Customer Reviews

Boogaloo to Beck

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this CD after reading a great review of it in Rolling Stone Magazine. I sort of knew what to expect, being a fan of Beck, and also having seen the good Doctor perform live in the past, but you're always taking a chance when you buy a tribute album.

This one definitely rates in the "top-notch" category -- the arrangements get a great groove going while still keeping the flavor of the Beck's excellent originals. A few times, I was a little worried that the arrangements might venture into the dreaded "smooth jazz", but they always managed to veer off into interesting territory before that happened.

Fans of any of the new crop of "soul jazz" bands (Soulive, Medeski Martin & Wood, Greyboy Allstars/Karl Denson/Robert Walter, The Slip, Soulive, etc.), or Melvin Sparks,or Beck fans who are interested in soulful/groovy/funky jazz are highly recommended to give this one a spin -- you won't be disapponited.

This is one CD worth taking a chance on.

Anybody living in LA might have had the pleasure of hearing some super good 'ole soul groove organ music on KCRW's 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' or 'Weekend Becomes Eclectic' or some of their other spots. Yep they do that alot but this time I was like WAIT A MINUTE!! Is that ?????? Yes it is, BECK!!! Tropicalia!! I also stumbled on it in a review in June's Rolling Stone. Man this stuff is way cool. Nobody's Fault is a masterpiece ( I mean it brothers and sisters). Mind you if you hate jazz or instrumental stuff, or ole rare groove then this might do nothing for you.
Otherwise, get it!!! Super cool cover too.
I'm going to see the Doctor in Santa Cruz this July to thank him.
Sometimes it just don't feel better then this.
Party up and ENJOY!!
Peace

This is by far the best CD Ive purchased this year! The amazing Dr. Lonnie Smith and David "Fathead" Newman re-work one of my favorite artists Beck, and the entire CD is simply beautiful. A must have for all music lovers. This is what I'm getting my pop for Father's Day, and I recommend you do the same.

What a great marriage of music. Dr. Lonnie Smith has never sounded better and if your a Beck fan you will so dig this.
A super-cool record. Nobody's Fault is a masterpiece.

I'll confess right up front the funky jazz groove genre that the good Dr. Lonnie comes from isn't the type of music coming out of my stereos most of the time. And that's a good thing, because to this untrained ear, Dr. Smith's type of music sounds great, but I'll normally hear this genre when I'm not deliberately seeking it out.

One of the things I respect most about Beck is his ability to reinvent his own songs. It's a testament to the flexibility of the artist, but also to the flexibility of the songs. Bob Dylan is the king of reinterpreting his own songs; again, a credit to him and to his songs.

Without knowing much about this funk jazz groove Dr. Lonnie fits into, his interpretation of Beck's songs is so far removed from Beck's original versions, yet the songs are instantly recognizable to a Beck fan's ears.

Fans of Beck should by definition be open minded, so I'd be disappointed if I heard true Beck fans who say they dislike this CD.

If there is a flaw to Dr. Lonnie's versions of Beck's music, it's that he captures your attention, yet you can easily put it on as background music. This is decidely not the case with the originals, which most of the time, command your full attention.

There is no doubt that Dr. Lonnie Smith is the ultimate Hammond B3'er, and anyone who has seen him in concert is sure to agree. He is at his finest on this album, covering the always interesting Beck with a great selection of songs. I'd love to see a follow-up to this with tunes from Guero, and more from Midnite Vultures. Aside from my personal favorite Dr. Lonnie Smith album, "Drives", this ranks highly in my collection. A must have for Hammond B3 fans and Beck fans alike.

If you love the organ trio tradition, thank Dr Lonnie for keeping it alive. The Beck tunes get the funk groove treatment and Newman's horn work converses beautifully. I only hold back from five stars because the guitarist (also the producer) stumbles a bit as a soloist, though his rhythm work is very tastey.

This is one of Dr. Lonnie Smith's better recordings since it has all of the excitement of a live performance. Considering Beck's amazing catalogue that inspired this session, it's a wonder that they didn't jam it live. Nevertheless, it's worth adding to your collection. BOOGALOO TO BECK is super-cool!!!

The Doctor is finally back with his first solo album since the 2000 album "The Turbanator" at 32Jazz label. Beck Hansen, the rock composer of all the album's tunes, is a very sympathetic meeting and a challenge for a B-3 trio with guest artists. The Doctor has solved this with his intense and funky playing using all the B-3 registrations capabilities available. Great tunes and arrangements make this trio work very well together and it's always a delight to hear guest artist David "Fathead" Newman in organ combos. Great "spitting" B-3 sound recorded so pump up the volume when playing this CD! Thanks God that the Doctor is not recording with digital B-3's (New B-3 and XB3)and stick's to the Real Thing.

The song selection is great first of all. A good diverse selection fromthe Beck library. Also, the instrumental adaptation is very tasteful, and in keeping with Beck's original themes. Yes, everything is slowed down a little bit, but it still swings. The doctor is simply a bad@ss on the keys, but equally as compelling is the saxaphonist David "Fathead" Newman. He's a legend in his own right, but makes a great addition to the Turbanators band.
I actually think the guitar player on here is just short of phenomenal, nothing overly flashy but very in the groove. Maybe it would hve better with John Scofield sitting in, but I think the band holds its own. The guitar is tasteful and the tones he chooses complements the Docs very well. I especially like the envelope filter used on "Where it's at".