Customer Reviews

Blood Sweat & Tears

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Much better, more jazz based than the uneven first album. David Clayton-Thomas is in probably the best form of his tenure with the group. He is an improvement vocally. The pieces are more diverse, though many would begrudge them the success this album garnered. The horns were much more of a factor and the band itself had more of an identity. The band tackles a wide range of pieces from Erik Satie to Stevie Winwood to Billie Holliday. One of the keypoints people miss about this edition of the band and this recording. This recording turned a great many people onto jazz. True standouts are "God Bless the Child", "More and More", "Smiling Phases". The jazz influence is strong on this recording. Lew Soloff, Dick Halligan, Bobby Colomby and Fred Lipsius shine in their solo spots. There soloing is varied. There are jazz solo's dropped into the middle of rock driven tunes which some may have felt accentuated the differences between Rock and Jazz, but if you listen closely you can also hear what they have in common. This album is an unrecognized classic, from one of the innovative bands of their time. They were the first of their kind, though many followed afterward. There was only one, Blood, Sweat & Tears.

I strongly disagree with the "editorial" review. He misses the point completely. To that point no one had mixed those "bits of jazz" into rock pieces so well. The starkness of the contrast between jazz and the common ground was accentuated. For me they were the more interesting moments of the music. Although Clayton-Thomas is not the greatest vocalist of all times, he was a vast improvement over Al Kooper. I agree that this album did more to turn people onto jazz than any other. It did me and quite a few people I know. They were more of a group in this recording than they were in the first album where it was entirely a vehicle for Al Kooper. The fact that this album sold 'x' amount of copies and that there were 'x' number of hits is irrelevant. This was an important album for it's mixing of those two idioms.

Really, folks, this is one of the very best albums of all time, of any type. No fluff (except for BP2)

The reason it had three #1 singles wasn't because the album pandered to what some marketer said would sell. Folks, this album came out in 1969, when Motown was at its peak, The Doors and Janis Joplin were hot, Aretha was sa-mokin', and Santana was incredible. Among many, many others.

No, the reason that BST had three #1 singles was because they had a **lot** of musical sophistication and craftsmanship. They never used (didn't need) anything to prop up their music. The performances were flawless, and the arrangements were a delight to listen to. For example, "You've Made Me So Very Happy" is still very romantic after all these years.

They even had the chutzpah to do a cover of "God Bless The Child" -- and they did great!

Exception: "Blues Part 2" is a waste of time. But it's the only fluff on an otherwise strong album.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears, at least this variation, was one of several jazz/brass -flavored rock groups to make noise in the late sixties. This album features several "Top Forty" tunes: "Spinning Wheel," "You Made Me So Happy," etc. I purchased it "impulsively," remembering that I quite enjoyed it some 25 years ago upon its release. And I like it! The material still sounds fresh. The band was doing some nice things.

.....and just who in the hell is Phil Sutcliff??

My older brother's record collection is where I first came across this one, in what must have been the late 60's - I'd have been 14 or 15. I was digging through some old vinyl recently and came across 'It's a Beautiful Day' which sent me spinning off into all those forgotten/lost/lent LP's. The tracks from BST still come clearly to mind to this day - and I'm about to try and place an order for the CD. I'm no jazz fan, but something about this album really had me spell-bound.

If you don't give a damn about a trumpet playing band, don't pick this up. But the Sultans of Swing are missing a truly great mixture of rock and roll and jazz. This collection builds from nothing more than an emotional flute solo to the thundering licks from Sunshine of Your Life. In between is a smorgasborg of rock and blues (Smiling Phases and Spinning Wheel), jazz (Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child") and even Broadway (Laura Nyro's "And when I die"). David Clayton Thomas thunders. If you can't get into this unit, then you deserve Peter Frampton.

What can you say? Every single song on this 1969 album is a classic, except for the sprawling "Blues--Part II". This was the first album to have three singles go gold in America ("You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Spinning Wheel", "And When I Die"). Founder/singer Al Kooper had left after BS&T's first album. The band rehearsed with Laura Nyro as singer for a while (she wrote "And When I Die"), before going with the strong voice of David Clayton-Thomas. The album has excellent production by James William Guercio, who was also a founder/producer of Chicago (while both bands played brassy jazz-rock, BS&T focused more on the jazz); he manages the unusual feat of giving all nine band members room to shine without cluttering up the sound. In addition to the hits, there are fantastic covers of Billie Holliday's "God Bless the Child" and Traffic's "Smiling Phases", and even a couple of permutations of Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopedies". Guitarist Steve Katz wrote and sang the heartbroken ballad "Sometimes in Winter". While there is plenty of soloing, the solos are focused and don't overstay their welcome (again, this excludes "Blues--Part II).

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

If you have even an iota of musical taste, this CD is beyond essential. B,S&T changed the face of music more than any other group in the last 50 years, including the Beatles.

This CD is espescially important, as it opens the sound that was muddled by Al Kooper in the first, and the hornline truly gets to rip. The solos are top-caliber, the vocals inimitable, and the sheer musicianship unmatched by any band since. Some tunes such as "Smiling Phases" and "More and More" are the greatest jazz/rock on the market today.

If you love jazz, rock, or ever listen to music, this recording is a must!

I strongly disagree with the "editorial" review. He misses the point completely. To that point no one had mixed those "bits of jazz" into rock pieces so well. The starkness of the contrast between jazz and the common ground was accentuated. For me they were the more interesting moments of the music. Although Clayton-Thomas is not the greatest vocalist of all times, he was a vast improvement over Al Kooper. I agree that this album did more to turn people onto jazz than any other. It did me and quite a few people I know. They were more of a group in this recording than they were in the first album where it was entirely a vehicle for Al Kooper. The fact that this album sold 'x' amount of copies and that there were 'x' number of hits is irrelevant. This was an important album for it's mixing of those two idioms.