The Dude

Quincy Jones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002GC2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,276 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #81 in Music > Jazz > Swing Jazz > Contemporary Big Band
  • #82 in Music > Jazz > Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo

Editorial Reviews

Japanese special edition of this classic original album re-released on CD and packaged in a 12 x 12 inch album sized LP replica sleeve with all the original artwork and tracks. Universal. 2005. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Guilty Pleasure!, July 5, 2006

By 

Brandon Stanley "bls2182" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dude (Audio CD)

I've owned this on LP for many years, and at different points I've pulled this record out for a good listen. Last night, I was going through my records and decided to give it a go. This music is great! So many of the world's finest musicians here, including Herbie Hancock, Steve Lukather, Ian Underwood, and Stevie Wonder. This music I would even say has a strong jazz and funk element to it, and certainly many of the arrangements are more complex than much of the music played either in 1981 or today.

Every song here is a classic, and two of the tracks "Just Once" and "One Hundred Ways" are among the best-loved pop hits of the early 80's. "Ai No Corrida" and the title track are my favorites, though. They are hip, and there is plenty of instrumental meat behind the catchy vocals. If you like Steely Dan, Toto, early Michael Jackson albums, I think you will find a lot to enjoy here. Thanks for reading my review.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Indeed!, June 12, 2006

By 

Olukayode Balogun (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dude (Audio CD)

I bought this CD at the same time and for pretty much the same reason as I did Quincy Jones' prior album "Sounds..." (see my review) and I'm equally pleased with the purchase.

By the time Q released this one, he'd produced "Off The Wall" for Michael Jackson, "Masterjam" for Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Light Up The Night" for The Brothers Johnson, "Give Me The Night" for George Benson and I believe he produced Patti Austin's classic "Every Home Should Have One" round about the same time. He'd been busy and it showed. He had more or less honed his skills to perfection. To me, this album would've marked the musical if not commercial peak of his career but then of course, the following year he topped it all with "Thriller".

This is his best 'solo' output though, smooth as silk and as cool as cucumber. Not a note out of place and everything as clear as crystal, with horns crisp and tight. Patti Austin provides the lead vocals for four out of the nine tracks here: "Betcha' Wouldn't Hurt Me", "Somethin' Special", "Razzamatazz" and "Turn On The Action". Q's new find James Ingram provides lead vocals for three: "The Dude", the classic "Just Once" and "One Hundred Ways". "Velas" is a magnificent jazz piece by the harmonica player, "Toots" Thielemans and the opener, "Ai No Corrida" is lead by Charles May and someone introduced to us as "Dune". I wonder if anyone ever heard from HIM again?

The ex-Heatwave frontman Rod Temperton wrote three out of the nine and co-wrote one. Stevie Wonder contributed one he co-wrote with Stephanie Andrews and I heard the rest were either brought to Q's attention or he searched through a batch of songs (as producers do), until he had found the exact ones he wanted.

All the greats feature here: Stevie Wonder himself, Herbie Hancock, Ernie Watts, Michael Jackson, Steve Lukather, David "Hawk" Wolinski (he of Rufus and Chaka Khan fame), the legendary percussionist Paulinho DaCosta and Louis Johnson.

Great music never grows old and this is one they'll be playing well into the next century. Quincy Jones at his best!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MASTERPIECE THAT TRANSCENDS CATEGORIZATION . . ., July 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dude (Audio CD)

Review by Kirk Douglas Provo

This is really an additional Patti Austin album . . . and who's complaining? Jones favorite vocalist sings lead vocal on no less than four of the albums nine tracks and figures prominently on the others! Jones records have always been like a musical party, with the best of the best all dropping by to get their creative rocks off. The flavors vary too, as The Maestro is a connoisseur of all that is good musically . . . with an ear for rhythm and a fondness for melody.

This too is the record that introduced major vocalist James Ingram to the world. Mega Grammy nominations and hit records aside, try listening to "Just Once" or "One Hundred Ways" without feeling moved each time. Austin gets low down and funky on Stevie Wonder's "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" and then almost magically transforms into the naive girl of Rod Temperton's lush "Somethin' Special".

The hook-ridden "Razzamatazz"! ! offers the best of both Austin and Temperton, while the moody, introspective "Velas" leads to a sweet, soulful love affair down Brazil way. No words needed. Ingram's playful, sly lead vocal on the rap-pop-funk fusion of the title song are perfectly countered with the precise choir harmonies of Austin and Michael Jackson! "Turn On The Action" offers but a hint of Austin's famous humorous wit on what becomes a sparkling one woman vocal showcase.

Yes, "The Dude" is a pop-soul-jazz fusion masterpiece. At once feel good, sorrowful, reflective, and groove laden.

KDP