Customer Reviews

Left of Cool

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

His first release since the in-concert Live Art 2-CD set, Left of Cool continues Bela Fleck's genre-bending journey into finding innovative applications for the banjo. For the uninitiated, the banjo (at worst) is associated with the in-bred geek playing "Dueling Banjos" in Deliverance or (at best) it's still little more than an instrument for bluegrass music. This album (or any of the Flecktones other albums) will go a long way toward dispelling that myth.

I've always enjoyed Fleck's exceptional skill as a banjoist, whether it was in more traditional settings like Tasty Licks and New Grass Revival or his early solo work on the Rounder label. With the Flecktones he incorporates bluegrass, jazz and Third World rhythms to create a unique hybrid of these diverse styles. [There's even a couple of vocals by Dave Matthews--yes, THAT Dave Matthews.]

Put this in your CD player and get ready to be transported to a musical universe where Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe rule jointly with Miles Davis and John Coltrane. This has to be heard to be believed--amazing stuff! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Anyone musically open-minded enough to listen to Bela Fleck and the Flecktones in the first place will be highly rewarded by listening to this album. Even more exciting and wide-ranging than most of their other albums, "Left of Cool" is a picture of a group of creative musicians who worry not a bit what you wish to label their music (jazz, bluegrass, rock, or whatever...) The album's highlights range widely from the catchy "Communication," with guest vocals from Dave Matthews, to the beautiful and meditative "Shanti." The Flecktones venture further into vocals than usual, but most of the album is still instrumentals, featuring Fleck's great banjo playing, as well as the outstanding rythym section. This group can jam in almost any format. Very highly recommended.

If you are new to the flecktones, your first impression will probably be that it sounds a little like muzak due to the orchestration that usually involves a lot of saxophone and a lot of synthesized sounds. Soon, however, you will discover that this is some of the most varied and conceptually dense music you will ever listen to. Definately worth a buy.

Bela Fleck is my musical god. I thought that he could do no wrong, until now. Left of Cool is easily the worst Flecktones album. Bela has always been a master at giving the listener inventive melodies, regardless of any arbitrary label put upon his music. Yet on this outting the flecktones have begun to missjugde perhaps, thier own musical skills. I am not refering to the mind blowing bass stylings of Victor Wooten, who never fails to impress, or any of the instramental stylings for that matter, but rather the vocals that had remained absent (and now we know why) from most of the flecktones previous offerings. Future man is a fine singer, and the guest vocals offered by Dave Matthews and Amy Grant are refreshing, but the melodies make me want to cry. Why would the Flecktones work so hard on a song, and completetly neglect the vocal melodies. They are, for the most part, simply not good. "Communication" is really a good song, yet the vocal melody is non-existant. Unfortunately these few vocal outtings are overshodowing much that is good on the album for me right now. You want a good flecktones album? Start with anything but "Left of Cool. "Live Art" will knock your sox off. Though I have to say, that "Left of Cool" is still exponentially more musical than anything Natalie Imbrulia will ever put out.

Being a professional drummer, I am already offended by Futureman's choice of "instrument," but all of you that gave miserable reviews to this album dissapoint me. There is nothing wrong with this album. Futch's vocals are no godsend, but I see no problem with the Flecktones being a little bit slack once in a while. When I pick up Live Art, I'm certainly not picking it up for some fast bop, I'm picking it up for complex and mellow melodies, like that of "Shubee's Doobie." Don't discard "Left of Cool," because some musical critic schmuck says its terrible, give it a chance, it's pretty damn good. All of you music "afficionados," who analyze music instead of listen to it can cram it! YOU'RE ALL REPUGNANT!

Having had this CD for a long time, I have found myself coming back to it recently. For the first few years of owning it, I enjoyed some of the more obviously appealing cuts, like Big Counrty, Almost 12 and Throwdown at the Hoedown, though I generally prefer hearing those live. The great thing about the Flecktones is that their songs evolve through live playing, and Throwdown and Big Country, two songs they still play quite a bit, have really matured into even more great works.

Another great thing about this band though, is that there is still so much to discover about them, which I have found in listening to this record again. I have since rediscovered the gorgeous beauty of Shanti, the intense frenzy of Oddity, and the amazing journey that is Trane to Conamarra. This disc is just chock full of amazing experiences from start to finish.

There are some duds on the record. I generally am not a fan of the tunes with lyrics, as I think that is one area that could use more development. Aside from a few tracks, I have found this album to be an incredible listening experience. The Flecktones are masters of their instruments and are arguably the most interesting band out there (who else has a synth-axe drumitar in their band?). They take their music through ever genre imaginable, and this disc is a fine example of their greatness.

This was the long awaited studio albumm to follow "Live Art", an album that has acheived "legendary" status amongst most fans of Jam-music. Fans such as myself couldn't wait to see what they would do next. I was very dissapointed with Left of Cool. As previous reviewers have said, the vocals just ruin the songs. As for the instrumentals, it seems that everyone is laid back and relaxed, it lacks all of those fun, intense, upbeat tunes that made Live Art so great(Stomping Grounds, Bigfoot, UFO Tofu, Cheeseballs in Cowtown). I'm not saying there is anything wrong with relaxed songs, but when you have a 75 minute disc packed with almost all relaxed tunes, it tends to get monotonous really quickly. On the positive note, a really great track is Train to Canamarra, which is just one of those tunes that takes you off to some exotic place (hence the name) where you forget where you are actually sitting listening to the music.

One of the most-loved attributes of BF&F is that there's always something in every show or recording that the listener, even long-time fans, won't expect. Left Of Cool shocked many fans by including a good deal of vocals, from Royel to Dave Matthews and Amy Grant (a real treat, IMO... her presence just MAKES Step Quiet). I didn't warm to the new element for a few listenings, but now for the most part the vocals are as normal as anything else. Another grand feature of the new

disc is the ultra-high recording quality. More than ever, this Flecktones disc screams for the listener to put on headphones and sit in a quiet room at least once while listening. If you only buy one Flecktones disc, get Live Art, but IMO Left Of Cool may be the best disc with which to introduce yourself or others to this phenomenal group.

So it's not their most stellar effort, and there's quite a few "ripped-off" licks, and there's an Irish influence in there somewhere that's taken a little getting used to..but these guys still rule, and if smokin' Vic wants to play the bass with his nostrils, that's fine with me; I'll still buy the disc. By the way, who said any particular band has to record without lyrics? Amy sounds great, and Futch does a fine job, especially with his brand new axe.

Left of Cool is a great new recording by the Flecktones. Who could doubt that Royel's singing, Bela's lyrics and contrapuntal melody lines would be anything but masterful. Jeff Coffin fits right in and makes many contributions. While it takes a while to get used to the laid back approach of this recording after the high-energy of "Live Art", there are many pleasureable surprises here which only show up on repeated listenings. The only thing this recording lacks is Howard Levy's song writing. His compositions always provided a welcome rhythmic variation to Bela and Victor's compositions. And I'm still waiting for the Flecktones to record a version of Aaron Copland's "Hoedown" and "Fanfare for the Future Man" would be an interesting adventure to be sure.