Customer Reviews

Little Worlds (Dig)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am not a Flecktones fan. Indeed, this is my first Flecktones cd. I've always thought they were some kind of joke band. I mean, come on! Banjo as lead instrument? Futureman (ahem) playing electronic percussion? Jazzgrass? What's that?

Moreover, I haven't even listened to the whole thing yet (most of disc one, part of disc two, most of disc three). So how could I make such an outrageous claim? Here's how:

Most interesting soundscape. Employing everything from uillean pipes to theremin, to didjeridoo, to bodhran, to electric synth banjo, to cajon, to kanjira, to jaw harp, to tuvan throat singing, to gutam, the lads achieve an incredibly rich musical canvas, making this, besides being the greatest cd ever, also the first comprehensive world music cd.

Authentic evocation of widest variety of world musics. This is a band that plays reggae, Scandinavian string music, funk, traditional Celtic music, flamenco, gospel, blues, Indian, Hawaiian, Chinese, American bluegrass (sometimes all at once!) with such ease that it all sounds second nature.

Huge generosity of spirit. If you read the liner notes, it's as if they know every prominent musician in the whole world--and would love nothing more than to have them to play on their cd: So-and-so was in town, so we thought we'd include him/her on a piece we were working on, etc. And they always seem to find the exact right musical setting for their guests, showing them off to their greatest advantage and strength.

Ability to sustain interest through almost three hours of music. You'd think you'd want to put something else on after about 70-80 minutes of this stuff. Doesn't it get boring? Won't the listener start getting antsy about halfway through the second disc? No and no. And this is from someone who generally think most jazz cds are too long.

Complete mastery of all technical elements. This was recorded mainly in Bela Fleck's house, with an unusual set up, each band member having his own isolation booth. An advantage, as Fleck points out in the liner notes, is that the setup could stay in place indefinitely. Thus, the band wasn't under the usual pressure to record in a very short period of time, which is how most records get made these days. Instead, they could get together whenever the spirit moved, and record at their leisure. Fleck has become a brilliant producer. He has a genius for shaping the soundscape, for integrating amazingly diverse sound palettes, from sax duo ("Captive Delusions") to two dozen wildly eclectic instruments ("Sleeper").

Inclusion of two theremin players (sometimes at once).

Inclusion of Derek Trucks.

The sheer chutzpah to even attempt something this audacious. And the chops, élan, and collective brilliance to pull it off.

One thing this convinces me of: The best nu jazz (which is the best music being made today, in my opinion) is being made by bands: Nicholas Payton's Sonic Trance, Garage a Trois, The Bad Plus, The Dave Holland Quintet, Medicine Wheel, Beat the Donkey, The Intercontinentals, Safa, Nascer, The Peter Epstein Quartet, and The Charlie Hunter Quintet, to name a few.

Landmark, watershed, ground breaking, utter genius--I don't care what name it goes by. This is it.

For almost 15 years, Béla Fleck and his Tones have fearlessly blazed an addictingly upbeat path through any and every genre available. They're usually filed under jazz, but just calling them jazz is like just calling Canada a big snowy place. The group's normal lineup (banjo/bass/drums/sax) provides an astounding fusion of pop accessibility, mind-blowing virtuosity and telepathic chemistry that truly sounds like no one and nothing else out there, lending itself to any style or mode that comes along on a whim. Now, with this monster of an album almost two years in the making, they've expanded their territory wider than ever before. Celtic/Irish folk? Sure. Bluegrass? Certainly. Rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop, funk, club jazz, salsa, reggae, flamenco, Cajun, African, Oriental, ambient, just-plain-weird.. you'll find them all here and then some. And through it all, the group's trademark sense of humor and fun never lets up. Nothing's somber, nothing's downbeat or depressing; every Flecktone album radiates joy and laughter through every track.

The guest list alone would take a whole review to list in full, ranging from Bobby McFerrin to Nickel Creek to the Chieftains to Derek Trucks and Branford Marsalis, among many many others. The Tones are capable of wide-reaching stuff on their own, but the incredible range of contributions adds a whole breathtaking new spectrum of flavors and colors. I have to mention "Off the Top" as one of the absolute highlights since it *perfectly* shows off that flawless blend of ear-twisting technicality and sweeeeeet ear-candy addictiveness, but really, there's nary a weak point anywhere. Even the borderline "Ballad of Jed Clampett" (reimagined as a silly rap) can't lessen my love for this album. I say this is the ultimate Flecktone compilation, simply because it's the single release that most conveys the incredible range and variety these guys are capable of.

The only two complaints I have about Little Worlds are in the packaging, not the content: the whole thing is in a crummy cardboard digipak, which has always been a terrible way of storing discs.. and the total amount of music is just shy of 130 minutes, which means it could have easily fit on two CDs rather than three. But I can't nitpick in the face of so much beautiful music. There's a single-disc compilation called Ten From Little Worlds out there, but really, if you like any of this stuff then you'll love all the rest.

Any one of their single albums is a great introduction for anyone new to the group (although somehow I'm particularly partial to Outbound, for what that's worth), and once you know how you feel about them.. you'll already know whether you want this set. As for me, I have no doubt I'll be enjoying this one for years to come.

This is the best album I've bought in a long time. As the editorial review says, the musicianship of the Flecktones is simply astounding. They experiment with a variety of styles here -- Latin jazz in "Latitude," hip hop in "Ballad of Jed Clampett," nasty blues in "Snatchin'," and so on -- and conquer them all with ease.

While Little Worlds does take the band in new directions, the Flecktone sound is still there. This includes, of course, Fleck's apparent obsession with odd meters remains obvious on this album; "New Math" manages to fit a 5-beat pattern and a 3-beat pattern into the same time signature, "The Leaning Tower" contains a Celtic jig in 5/4, and "Next" switches meters several times a minute, for example. The overall effect is that no two songs sound alike. The broad expertise of the band and the unique flavor the Flecktones bring to their music makes for an amazing musical experience.

Adding to that experience are a ridiculous amount of guests -- somewhere between 20 and 30. Many of them bring new colors to the music; Derek Trucks adds that trademark ABB slide guitar sound to "Pineapple Heart," for example, and Jerry Douglas adds his twangin' dobro and lap steel to "Poindexter." A good portion of the guests appear on the album's 12-minute centerpiece, "Sleeper," a haunting tune that degenerates into a massive jam at the end. (The mass of playing and talking gives the impression one is walking through a crowded market in Hong Kong.) A couple of the guests do go mostly unnoticed, though -- Bernie Williams provided little more than name recognition, and I still haven't even heard Congar Ol Ondar's contribution on Tuvan throat singing. Oh well.

My only complaint is that Little Worlds seems like a two-CD album stretched into three CDs. "Longitude," "The Fjords of Oslo," "Prequel," "Return of the Mudslingers," and "Flunky" are all short tracks that are not really songs. They add a sense of continuity, I suppose, but they could easily be left off without hurting the album as a whole. In any case, the album represents a fantastic bunch of musicians at their finest, and is a must-have.

I absolutely love the Flecktones and I've been on the bus since their beginning. Yet I believe that most of their CD's fall short in conveying how great the band truely is. "Live Art" has always been my favorite because these guys are at their best in concert. Their last studio effort "outbound" came close to being continually intriguing. But this time with "Little Worlds", I think they've got it! I've listened to this record a ton of times so far and it continually inspires me. I do wish they would get back to playing as a four-piece even though the guest contributions on this set are fantastic. These discs are SOLID all the way through!
I didn't notice anyone else mentioning the "hidden" track at the beginning. When you start this CD from the beginning, you can rewind a couple minutes and hear an amusing little skit with David St. Hubbins from Spinal Tap and Bernie Williams from the NY Yankees. It's a hoot!
And if you've never seen the Flecktones in concert, get your ass to a show ASAP (they're almost always on tour). I've never see a bad show in the 20 or so times I've gone and I've never seen two even romotely the same. They are guaranteed to blow your mind.

Is anyone besides me amazed at how Bela Fleck & the Flectones can produce one fine work after another year after year? I keep expecting an album that will be a rehash of previous work, and it doesn't happen!

"Little Worlds", at 3 CDs in the set, could have been too long, but is isn't. The various guests add their spices to the pot, and the result is a tasty, eclectic brew. What a joy to listen to!

While this may not be the best Bela album ever, I think it is the most fun. It is truly fun to listen to and you really get the feeling that the group and all of their guests had a lot of fun recording it. You can tell by the comments in the liner notes that they had a blast throughout the whole experience.
I'm a musician myself. I play in an 80-piece symphonic band. I know the thrill of including guest performers into the mix. That same thrill shines through on this album. The joy of music! And lucky for us listeners, it produced a really unique blend of styles. Bela's work has never been boring, but this time, by adding in all the different instruments and approaches, they've made sure you're very entertained as you journey through their Little Worlds. You'll find it to be a fun journey where the joy of music is your tour guide!

Man, I have to admit I was almost skeptical when I heard they were putting out a triple album. Most double albums lack the drive a regular album has, with the exception of all the Zappa epics. But, this does anything bore. If it wasn't a triple album, I don't know what they would do.
The four virtuousos are back and better than ever. One of the only bands that seem to get better with every album does not upset on this one. The pure complexity of the songs seem to speak for themselves. Like the title says, each song seems to be their own worlds, each one having it's own characteristics. The celtic tune of "The Leaning Tower" is reminiscent of the celtic medley off "Three Flew...", only better. Each disc seems to get better as you listen to it, climaxing half walf through the third disc at "Pineapple Heart" and "Sleepers".
The evolution of the group has taken a giant leap ever since they acquired Jeff Coffin, getting more revolutionary every effort. This takes creativity to a new level. With over 20 guests, the insertion of strange sounds and instruments is not just showing off. A good example is Derek Trucks' addition in "Pineapple Heart". The few notes his signature guitar sound produces creates an entire new level to the song, making it infinitely better. About halfway through the album you suddenly realize you are listening to the best album of the year and perhaps the closest music can get to perfection. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys creative music and/or pure virtuosity in every way.

Bela Fleck and his "backing" Flecktones put out an album that is a microcosm (if three discs still count as one) of what the the band has always been to its fans: Technically brilliant and wide ranging in their scope of music. The Flecktones (Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist/guitarist Future Man, and sax player Jeff Coffin) play together as one voice on many tunes (such as "Sherpa" and "Puffy," two tunes they've played in concert for over a year). This is even more wonderful when you consider the ability and talent of each member; their acceptance of the idea of ensemble in these tunes allow the casual listener to hear tuneful arrangements and the hardcore fan to pick out great individual playing, such as Wooten's bass on "Reminiscence," Jeff's sax on "Sherpa," and Future Man's percussion on "Latitude."
In addition to the band by itself, the Flecktones are joined by a wide range of guests, including Bobby McFerrin on "Ballad of Jed Clampett" and "What It Is" (with some cool Banjo by Bela), Branford Marsalis, Guitarist Derek Trucks, and members of the Chieftains. There are also other perhaps lesser known guests who are masters of other instruments, like the ukelele (Jake Shimabukuro), the didjeridoo (Cyrus Niccore) and the theremin (Pamelia Kurstin), plus old friends like Sam Bush (mandolin), who add layers of color and mystique to many songs, especially the twelve minute "Sleeper," one of the best songs on the album.
One thing the layout of songs showcases in a way that may not be as apparent in other studio albums, however, is the sense of humor the band brings into their music. The 'Tones are not afraid to give a little wink to us as they progess through the album, and on tracks like "Ballad of Jed Clampett," the untitled track at the end of the third disc, and especially the short but funny "The Fjords of Oslo," the band shows that every now and then a little goofiness helps make the band more accessible and punctures the illusions of seriousness you might get from listening to the band.
Casual fans may be better served by buying the single disc "Ten from Little Worlds" album, but for the hardcore fan, this disc marks the best cross-section of what the Flecktones offer in their musical palette...Strongly recommended!

I feel a little nervous being the first Fleck-fan to review this album, but I have listened to every minute of the three CD's, and there's something for every generation of Flecktones fan (from the classic "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" feel to their world-music of "Outbound") as this phenomenal band keeps pushing the envelope, never content to rest on their laurels. All-star collaborators are all over this album (though originally conceived as just the four Flecktones, Bela explains at length in the liner notes about each collaboration). This is a CD for serious Flecktones fans; don't expect every minute of each CD to equal the greatness of "Live Art," but expect the unexpected, as you are no doubt used to doing. My initial favorites are the whimsical hip-hop "Ballad of Jed Clampett," Irish-inspired "New Math," the "Off the Top" series (collaborating with Nickel Creek's mandolinist) at the end of the 1st CD; "Costa Brava," an elegant Spanish-sounding masterpiece and much of the last songs of CD 2; "Next," "Pineapple Heart," and "Reminiscence" are ethereal, virtuosic, and an excellent showcase of the Flecktones' new sound, which I was treated to at a Charlottesville, VA show in March 2003.

Now to listen all over again and savor...These Little Worlds are absolutely worth the trip, and an ambitious and solid effort from what remains one of the best bands out there.

New Flecktones records always get me excited. Triple CD sets usually do not-- it indicates artists who are given too much time to play in the studio, with too little focus. This set lived up (or down) to my expectations. Yes, there are some brilliant tunes here, but WAY to many tunes that are uninspired and indulgent. It's just not something you can listen to from start to finish and like every tune, like UFOTofu, and even the last couple of CDs. Guess I should have bought the single-CD version of this-- but I just love the Flecktones too much. I will say, though, that the Nickel Creek tunes are the best-- those guys are brilliant.