Customer Reviews

Day in the Life

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My parents weren't huge jazz fans, but they owned a few jazz-oriented LPs. They liked Wes Montgomery because he was widely played on the MOR AM stations that they listened to, and when they borrowed "A Day In the Life" from our neighbors, it was heard quite frequently around our house.

Though eventually I came to love all of the tracks, "The Joker" was the first thing that grabbed me. Arguably, it might be the track that swings the hardest on the album. While it's true that Don Sebesky's arrangements aren't for everyone, they don't do this tune any harm. Wes doesn't stray far from the melody, as others have frequently pointed out, but his improvisations still add something to the Newley-Bricusse song -- a sort of driving momentum. It's a solid performance, period. Other standouts are the title track, "Windy," "Eleanor Rigby," the Montgomery original "Angel," and "Willow Weep for Me."

Did Wes sell out? I was born the year he passed away, and have absolutely no credentials as a musician, so I'm in no position to say. But I can say that I went on to appreciate styles of jazz that were less targeted at the mainstream. If "A Day In the Life" had that same effect on other listeners, the case can be made for a different interpretation of Wes' A&M period.

I wouldn't put this in the pantheon of "greatest albums ever", but it is a personal favorite. I've heard almost everything Wes has done, from the hard core improv to the fluffy pop, and while I prefer the former, this so-called pop album is special to me. Particularly because of his version of 'Watch What Happens'. It's a rare occasion when the usually cheesy Don Sebesky orchestration works well; but on that song he created a great arrangement that makes Wes sound like he's playing on a cloud. His playing on this song, the cottony soft octaves and particularly his solo, is a reminiscent of sunny Summer's day. I've listened to 'Watch What Happens' over and over for years, and it never ceases to amaze me. It's a song never anthologized and rarely mentioned, but a classic nonetheless. The rest of the album works too, even the Beatles cover, which is charming and actually pretty funky. Yes, Wes is nearly drowned out by the strings, something which irritates a lot of people, but you can still hear him clearly, and the strings, while occasionally pretentious and intrusive, are generally interesting and well-done. Arranger Sebesky achieved a unique sound on this recording, something he didn't do on the similar but lesser album "Road Song". "A Day In The Life" is consistently rewarding. I give it a solid 3 stars, not only because of the combination of Wes' playing and Sebesky's successfullness in backing him up, but because of the song selection and the very special feeling this album gives me when I hear it. Very, very 60's, which is a *good* thing.

By the way, I suspect that the picture of Wes on the back cover, holding his head in his hands and looking defeated, is a joke. I once read about someone who was a friend of his, ran into Wes at a club, and Wes went out to his car trunk to give his friend his latest pop album, and he seemed very embarrased about it, by either the cover or the content. Wes was somewhat under fire at the time, being accused of "selling out" his jazz roots in favor of shallow pop recordings. Wes was a sensitive, unassuming guy who probably took that kind of ridiculousness seriously. That's so sad, and unfair. This is a damn fine album and he should have been proud to give it to anyone. Wes' pop albums have impressed and intimidated just as many guitar players as his jazz albums did - there was just no stopping that kind of talent. Wes shines through on anything he ever did - the Golden Thumb. There will never be another like him.

...this is probably Wes Montgomery's best selling album, because of the MOR/pop bent to these jams, but it doesn't really show how much a hard bopper Wes actually was. He got a lot of radio play with this, especially his version of the Association's "Windy". The Creed Taylor/Rudy Van Gelder production and engineering team was in effect on this at A&M records. (As an aside, back in the day, this was big lounge music 'cause my dad and uncles each had a copy of it. They were, if you've been somehow following, great loungers.) Not too long afterwards the Great Wes sucuumbed to a heart attack...his music, however, lives on. Check out his earlier work from the Impulse and Verve studio days. Oh yeah..."I'd love to turn you on"...

I think most people who give this album sub-par reviews are full of rotten baloney, period, and are lacking in the ability to hear and appreciate beautiful music. While I love 'fingerpickin', 'wes montgomery trio' as much as the next jazz listener, i think 'Day in the Life', 'Down Here on the Ground', etc., represent some of the most melodically inventive, perfectionally phrased improvisations in all of Wes' repertoire. Also, as the orchestrations here are, at times, quite reflective of an admittedly "Muzaky"-oriented sound, I see how some biased listeners might casually dismiss the album altogether. But as i am actually quite fond of muzak in all its varying aspects (from early exotica, to full blown pastiche throwbacks via Elfman scores like Beetlejuice/Batman/Mars Attacks,etc.), this simply adds to my deep love of the whole panorama of Wes' musical contributions. Don Sebesky's arranging and conducting on this and other albums is extraordinary-(he's also done some great work with earl klugh). This, like all other wes albums, deserves five stars.

Give the guy a brake. A&M records was all about the money. He didn't have to sign with them. It was all about makin' the bucks. This was great stuff for seducing the women who weren't in to jazz.
Jimmy Smith made a few albums with orchestra backing. It was just a sign of the times. I love his pure jazz works, they were some of his best. Take it as it was meant to be at the time.

This album by Wes Montgomery has been the doorway for many a pop/rock fan to enter the world of jazz. That includes this writer. A wise brother (at the time a semi-professional jazz guitarist) years ago loaned me this LP to listen to; it was my first taste of jazz -- and it changed my world.

All the jazz heavyweights of the era are here: Wes on guitar, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Grady Tate on Drums, Ray Barretto on percussion, and a full backing orchestra to boot. Even the most overplayed of pop/rock standards can become a kind of spiritual symphony in the hands of a jazz master, and that is certainly the case here with Wes Montgomery, as he breathes new life into some of the pop fare of the day.

Once I heard this album, I was pulled out of the staid pop/rock orbit into a much wider and refreshing universe of jazz -- and I have never looked back. Jazz has become a very important part of my life, and it was this album by Wes Montgomery that opened the door and let me come right in.

Thank you, brother Roch, wherever you are!

I was 15 the first time I heard Wes. It was one of those stiff days that a teenager dreads. Nothing to do and no where to go. All by buddies out with their parents. I was bored so I decided to rummage thru my dads "old school" album collection. I saw the cover the to A DAY IN THE LIFE and thought I would check it out. I played it. The first song I listened to was Angel. They say genius moves people. I listened to this song and thought this was some of the most AMAZING music I ever heard. It touched me. I always had a love for jazz growing up in San Francisco and my dad being an avid jazz lover, but....THIS IS THE ALBUM THAT MADE ME A JAZZ LOVER FOR LIFE. I had never heard guitar playing like this. I loved George Benson and Earl Klugh and the other guys but Wes was a whole other monster...LOL. All I can say is that day in that afternoon, I recognized GENIUS. I went to the library and read about him, asked my dad about him...I even did a speech on him at a speech tournament...LOL...that is how his playing touched my spirit. Music will do that...and when you mix genius,innovation, and music together...the spirit recognizes these things. I have kept a copy of the album since the age of 15. I listen to it at work, when I study, or when I am in a mood of reflection. I am of the hip hop generation. I am amazed of some of the things that people were saying about Wes going pop? I thought that was just a hip hop thing, but I guess going pop has always been a taboo for an artist...I look at it like this, regardless if he did go pop, he did the best decision for his family and 95% of the population did not have his talent, including all those jazz artist that said he may have sold out...Wes' sound is sound distinct, you can recognize his playing from everybody else...that is how good he was...I wish I could have witnessed his greatness first hand....I can only imagine what that would have been like....The best thing about his latter music is that he has introduced a population of young people to jazz who may have not cared much for it...it is kind of funny how jazz is now looked at as "Elitist", it is the music of the old and not the young...LOL...please. Music is music. Wes played music, he did the right thing. The only thing I wish he was able to do is make at least one Blues album...that would have been amazing....Wes hooked me into what he was doing. I cannot put in words how great he is to me....Wes and Coltrane have made me life long jazz man....I thank God for his time hear...Sometimes, Genius is here for only a moment and then it is gone....At least we have that great music.

Wes Montgomery's guitar style is instantly recognizable. He also had a knack for picking some interesting material, especially "A Day in the Life" from Sgt. Pepper. "California Nights" is his rendition of a lesser known Lesley Gore tune. This was the first release in the A&M-CTI series, SP 3001, which began in the fall of 1967. He released two more, DOWN HERE ON THE GROUND (SP 3006) and ROAD SONG (SP 3012). The latter was released posthumously. The GREATEST HITS CD, also on A&M, contains some tracks which were not included on these 3 albums.

Surreal and thought-provoking textures envelope the listener. I was hooked after listening to the first track. This disc showcases the panorama of his influences and takes you on a colorful journey.

Everyone says, "oh, it's too bad that Wes went pop," implying that somehow, the quality of his recordings diminished. I disagree. Windy, for example, is one of my favorite Wes Montgomery recordings because it shows what a great artist can do with a mediocre tune.