Customer Reviews

The Best of Martin Denny : Exotica

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another good compilation from Rhino, nicely remastered and packaged. This is both a handy CD compilation for the Denny aficionado as well as a good intro for those who've never heard any of Denny's work before. The track overlap with EMI-Japan's best-of release is minimal, making the two very complementary.

The insert booklet, while a bit less dense in discographical detail than the EMI-Japan best-of, does provide an English language overview of Denny's music, and snippets of interview with Denny himself. The track listings are nicely annotated with album names, master numbers and dates (either release of recording, it's unclear).

Although this disc covers less of Denny's career (only extending to the 1959 issue "The Enchanted Sea"), the track selection is excellent. Many of my favorite tracks are here, including "Quiet Village" "Bangkok Cockfight" "Tse Tse Fly" "Simba" "Caravan" (with an incredible Stereo Action drum break), "Congo Train" and "The Enchanted Sea." The tracks flow well, and the whole sequence of the disc is very pleasing.

All of the trademark Denny sounds are here in their original form. Denny's piano, the world-beat drums (ranging from South America to Africa), gongs, temple bells, pieces of gamelans, and the ever-present birdcalls. This is in addition to the more standard jazz lineup of bass, drums and vibraphone.

Rhino's focus seems to be in capturing the essential exotica sound of Denny's combo, and in that they've succeeded. Where this disc falls short is in giving any sense of where Denny and his crew took this sound, and how his career developed. For that, you'll either need to pick up the EMI-Japan best-of, or the original releases.

EXOTICA IS THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT,LIKE FINE WINE, TO ANY GATHERING OF FRIENDS, FOOD, AND FUN. THIS COLLECTION FROM THE PAST WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO MIX A DRY MARTINI,PUT ON A POODLE SKIRT OR BANLON, AND TANGO THE NITE AWAY.

When I was a young girl, my dad would play these albums on Saturday night and I can still remember how much I loved them. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to find them since they had a class all their own and it really had no name. (even ... doesn't have an 'exotica' genre.) Now that I have found out all these great exotica performers like Martin Denny you can believe me when I say I will end up buying every one I can find. They were New Age Ambient before there was such a thing! (my "other" favorite sounds today)

I recommend you get all of Martin Denny's albums for an immediate return to glory and bliss every time you hear it in your mix.

After discovering Martin Denny on KaZaA, I simply had to have more of his music. This is an awesome compilation....it really gets you into a tiki vibe! High quality sound...good linear notes...just an all-around incredible experience. So pick this CD up, sip a mai tai and party!

When I was stationed in Hawaii, the fifties, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman, August Colon, played at Don the Beachcombers and this was a very special hangout for me because of the great music. I think I have every title they recorded.

This was a spur of the moment cd purchase back when chain stores used to let you listen to cds before you bought them - I liked the cover. Now it's among the most used and unfortunately, abused, cds in my collection. A great intro into the genre, and the tiki lifestyle. A pleasant surprise was the liner with info about how Denny began playing this kind of music. Perfect for kicking back with a few friends and some mai-tais.

There's no doubt that the music that Martin Denny and his group produce can be very pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, this pleasantness is marred by the constant and awful bird calls. I wish that Denny's music could be re-mastered and the bird calls left out of the mix so that we could REALLY enjoy the music. I prefer to listen to Arthur Lyman's nicer charts.