces to my work computer because Freudmann's music is great as background to `heavy spreadsheet' work.