Customer Reviews

Cover to Cover: A Musical Autobiography

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

 

 

This is it ! This is the Hardcastle collection to obtain.There is no filler, no garbage. One small gripe is the toned down-bass version of 19. Maybe Hardcastle wanted to blend this in well for his more mature contemporary pop-jazz listeners. Afterall, 19 was a dance-club hit back in 1985 (more samples than substance)for the time than it was a contemporary jazz tune.

All the pop classic originals are here, Rain Forest, King Tut (my favorite original album version;the original vinyl recording containing these two tracks has never been released on c.d format or as an import),and the Syndicate Theme. Hardcastle is also an amazing artist at taking classic pop and R&B tunes and adding his own interpretation or touch to them (It Seems to Hang On by Ashford and Simpson, Wishing on a Star by Rose Royce, and the classic Stevie Wonder tune Superstitiion).He pays great homage to these artists.His much later material is more contemporary jazz than Top 40 or club oriented.A few of the jazz tracks may make some feel a nod creeping up;Yet, the other tracks more than make-up for the semi-sleepers...In addition this release is more Hardcastles' personal and introspective choices than the marketing or record industry telling him what he can and can't release. Read the notes in the booklet contained with this package and you will be given personal insight from Mr. Hardcastle about the inspiration for many of the songs.

Hardcastle has had a fascinating career during the 80s and 90s and has sold over 10 Million albums worldwide! Thats an accomplishment! This collection of 23 of Hardcastles songs from 1984 though 1997 is a very odd but absolutely interesting collection of songs spanning two CDs. This collection is not a Greatest Hits nor a Best Of collection as Hardcastle himself says in the CD booklet although this album does contain some of his best work of his entire career. Overall, fans of his smooth jazz oriented music that hes known for nowadays might be somewhat thrown off by some of the songs on this collection especially on disc two.

A large portion of the album is dedicated to taking songs from his 80s albums No Winners, and Sound Syndicated, both of which have been out of print for many years and have little chance of re-issue as of current. While some of the songs might be considered filler, that does not mean they dont belong on here. Quite the opposite, it was a very smart decision to give some of Hardcastles long lost works a new lease on life, particularly King Tut and It Seems To Hang On. The latter song I mentioned is a truly mesmerizing cover of the Ashford and Simpson classic and its a stunning danceable mix of dance and smooth jazz. I must say that few, if any, mixed these two styles of music the way Hardcastle did with this song. Its truly an honor to bring this song back to life on this collection. The cover version of Green Onions is amazing too, being a danceable song. There are more either previously unreleased or long out of print songs on this collection. King Tut especially comes to mind as its probably the oldest song that Hardcastle has ever recorded and it never made it onto CD, domestically and as an import, until this 2 CD set was released.

This collection also brings some of Pauls most popular songs onto here. Rainforest is a song that is well-known by both the older fan base, those who remember him for the innovative use of electronic recording and sampling equipment, and the younger or newbie fan base that knows his more smooth jazz-oriented music he has done both solo and with his band The Jazzmasters during the 1990s. Rainforest is a totally unforgettable classic that blends dance and smooth jazz in a way that makes it so engaging and fresh even with 18 years removed from its release. It still hear this song quite often on the radio and its considered one of the most popular jazz songs of modern times and it deserves the attention it gets. The other song that hes known for is the disturbing and chilling dance number 19. This song isnt one just to enjoy, it also tells the shocking story of the average age of the Vietnam soldier being only 19 years old! This song is one that will change your life forever! It was also one of the earliest songs to use samples from a voice recording.

This album doesnt exactly yank any songs off his 90s albums in their original form but instead takes the songs from those albums and remixes them in a way that they have a totally different vibe from their parent album version available on the Hardcastles I, II, and III albums so they are all must-haves even if you purchase this collection. Jokers Wild from the Hardcastle II album is an awesome, danceable and funky number with a chaotic atmosphere that somewhat harkens back to Hardcastles dance music days during the 1980s. The remix of the song on this collection is a mellower and more subdued smooth jazz sound but is in fact better than the original with its better flow of rhythm. The same holds true with his cover of Steely Dans Do It Again. The version on Hardcastle I is funky and upbeat. The version on Cover To Cover is much mellower and sensual and I must say this is the better version with its more soulful feel in my opinion.

Are You Ready may be the song thatll throw off the smooth jazz Hardcastle fan base audience as this song is a fast paced upbeat dance song that he recorded in the late 80s or early 90s and features a female vocal with incredible dymatics. Those who like the New Jack Swing or early 90s techno sound will likely enjoy this song a lot. I think that its one of the highlights of this album.

The newly recorded songs (as of 1997) are geared towards his smooth jazz audience. Soul Swing is the most unique of the songs. It starts off being a typical jazzy Hardcastle number but around the middle of the song, it takes a totally different turn and becomes a more hip number so Soul Swing is more like two songs in one. Hardcastle said that he was bored during the recording of this song and decided to take a totally different turn and the result was a brilliant song. Well done Paul! The last song that I want to point out is the final track Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Dont be turned off by the name of the song. While its basically a song that was meant for the holidays, I think that its a wonderful song that I can listen to all year long.

There are more songs that I want to point out but theres just not enough room to do so. This collection as a whole shows the many faces of the arc of music that Paul has composed over the past 20 years. This collection isnt perfect but for what it was, this is one of the smartest collections ever put together. Cover To Cover is an essential purchase for both the old school and smooth jazz fan base.

Mr. Hardcastle's "Cover to Cover" CD is one of the best CDs that I have listened to in quite a long time. At the rate he is going, he will truly be the best smooth Jazz artist in no time flat! I have now in my collection all of his recordings and will continue to buy every one that he makes in the years to come. I am a fan for life. My favorite is "Rain Forest", but they are all "supurb". Keep 'em coming Paul.

Your No. 1 Fan, Gwendolyn

Paul Hardcastle has had a fascinating career, even if you don't like the music. In the 80s, he was selling record after record of heavy message-oriented dance tunes ranging on topics from the Vietnam War to ancient Egypt. After his work cooled on audiences, he switched gears and began doing what he was capable of doing: smooth jazz. The tinny-sounding drums and pop music stutter beats are still present, but he'd gone all soft and corny.

That said, this particular record shows you both sides of hardcastle, and it's pretty fascinating to watch the transition. Most people who are into Hardcastle are into him for his current smooth jazz direction, and will find the first disc refreshing in a "I didn't know he wrote that!" kind of way. However, people who enjoyed his earlier work and have heard better smooth jazz than he produces in TV commercials will likely find themselves with only half a disc to listen to.

A solid buy for fans of Hardcastle's "Jazzmasters" albums, but a loss for old school fans.

As Paul Hardcastle himself admits in the album's liner notes, "Cover To Cover" isn't so much a "Greatest Hits" package as it is a study, if you like, of the man's music and his musical personality. Disc One is a mixture of hits, rare tracks and previously unreleased songs from Paul's archives, while Disc Two is entirely made up of cover songs, some of them re-mixed, while others are previously unreleased. Disc One has such Hardcastle favorites as "Rainforest," "19" (though with a different mix), "King Tut," and "Jokers Wild" (also re-mixed), as well as some rare goodies like the wonderful song, "Could It Be Forever" (featuring vocalist Helen Rogers), which had only been previously available on Japanese import, and great new tracks like "Urban Vibes," "Paradise Cove" and "Crystal Seas." Paul is no slouch at cover songs either, and Disc Two shows off his skills in this department, with such cool covers as "Walk In The Night," Steely Dan's "Do It Again" (with a slower re-mix), Barry White's "Love Theme," Pink Floyd's "Money" (also re-mixed a bit), "Green Onions," and Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." Great, sparkling music all the way from the King Of Smooth Jazz. If you're a big Paul Hardcastle buff like I am, then purchasing "Cover To Cover" is a total no-brainer. Groove on, Brother Paul!

This is a wonderful CD. I don't really know of any music that Paul makes that is not awesome. I give it a thumbs up on all tracks. I have my favorites, but overall, Paul is my favorite.