Customer Reviews

Blue Tattoo

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

 

 

I'm suprised to read some reviewers low opinion of "Blue Tattoo". I think it's brilliant, this is one of my favorite albums of all time. It was the first Passport record I ever heard, but I've since acquired much of their catalog. Yes, it is a departure from their previous work, using rather minimalist arragements that give the tunes an openess that I suppose is hard for some fans to appreciate. Every tune is in a different style, covering new age, prog, swing, reggae, space rock, funk, a ballad, and closing with a gorgeous pop melody called "Daybreak Delight" which you may have heard on radio.
Playing drums on this album is David Crigger, who gives an awesome performance; listen how he swings on "Ragtag and Bobtail" or the powerhouse finish on "Piece For Rock Orchestra". When this album was released I was also listening to Rush's "Moving Pictures"; this is as much of a drummer's album as that one. If you like "Blue Tattoo" also check out "Oceanliner"; not quite as good but similar.

I have been a semi-fan of Klaus Doldinger and Passport since the mid-70s and one of their recordings I like best is Blue Tattoo. While I agree that Blue Tattoo is easy on the ears, I emphatically disagree with those who would disparage it as soft jazz. I seriously doubt that any Passport album would get airplay on a soft jazz station.
Klaus Doldinger likes to play with his music and in Blue Tattoo, gives the listener a recording that is most enjoyable. My favorite cuts are the mellow Riding On A Cloud, Blue Tattoo, and Daybreak Delight. His trademark sax comes to life on Ragtag and Bobtail where Doldinger blasts out the hard-driving interlude in such a way that anyone listening will want to get up and dance. Rambling is the closest thing here to the Passport of old with the driving beat and the tight point-counterpoint of the instrumentation.
I think that Blue Tattoo is the best album with which to introduce Klaus Doldinger and company to the uninitiated. The music is 5-star, but the CD loses a star for the truly sorry liner notes. If this sort of jazz interests you at all, I recommend it as your passport to fusion.

Since I last reviewed this album I have purchased it on CD
and that changed my entire opinion about it."Blue Tatoo" has a
very hazy production that the scratchy quality of my original vinyl didn't pick up well at all.But in this medium tunes such as
the layored "Piece For A Rock Orchestra" and the quizical "Riding
On A Cloud" are far superior to their vinyl counterparts-making
the albums other material whitch I ALWAYS liked sound all the
better.Bottom line-PICK UP "BLUE TATOO" ON CD!!!Vinyl just
doesn't do it justice!

Blue Tattoo is one of my favorite albums/CD. and I dont understand the "Lite" jazz label applied by some. While this offering from Klaus and Co. may be somewhat different and maybe a bit more "commercial" than their other past and future offerings, it none the less is a excellent piece of work that at times brought tears to this jaded rocker from the "70s" eyes and after all, isnt making money one of the biggest reasons a band forms?. This Album/CD is one of my favorite spins. I love how Passport was not afraid to experiment with the sound and I wish other bands that have faded into history would have had the courage to do so too.

...because I would give this 3 1/2 if I could. "Blue Tattoo" is by no means Passport's worst album--that would be "Oceanliner." In fact, while not innovative, this album is entertaining and a good example of how skilled Doldinger is at crafting pleasing little melodies and grooves. One might consider this "smooth jazz," but there's something about the patented Passport sound that keeps it from being overly commercial.

You know, there are different records for different times of the day (as well as people.) For example, when I get up in the morning, I eat breakfast, read the paper, and, after my second cup of coffee, it's time for showering, shaving, etc. This second phase is always accompanied by music cranked up loudly on the stereo. "Blue Tattoo" is the kind of album that works great for this--upbeat, easy on the ears, good variety of tunes.

I rate this album higher than most eighties jazz, but lower than the best of Passport. If you are a Passport fan, you shouldn't be afraid to get it. I'm very big on the mid-seventies albums, but was in no way disappointed.

Blue Tattoo is an impressive disk. Good from beginning to end and features some of the best chemistry of musicians on any Passport recording. Very easy on the ears. I recomend this recording strongly. Excellently composed and produced by Klaus Doldinger. A 1981 release.

Always liked this album since first released. Still have the LP, now have it CD.

This has got to be Klaus Doldinger's worst album. The compositions are weak and the playing is uninspired.

Each track has a similar structure. A main theme is repeated for one to two minutes at the beginning of the track. There is very little variation in how the theme is played and it is very repititious. For the middle one or two minutes of the track there is some solo, on keyboards, guitar, or mostly electric sax. The last one or two minutes of the track is the main theme repeated again, played almost exactly like it was at the beginning of the track.

With the exception of two tracks, the middle solos are bland and boring. As always, Doldinger's electric sax has a beautiful sound, but on this album he plays it with no emotion.

The previous reviewer wrote that this CD was easy on the ears. And white bread is easy on the mouth. You can play this CD in the background and not be offended. But if you listen to carefully, you will become quickly bored by it's lifeless style. This CD was released to cash in on the "Sunday Brunch", easy jazz movement of the late seventies and early eighties. It is white bread, easy on the ears music for the masses and not very succesful.

Klaus Doldinger is a German jazz musician. His early works were more traditional jazz, with accoustic instruments. He got into electric fusion, and "formed" the band Passport. Passport really isn't a band, but a collection of studio musicians that change every few albums. Doldinger has been more of a fast follower than a leader in jazz field. However he has done a lot of experimenting with the music, such as playing his saxophone through a synthesizer.

Passport had a style influenced by the fusion pioneers such as Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Chick Corea. The early Passport albums were lively, inventive and interesting. When groups such as Spyro Gyra became the vogue, Doldinger changed his style to follow the latest fad in jazz. He bottomed out with this album. In later albums, he moved Passport back to towards its original roots.

If you like early Passport, you will be disappointed with this ablum. If you like the "Sunday Brunch" style of jazz, you should stick with those who do it better, such as Spyro Gyra, or the later Weather Report line ups.

Is this really the same group that put out Handmade, Looking Through, and Cross-Collateral? Those top notch hyperdrive albums leap out and demand your attention. This one is unobtrusive and easily forgotten. 2 stars because it's good musicianship; alas, it's just boring.

I originally felt that this was Doldinger's worst CD, but then I heard "The Beginning of Happiness", which is even worse. Compare to that CD, I would give "Blue Tattoo" two stars, but Amazon won't let you change your ratings (only the verbage).

Each track has a similar structure. A main theme is repeated for one to two minutes at the beginning of the track. There is very little variation in how the theme is played and it is very repititious. For the middle one or two minutes of the track there is some solo, on keyboards, guitar, or mostly electric sax. The last one or two minutes of the track is the main theme repeated again, played almost exactly like it was at the beginning of the track. With the exception of two tracks, the middle solos are bland and boring.

The sound of this CD is very bright, clear and beautiful. As always, Doldinger's saxophone has a gorgeous, rich tone. From opening beats, all of the instruments sound wonderful. Unfortunately, there is no substance to support the sound.

Someone wrote that this CD was easy on the ears. And white bread is easy on the mouth. You can play this CD in the background and not be offended. But if you listen to carefully, you will become quickly bored by it's lifeless style. This CD was released to cash in on the "Sunday Brunch", easy jazz movement of the late seventies and early eighties. It is white bread, easy on the ears music for the masses and not very succesful.

Klaus Doldinger is a German jazz musician. His early works were more traditional jazz, with accoustic instruments. He got into electric fusion, and "formed" the band Passport. Passport really isn't a band, but a collection of studio musicians that change every few albums. Doldinger has been more of a fast follower than a leader in jazz field. However he has done a lot of experimenting with the music, such as playing his saxophone through a synthesizer.

Passport had a style influenced by the fusion pioneers such as Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Chick Corea. The early Passport albums were lively, inventive and interesting. When groups such as Spyro Gyra became the vogue, Doldinger changed his style to follow the latest fad in jazz. He bottomed out with this album. In later albums, he moved Passport back to towards its original roots.

If you like early Passport, you will be disappointed with this ablum. If you like the "Sunday Brunch" style of jazz, you should stick with those who do it better, such as Spyro Gyra, or the later Weather Report line ups. If you like this CD, then you might want to check out the other Passport CD's on Atlantic Records.

iF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET THIS CD, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ACT FAST. THESE PASSPORTS CD'S APPEAR AND THEN DISAPPEAR. SOMETIMES THEY ARE HARD TO FIND.