Customer Reviews

Free Fall

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I went into this album expecting the virtuosity I have come to expect from Jesse Cook after his first three albums, so in that respect I was a little disappointed, but it was also pleasantly surprising. At first listen, there is less of the flashy guitar solos in this album that his previous albums, with the melodies often being taken over by other instruments. The playing here is more subtle, mellower, but in my opinion, more effective. It has a different feel, texture, and overall style. It's emotional stuff with a lot of depth. This album also features a wide variety of exotic instruments, which give the whole album a sometimes surreal, often more wordly feel. There is a strong Arabic influence and very interesting rhythms.

The album is an "enhanced cd" and also features videos of "Mario Takes a Walk" and "Rattle and Burn." And the best bonus has to be the hidden track of a live performance of "Mario Takes a Walk" (it rocks!!)

All in all, this is a great addition to Jesse's oeuvre and I highly recommend it. I just wish Jesse would give a live performance in Northern California!

I had to chuckle at the irony of reviewers who criticized this recording for not being flamenco-ish enough. Flamenco itself is a fusion of Spanish, Gypsy, Moorish, and Jewish musical influences, not a pure-bred style. In addition, Cook is not from the old school of Sabicas, Serrano, or Heredia. Cook plays nouveau flamenco, which is itself an update of the traditional style and instrumentation. So, why is an futher experimentation by a modernizer of a hybrid music an artistic faux pas?

I love the stylistic explorations and fusions on this CD, just as I do on Ottmar Liebert's "Solo Para Ti." I like this recording better than Gravity, which had too much flashy technique masking the passion of flamenco for my taste. Here, Cook's technical skills are evident, but so is the soul of the music. The silences in the slow pieces frame emotional music. The slow, spare beginning of "Free Fall," for example, evokes the cool pre-dawn of the Arabian desert, while the busier passages reminded me of belly dances, with coins clinking against against each other on the dancers' costumes. By the middle of the piece, I was swaying, my energy rising and falling in sync with the progression of the song. "Incantation" is exactly that, a pensive, meditative mood-setter. The melancholy in "All That Remains" is palpable, and I wondered whether Cook was mourning a lost love or a grand city reduced to rubble. And I enjoyed "At Your Feet" for what it is: a fine, latin-tinged pop song.

I can understand that some reviewers don't like the middle-eastern flavors in some of the songs. Perhaps Cook's composition and playing is too derivative for the most discerning of listeners. But to criticize the artist for going beyond his stylistic roots is just plain close-minded. Not only has this CD passed the "one-week" test, it will get regular play in my stereo, computer, and car.

This CD brings back all of the magic that inspired me to fall in love with the music of Jesse Cook. I couldn't remove the cardboard & shrink wrap fast enough to get it in the cd player.

While watching the videos on this enhanced version, chills crept over me and my mind wandered back a few years ago to seeing Jesse play live at Thornton Winery in Temecula, Ca. Oh, to relive the magic of that night again w/music from then and now his newest edition.

This is by far Jesse's best work since Gravity. Your feet will never stop moving and your body will naturally want to sway with the up-beat tempo of the music.

There is so much in the way of terrific music being released this fall, I wasn't even aware Jesse had this CD in the works! Imagine my delight when it popped up in the "New Release" section here at Amazon. Fantastic work, once again, by my very favorite guitar musician. I enjoyed the entire CD very much, however 3 tracks really stood out for me:

"Incantation" - A sexy, fresh melody with a trippy bass line and exotic atmosphere.

"All That Remains" - Haunting and moving with background strings. This one brought tears to my eyes.

"Fall At Your Feet" - Terrific version of the song. I am a Crowded House fan, especially Neil Finn, and the inclusion of this on Jesse's CD was a real treat.

More like these three, Jesse, please! Congratulations on another winner.

In two words: truly awsome.

I have all of Jesse's albums, and this one has by far the highest quality of musical essence. I've read a number of negative reviews for this album, and that urged me to give my 2c's, as I felt they were grossly unfair to this genius piece of art. I've enjoyed this album for almost 2 years already, and it is still the one I listen to the most and cannot get tired of repeated listening.

Not flamenco, some say. Well, they apparently have not listened to the CD even though they say they have, because that claim is a gross exagaration. It is true that there are a couple of (5 to be exact) songs that stray from the well-established genre, but I commend Jesse for his brave exploration of unfamiliar territory. The non-flamenco tracks are great for certain mood-setting occasions and are still carry JC's signiture guitar virtuoso. These tracks are Free Fall, Incantation, All That Remains and On Walks The Night and the vocals song, Fall at your Feet.

But, before bashing this CD, think of its gems, the truly unique and best songs I have ever listened to: Air, Virtue, Paloma, Viva. Just these 4 songs alone justify paying 3x the price of the CD.

Much of my time is spent looking for the lastest, best album in different styles of music. New Age flamenco is one of my favorite types of listening music. Having collected all of the greats in this category, I'm happy to say this is the best! From Strunz and Farah, Young and Rollins, Ottmar Liebert, to Lara and Reyes, this album is the absolute best. I've played the cd for over thirty different people from all ages and many races. Never have I had everyone agree on one album; but on this album they all agreed: Fabulous! Congrats Jesse, you go down in history as having produced the best and most liked cd among the people who matter most to me: my friends. From the first song, "Switchback" to the surprise ending, each song is interwoven with the next. "Querido Amigo" and "Viva" are beautiful. " Paloma" is haunting and .... "Free Fall" edgy and powerful with passion. Looking for an album you can play over and over, drive to, workout with, or just plain enjoy? _This is it_! Pete Saloutos, Bainbridge Island, WA

I could listen to Jesse Cook's artistry all day (and night) long. His music can be haunting, uplifting, melancholy, inspirational ... moods and styles change while his artistic excellence persists. I've now got all four of his CD's and, although he generally takes two years to produce a new one, it is well worth the wait. Just when I think I have found my favorite Jesse Cook sound, he produces another to top it. "Free Fall" is amazing from start to its unbelieveable finish ("Fall at your Feet"). ... . Word of his talent should be spread far and wide so others can be dazzled like those of us who have already been lucky enough to have experienced his mastery of the acoustic guitar!

If you take away the heavy production on this recording, you're left with mediocre melodies and chord patterns...Try "Heat Of The Sun" by Strunz and Farah, or "Guitarra Del Fuego" by Johannes Linstead for music that will pass the "one week test". If you don't mind vocals, try Gipsy Kings "Somos Gitanos". Man, they still write amazing music.

The chain-of-excellence has not been broken with Jesse's 4th compilation. It had all the gypsy-rooted elements that puts him at the top of his game. What makes this CD a pleasant surprise is the re-introduction of more percussion-heavy songs such as 'Switchback', 'Paloma' and 'Viva' which I have sorely missed after 'Gravity'. These pieces just make you get up, dance, jump and rejoice in dark robes around a campfire at night, doesn't it!? Another surprise is the flamenco-heavy stuff in 'Querido Amigo', man this guy can play true flamenco. Sad to say, though, the passion of his more introspective songs, once found in 'Breathing Below Surface (Vertigo)', 'Luna Llena (Gravity)' and 'Parasol (Tempest)', have gone 2 notches down. Maybe Jesse is just out to party this time, which is fine by me. I'll join in anytime.

There are cds you listen to every day for a month, that you keep in your car, that never wander from that accessible place on top of the cd changer at home. Cook's Free Fall, at least for me, isn't one of those cds. As a fan of Cook, I couldn't wait to my hands on his newest offering. As soon as I popped it in the player, however, I knew some of the reviews on Amazon were right. Many of the cuts (too many) have a dense a middle-eastern sound. Cook lightly touched upon the sound in his previous albums, in particular Gravity (a much better cd), but here it detracts from the cd's listenability. The tunes lack structure and get downright nervewracking. I wanted to like it; I thought, "Give it some time, maybe it will grow on you." Unfortunately, it hasn't. After about a week of playing just two tracks over and over, I felt the new music flush pass; the cd is now tucked in the "don't-listen-to-but-don't-want-to-part-with-(yet)" section of my cd rack.