Customer Reviews

Classics Volume 1

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just about every great number the Brass ever did is on this CD, and noone ever did instrumentals better or came up with more innovative arrangements than Herb Alpert, who surely is a genius. For example, Love Potion No. 9 sounds nothing at all like the original, the beat and rhythm are totally rewritten, but the result is a fresh masterpiece. Same with A Taste of Honey and so on down the line, there is not a weak song or even a weak bar here, and even the group's pop hits such as Tijuana Taxi don't seem too corny. The one big drawback here is the sound, it is a bit hissy and muddled, and surely with all the remastering that has been done the past several years someone should see fit to do the same for this outstanding music. Let's hope so.

This is a generous sampling of Alpert's TJB period ('62-'70) and includes most of the groups hit singles and important album cuts. This is some of the most important music produced during the sixties and Herb Alpert is certainly one of the most gifted arrangers and producers pop music had to offer during this period. The only complaint I would have about this collection is that it is the only compilation released on this artist in a dozen years. There have been many advances in digital remastering techniques since 1987 and these tunes need to be upgraded soundwise. I don't know if the TJB catalog is currently owned by A&M or by Alpert's new label, Almo Sounds but I sure wish someone would compile the box set he has deserved for so long, including original single mixes. Musically, it's a five star CD but I knock off a star for sound quality.

Once upon a time Herb Alpert and his partner Jerry Moss created A&M, which was run out of Alpert's garage. Eventually the artist owned label would be producing the records of Joe Cocker, the Carpenters, Cat Stevens, and Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, but the signature sound remained that of Herp Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. In 1965 they had hit singles with "A Taste of Honey" and "Spanish Flea," off of the hit albums "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" and "Going Places." Alpert's most popular album, "What's Now My Love," came out the following year, along with "S.R.O." as his Latin-influenced "Ameriachi" music showed significant longevity with 1968's "Beat of the Brash" being the fifth album to reach the top of the charts. The great irony was that when it came to hit singles, the first one to hit #1 on the Billboard was Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's in Love With You" in which Alpert actually did a vocal.

The Americachi formula is fairly simple: Alpert's trumpet defines the melody over a Latin rhythm section, sometimes with airy wordless vocals by nameless singers. The twenty-songs collected on "Classics, Volume 1" date from Herb Alpert's first chart success, 1962's "The Lonely Bull (El Solo Torro)" (#6) to one track from 1970, "Jerusalem" (#74). In between we have "Marching Thru Madrid" (#96), "The Mexican Shuffle" (#85), "Taste of Honey" (#7), "Whipped Cream" (#68), "Mame" (#19), "Spanish Flea" (#27), "Tijuana Taxi" (#38), "What Now My Love" (#24), "Zorba the Greek" (#11), "The Work Song" (#18), "Casino Royale" (#27), "A Banda" (#35), and "This Guy's in Love With You" (#1). Not everything here made the charts (e.g., "Acapulco 1922" and "Love Potion #9"), and some of the songs that did are not here, such as "Third Man Theme" (#47), "Flamingo" (#28), "Wade in the Water" (#37), "Cabaret" (#72), "My Favorite Things" (#45), and "Without Her" (#63). Consequently, while this is an impressive collection of singles, this is not a comprehensive collection. But I think that is to be expected with an artist that had five #1 albums and I can see people picking up this CD for the car while at home they have several of the Tijuana Brass albums.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass are the most successful instrumental artists between the end of the Big Band era and today. When you look at their competition you are usually talking piano players like Roger Williams and Richard Clayderman, along with orchestras led by the likes of Henry Mancini, Montavani, and Lawrence Welk. But with most of those artists you are talking about elegant and sophisticated covers of songs associated with others (Mancini being the exception that proves the rule here). Alpert had a hand in writing only four of these tracks (10, 12, 17 and 22) but with most of these songs these are the versions you hear when you think of "A Taste of Honey" or "Spanish Flea" (okay, that last one makes you think of "The Dating Game," because that was the intro music for the bachelor, while "Whipped Cream" was the intro music for the bachelorette, and the intro music for the date was "Lollipops and Roses"-What can I say? Chuck Barris liked Herb Alpert).

Does anybody remember Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass today? When I was growing up in L.A. in the mid-60's, Herb Albert's songs were the hottest thing around on the L.A. radio stations. Herb was appearing on talk shows and his band made several TV appearances that I remember.

This album has just about every hit song Herb and the brass ever did. From the humorous and light-hearted Tijuana Taxi, to the sonorous and wistful strains of the Lonely Bull, to their radically different arrangement of Love Potion #9 (which became a classic by itself), to A Taste of Honey, practically their signature song, this album has something for everybody. It's a great collection from a great artist who made his versatile and talented group the hippest sound around in a brass band back in the 60's.

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass soared to the top of the charts with catchy, spirited tunes. Not only was the TJB a lot of fun to listen to, but they also made some important music. This collection has it all. From the real crowd noises recorded in the Tijuana bullring on "Lonely Bull", to the swinging versions of "Taste Of Honey" and "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", to the ultimate ballad "This Guy's In Love With You", this is a no-brainer for a music collection. Not only does this showcase Alpert's arranging style, but also his producer skills. This will bring back some very pleasant memories of the 60's. Wonderful stuff!

The music here will bring back may memories if you're over 40 and introduce you to a brand new world if you've never sampled it. It's a mystery why Herb Alpert's magnificent music is sadly dismissed today. He was innovative, talented and his music is such fun to listen to. For anyone who grew up in the 60's he brings back as many memories as the Beatles (if that's possible). This collection is a good introduction, but it does omit many of the best Alpert classics, such as the trippy "Tijuana Taxi." The musical quality is better than on other Alpert retrospective discs and the remastering has improved the vocal on "This Guy's in Love with You." Herb never sounded better! It's amazing how well these recordings have held up over the years, they don't sound dated or syrupy in the least.

I recommend this if you're new to Alpert or you want to update the sound quality on your old vinyl recordings. Though there are several glaring omissions in this collection, it will give you a basis on which to expand your Alpert horizons.

I don't know what happened with Herb and our unappreciative society. He beat out the Beatles for some Grammies and sales, but good luck hearing the Tijuana Brass on our accursed "oldies" radio. Now his records are dumped into the nation's thrift stores. Thank goodness -- it's allowed me to collect everything he's ever recorded.

This is a great collection. You'll know this stuff, guaranteed, but just can't place it. Was it a game show? Some movie? Probably all of those.

There's some great stuff here -- stuff you should own. If you can't listen to that many trumpet instrumentals in a row, then flop this CD in with a couple other albums in the mix and watch the crowd go wild!

I have owned this CD for several years now and it features many terrific songs. Most of these songs I can remember from my childhood when my dad used to play the "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" album on our old console stereo. After listening to this collection several times over the years, it is amazing how good all of these songs still sound. I even made a cassette tape so that I could listen to these songs in my car. Some of my personal favorites are; Green Peppers, I'm Getting Sentimental Over You, and Tangerine to name just a few. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys good 60's instumental music.

Herb Alpert is an excellent trumpeter as this album along with volume 2 indicates. It contains key tracks from his 1960s albums, but obviously this is NOT a complete portrait of his music career. The major flaw with this collection along with volume 2 is the overall sound quality. This may be a hard collection to find online or in music stores. You are better off getting the "Definitive Hits" since the sound quality is much better.

Herb Alpert's lively music brings back memories of a sweeter America, when radio stations played an eclectic mix of styles and sounds. This CD makes highway driving almost enjoyable, with happy tunes that were big hits in the sixties.