Customer Reviews

John Adams: Hoodoo Zephyr

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

 

 

First, what this is not: Its not "classical music", no symphony, no string quartet. Nope, its just Mr. Adams and his trusty bank of synths. It also is not "rock" or "jazz" or any other handy term. It is closest to the experimental music of Brian Eno (think Before and After Science without the singing) or the "fusion/jazz" compositions of Pat Metheny post 1990 (especially Imaginary Day).

Some pieces I think are a lot of fun to listen to (Tourist Song, Cerulean, Coast). Other pieces I found really hard to listen to and undestand but I've found that over the years, I've learned to appreciate them, even the very odd music of Disappointment Lake and Bump (yikes!).

This record suggests what Mr. Adams might accomplish were he to turn his attention more seriously towards "popular" music. I, for one, like this music better than "Gnarly Buttons" (for example).

This album has it all for those who enjoy minimalistic or electronica styles of music. It contains the classic orchestral techniques of earlier works like Harmonielehre etc. mentioned by others here, but is also relevant to the leading styles of trance music today. It paints broad aural landscapes to transport the listener to a journey of electronic heaven. It must be mentioned that the production of the album by John Adams himself is of the highest calibre and every detail is catered for. Simply fantastic!

If you're looking for good minimalist music (there may be those who would say that's an oxymoron), John Adams is as good as they come. His creation of sound and mood is superb. While he is definitely an acquired taste, if you approach his music receptively, you may find possible initial negative impressions melting away and a genuine appreciation setting in.

One of the joys of Amazon, other than buying lots of cool stuff, is reading the reviews people leave. Especially on a recording such as this, when reviews stretch back ten years or so. I'm writing my review in 2010, and I've had more time to reflect on this disc (I've owned it for years, but have only just got back to it.)

What is odd for me is that this was actually my introduction to the music of John Adams. Over the years my tastes have changed. I started with pop, went to to rock, spent some time with early (pre-90's) Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno, Klaus Schulze, and then on to Jazz. There are threads to all this. Most kids listen to pop, but soon that got boring. So it was time for Black Sabbath in the Ozzie era. When they got boring there was Punk Rock (yes, I'm old enough to have been a teen back then). Punk was great, the energy, the destruction of form, the challenge. And then that got boring (it's a bit silly to buy into teen angst when you hit your 20's). That's when I discovered Jazz. I thought Punk Rock was the be all and end all of energy, but late Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Tim Berne, Marilyn Crispell, and hosts of others taught me that human expression on all levels can be expressed in different ways.

And then I somehow found classical music. As you can tell, I'm drawn toward extremes. So for me it was Stockhausen, Reich, and yes, John Adams. And THIS was my first Adams. I thought it was pretty good, sounding a lot like that late period Tangerine Dream.

And now? Well, I have a lot of Adams music now, and I have to say that this CD is very difficult to listen too. Some have called it "New Age", or have suggested it's similar to Brian Eno. To me those allusions are incorrect. There's too much going on here, things never stagnate (I don't mean that in a negative sense). And yes, there are some obvious Adams traits on show - repeated patterns, dramatic releases, and even eloquence.

However, by using solely synths, the dramatic range is somewhat limited. On the second track he needed Ry Cooder to play a guitar part rather than fake it on a synth that sounds like a guitar, for instance. The tracks are relatively short too. And since I've been listening to Adams lately, I was surprised when revisiting this to find how plain old uninteresting this one is.

But then, maybe that's what makes it interesting - it's so odd. Perhaps 1 star is a bit mean. Maybe I could give a 2 star, a 3? But the thing is, if you know Adams already, you're going to be disappointed by this one. If you don't know Adams, then you're going to be misled. But then again, this was MY introduction to the guy. So maybe, if nothing else, it can serve as a bridge between fans of electronic music and orchestral works. Someone also talked about this as "trance" music. Huh? No. Probably for the very curious only.

Among the several things to admire about John Adams, the most fun is his ability to annoy the sentiments of those who expect music to be a prestigious invitation only social club. On one occasion after being asked to perform at the keyboard yet again for the amusement of the upwardly mobile, Beethoven is reported to have sat at the instrument and pounded the keys with the flats of his hands. While not as beligerent, music from John Adams of the type on "Hoodoo Zepher" is probably in a similar vein - a momentary reprieve from the stress of expectation with something like a raspberry thrown in for good measure.

It is silly to dismiss this as not being as accomplished as the rest of the man's work. Of course it isn't. It's fun and what's wrong with that? John Adam's home baked noodles are infinitely more interesting than much of the (no doubt) tirelessly crafted and thorougly forgettable material being passed off as "serious" art of "passion" and "depth" at every turn. "Passion" and "Depth" are over rated and their status as the ultimate litmus test of a work's value is becoming tedious.

"Hoodoo Zephyr" is about constant development, whereas much of what is classified "New Age" is about harmonic and melodic stasis. This album is best enjoyed when listened to for the sake of the journey without agonizing over where it is or isn't taking you.

(My apologies to Mr. Adams if I have misrepresented his intentions.)

No, it's just John Adams noodling at the synthesizer. John! Listen up, dude! I'm sure this was a lot of fun, and there are some quirky sounds in it that might be worth recalling when you get down to the business of writing music, but it's a little risky to expose your reputation as a serious composer to scoffers this way. You're the guy who wrote Nixon in China, right? The strongest candidate for a permanent niche in the standard repertoire of any opera in recent years? Don't get so swell-headed that you think your Sunday afternoon improvs are classics!

Speaking of Bird... Charlie Parker, that is... John, I know you've sought to invigorate "classical" venues by showing your love to jazz and pop. But your rambles on the keyboard don't cut it, John, not in match-up with Bird or Lenny Tristano or Gil Evans. I can hear Evans in your Disappointment Lake, but he and Miles did it better. And your pop licks don't sparkle, John. I played a few minutes for my hip-hopping son, and he said... "So?"

Readers, take note! John Adams is a great composer. At its best, his music is novel and compelling. At its worst... well, this CD is it. If you like to play something as background for reading the latest Sci-Fi - you know, something not too distracting - Hoodoo Zephyr would be perfect.

This is a true masterpiece by a composer who is not known for seeking the easiest of solutions in his works. The idea of using the synthesisers may not appeal to people fond of the acoustic brilliance of classical music, but this must be put aside considering that Adams here manage to create a universe that up and till now only existed in his mind. Even the interpration is his own and in no other way could a more complete control have been accomplished. The music bears Adams name all over it. Mysterious Californian tunes pop up, rythms are woven together in complex patterns, tempos are shifted and the music could just as well have been a very complex and difficult to play piece for orchestra. Had it been though, no performance could have resulted in music like this. This is a work unequalled in musical history. Buy the record and let the journey begin....

At the outset let me say that I've only heard part of this CD.

A previous reviewer has doubted whether this is really the John Adams that wrote Shaker Loops and Harmonielehre.

However, the first track on this CD sounds a lot like Light Over Water. The rest of the tracks that I've heard are dishwatery new-age pablum.

If this is indeed THE John Adams, this doesn't rank with his masterpieces.

Is this the same composer who wrote Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer? You've got to be kidding! A album of new-age ditties.