Customer Reviews

Dune

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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David Matthews gathers an incredible collection of artists to collaborate on interpreting the sci-fi masterpiece, Dune. Some of the greatest in the field add their flavor to Matthews' vision. Jazz fans will be delighted to hear Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, Eric Gale, Hiram Bullock, Randy Brecker, Andy Newmark, Steve Gadd, Mark Egan, even a young Will Lee riffing. The music style is dated, but true fans will enjoy!

Songs: 1)Arrakis 2) Sandworms 3) Song of the Bene Gesserit 4) Muad'dib 5) Space Oddity 6) Silent Running 7) Prince Leia's Theme 8) Main Theme from Star Wars

Musicians:
Andy Newmark-Drums, Burt Collins-Trumpet, Burt Collins-Horn, Cliff Carter-Synthesizer, Cliff Carter-Keyboards, Creed Taylor-Producer, David Matthews-Keyboards, David Matthews-Main Performer, David Palmer-Engineer, David Sanborn-Saxophone, David Sanborn-Sax(Alto), David Taylor-Trombone, David Taylor-Trombone(Bass), David Tofani-Flute, David Tofani-Piccolo, David Tofani-Wind, Eric Gale-Guitar, Gary King-Bass, Gerry Chamberlain-Trombone, Googie Coppola- Vocals, Gordon Gottlieb-Percussion, Grover Washington,Jr.-Saxophone, Grover Washington,Jr.-Sax(Tenor), Grover Washington,Jr.-Sax(Soprano), Hiram Bullock-Guitar, James Bossy-Horn, Jim Bosby-Horn, Joe Cohn-Assistant Engineer, Joe Shepley-Flugelhorn, John Gatchell-Horn, Jon Faddis-Trumpet, Jon Faddis-Horn, Joseph J. Shepley-Trumpet, Lew DelGatto-Clarinet, Lew DelGatto-Oboe, Lew Soloff-Horn, Louis del Gatto-Wind, Mark Egan-Bass, Randy Brecker-Trumpet, Sam Burtis-Trombone, Sanford Allen-Strings, Sibbi Chalawick-Design, Steve Gadd-Drums, Sue Evans-Percussion, Tom "Bones" Malone-Trombone, Wayne Andre-Trombone, White Gate-Photography, Will Lee-Bass

I once owned this album on Cassette Tape when I was in College. I 've been trying to find it on CD for the last ten years. Back in school, I received the track Sandworms (a song we called "The Mystery Jam"), on a demo tape where I purchased a stereo cassette player. The owner didn't know the tape was in the player. I found out when I got to school. The music is like a symphony of jazz that tells a story and keeps you interested in the musical message. I think the music was a little ahead of it's time because of the way it flowed into different moods. A lot of others didn't get into it much because of the era of Rap on the rise. I haven't heard the songs in quite some time, but I remember them because I played them so much when the album was new. Yes I'm talking about vinyl.

I still have the LP vinyl album. It has been played many times since my uncle John gave it to me. Unfortunately, I can no longer play it since I don't have a needle to play it on a record turntable. The album has suffered much since I played it as a teenager. It has a myriad of scratches and it skips quite a bit. But the music was incredible.

I am not a big fan of jazz, and my parents and other family never liked the music from this album. But I learned to appreciate jazz and even like jazz from this album.

I know very little of David Matthews, the composer but I liked this album. I just found a website that contains all the tracks of this album and played the entire album through from the internet. And it still sounds great.

The album is a combination of rock, jazz, with a touch of hip hop and even a bit of slow romantic swing, and a little classical.

Arrakis, the first piece on the album, represents the desert planet of the novel "Dune" which inspired the album. It is hauntingly beautiful as it starts off with an odd desolate sound, but then towards the middle of it, it takes on a jazzlike sound, like one stopped into a bar in an oasis in middle of this empty desert, and then toward the end it returns to the main theme of the desolation with a crecendo almost like an orgasm.

Sandworms is a different sound altogether. It has a very strong rock- jazz feel with heavy almost overpowering bass. I think it is the bass that makes this piece. It is unusual to find a piece of music that uses the bass as the main theme of a piece.

The Song of the Bene Gesserit is a soft, sweet, slow and enchantingly beautiful piece. It has a slow romantic feel -- like a slow jazz or swing dance piece or maybe slow rock. As I was listening to it again from the internet, I was imagining myself dancing with a young woman cheek to cheek, in a slow romantic dance.

Muad Dib is a fast piece which always makes me think of jumping and fighting Kangaroo rats. From the novel Dune, that was what the Muad Dib actually was and the hero of the story was nicknamed this, because of his resilience and ability to survive on the desert planet. This has a somewhat romantic feel too.

On the other side are David Matthews' versions of pieces from other writers. Which includes "A Space Oddity" by David Bowie, "Silent Running", and two themes from Star Wars, including Princess Leia's Theme, and the Main Title Theme.

I hope they republish this album for classic jazz and jazz-rock lovers and put it out on CD or something. I would buy it.

I once owned the LP for this album when LP was it. I lost it in storage moving from one place to another along with many other forgotton albums. But I never forgot this one because every song was perfect to listen to. I am searching for this album and hope someone will reproduce it on CD. I am counting the days. It was a very smooth, easy listening ablum.

In 1977 I was in college listening to Station KRE Berkeley and they played the whole Dune side of this Album, I stopped studying, sat up and listened - WOW! A few more plays and I bought it on Vinyl - which I still have. I have never heard of Dave Matthews (The Radio station never said much about him), had never seen anything before nor since from him (kept getting that other Dave Matthews). Thank God for the internet I now know who he is (was), but I would like to know how he got such a all star band together, even those who were not under contract under CTI.

The Dune side just blows me away still, and like the other reviewer I never read the book until I heard the Album, listening to the late Gary King's roving bass solos on "Sandworms" while reading about the huge giants of the desert just fit! (For those of know who the Celestials are from Marvel Comics - Sandworms is the perfect background music for them.)

I could never get into the other side. The Original Star Wars was hot during the 70's and EVERYBODY was doing their own version of the Star Wars Themes, so I never like that side.

However the Dune side was more then worth the price - I am glad to review this, as in my travels I only met one other person who had this album. When the movie finally came out years later (God it was horrible) I was thinking "they could've used the Dave Matthews track as I believed he caught the essence of the book!"

This album came out long before the movie "Dune" and is an excellent musical interpretation of the "Dune" theme. This one came out in the 70s about the time that "Star Wars" was released In fact there are also two cuts here that deal with Star Wars -- the Main Theme and Princess Leia's theme.

The "Dune" interpretation is brooding and quite appropriate to the "Dune" story. I used to enjoy reading Dune while listening to this music. I hope that this one will one day be available on CD or MP3 download. It would be a shame for it to simply be lost, as it represents a considerable artistic achievement. RJB.