Customer Reviews

London Underground

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

 

 

As a fan of Herbie Mann,this ranks as one of my all time favorites! Mann is one of those rare jazz musicians who can perform a remake of virtually any style of music out there. Do it well and do it justice. His choice of musicians on this album is the obvious reason its so good. Highlights from some of my favorites are, Track 1.Which is a remake of a classic Rolling Stones song. A great rock n roll jam featuring solos by Mick Taylor on guitar and Herbie Mann on flute who really cuts loose! Ansley Dunbar on drums who entertains us with lots of Funky foot work! Track 3. A remake of Layla by Eric Clapton. Great guitar solos by Mick Taylor and Albert Lee.Once again,kick in the but drumming by Ansley Dunbar and a variety of instrument solos being played at the same time that are all centered around the basic Layla melody. Track 5. Remake of the 70's classic Mellow Yellow. Mann's choice in using a violin for the vocal line along with his flute is what makes the song unique. Also,nice jazz brush work on the snare by Dunbar! Track 6. A winter shade of pale. A nicely done slow ballad with very beautiful orchestral sounding keyboard parts. Mann plays his flute with so much intensity and feeling that it gives me chills just thinking about it. Track 7. Great piano solo on this tune {sounds like it's being played on a classic Fender Rohdes electric piano} Albert Lee on guitar. Dunbar gives us fancy foot work again! Last but not least is track 8. A Beatles classic. Features a very heartfelt performance by Herbie Mann and Albert Lee on acoustic guitar. Nice vibrato effect on the elecric piano. A soothing relaxing tune. Final thought: A Fantastic album by a Fantastic jazz musician! Great re-mixing done for this re-issue. Awesome Sound! Enjoy!

It was 1974 and I had been yearning for this sweet and innocent girl all summer. Finally, I got up the courage and soon she became my girlfriend. After several weeks, she shyly asked if I wanted to go up to her bedroom. Romantic visions swam in my head of both of us losing our virginity to each other as offerings of love. Once she closed her bedroom door, however, I found out she was neither sweet nor innocent. As she tore off her clothes and ripped at mine, she exposed that she was quite experienced and demanding. It was the longest afternoon of my life. Afterward, she laughed at my clumsiness and that I was foolish enough to think she was a virgin. The next day she tossed me aside like a spent shotgun shell.

Brokenhearted, I ran away from home and hit the road. I wanted to forget.

Several weeks later, I found myself at this bar in Chicago where they played jazz music. Late into the night and several whiskeys later, I wandered into the basement where I found this graceful gentleman in an impeccable white suit smoking a long cigar and sipping a gin and tonic. He had a neatly manicured goatee and clear eyes. I suppose I looked a little worse for wear and my speech was little better; but I recognized him as one of the musicians I had seen on stage. "Hey, old man", I slurred, "how come you ruined all my favorite songs?" The stylish gentleman put down his cigar. "First, it's Mr. Mann to you, Sonny. Second, you look like you've been hit hard. What's troubling you?"

I couldn't help it. It was either the booze or the pain in my heart; but I spilled it all out. All the disappointment. All the deception and humiliation by a girl I thought was my sweetheart. Being dumped for everyone in school to see. On the road and miles away, I couldn't hide my shame. And to top it all off, my favorite songs had just been ruined.

"Well, Sonny, I see you take yourself too seriously and not seriously enough. Let's skip that for a moment and talk about jazz. I didn't "ruin" those songs as you imagined. I love the originals as you do. You have to love and revere the original song because that's important and you can't love music without finding something to love in a song no matter where it came from. We jazz musicians used to do the old standards from the 30's and 40's. But that time is gone and jazz itself is partly the reason for that. Today we have rock. Very different music but music all the same. And just like the old songs from the 30's and 40's, there are those that just want the "real thing" straight and nothing else. Jazz has a different sensibility. Jazz takes those revered songs and plays with them-mixes them up for fun mostly. The music is still there. Maybe you can enjoy it a little more."

Mr. Mann took a long drag on his cigar, took it out of his mouth, and paused to look at it. "Now take that girl of yours. You love her and she turned out different from what you expected. She's still the same girl. You can love her all the same-if you choose to. You should go back, look her straight in the eye, and have fun. Maybe she got her laughs but you got the better end of the deal. Maybe you were a little untrained but she's the one who got bedded by you. So she's a tough cookie. Be your own tough cookie. Maybe she'll take you back. Maybe she won't. So maybe it doesn't always work out. But love is always a beautiful thing-even if only in memory."

Mr. Mann took another long puff on his cigar and then finished with a sip of his drink. "You'll have to excuse me, Sonny. My next set is coming up."

Soon thereafter, the whiskey took over and I fell asleep there on the couch. Hours later, I woke up and an envelope with "Sonny" written on it was stuck in my coat. Inside was enough money for a bus ticket home.

After leaving the bus station in my hometown and making my way back to my home, I passed by the record store where Herbie Mann's new album was on display in the window. On impulse, I bought it and returned home.

I went back to school the next day. When I got to my locker, my sweetheart saw me across the hall and began to poke fun at me. Without delay I walked over, took her in my arms and kissed her full on the mouth. As she pulled away, looking startled, I said, "You'll always be mine".

OK. It ended up not working out. But now I was a man of dark mystery. "What happened it Chicago?" They all wondered. I took to wearing black turtlenecks with black clothes and reading books on jazz history. All the girls in high school dug it.

Late at night, I stayed up playing my records-always saving my jazz records for last. LONDON UNDERGROUND was always among my favorites. There was Herbie Mann having fun and making love to the rock music I loved in my heart. He had two pieces on the album that were his own compositions and I would wonder what girlfriends from long ago he was bringing to mind.

Love like music is a beautiful thing. It's beautiful thing when you have it and when you return to it. It is also a wonderful thing in memory.

One wonders who had the most fun putting this album together... was it Herbie Mann, having the opportunity at the peak of his popularity to draw some of the most accomplished musicians from jazz and rock to jam on an eclectic choice of pop and rock songs of the era, or emerging rock luminaries such as then-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, Ten Year's After founder Alvin Lee, and violinist extraordinarie Stephanie Grappelli to back the only musician ever able to employ the flute as the lead instrument on top-selling vinyl discs? I regard 'London Underground', recorded in December of 1973, as the sequel to the astoundingly impressive 1971 release, 'Push Push', where Mann managed to draw Duane Allman into the studio to record covers of another group of well-chosen pop recordings such as 'Never Can Say Goodbye'. 'London Underground' seems to lack the thematic appeal which 'Push Push' possessed, the latter being a soundtrack to make love to, but otherwise further stocks one's music shelf with nine more covers of popular compositions for the flute-lover-in-you to relish.

Regardless of which musicians enjoyed the sessions the most, the collection of tracks will certainly bring a smile to the face of most fans of jazz fusion. Some of the tracks are deserving of a little more oomph! than a flute can be reasonably expected to deliver, even with six-string warriors such as Taylor and Lee in tow. Such is the verdict with 'Bitch' and 'Layla', and to a lesser degree on Traffic's 'Paper Sun', which possessed a definite psychedelic leaning that Mann's flute excursions bring interest to. These three tracks are the longest recordings on the disc, with 'Bitch' and 'Layla' claiming over eight minutes of vinyl, and 'Paper Sun' over six minutes. Of the three Mann probably has the most success with 'Bitch', which translates into several rather torrid improvisations. More suited to Mann's style are Thunderclap Newman's 'Something In the Air', Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', and Donovan Leitch's 'Mellow Yellow', which features then 66 year old Stephanie Grappelli. The tender tones of a flute simply meld more sympathetically to the smooth feel of these numbers.

The two tracks that stand as unknown quantities are both bouncy pop tunes. 'Spin Ball' is the shortest track on the disc, timing out at slightly under two minutes. It's written by one Paddy Kingsland, who did extensive composing for BBC radio and television programs in the 1960's. 'Spin Ball' was used as the theme for televised UK soccer matches. The only Herbie Mann contribution is the similarly pleasing 'Memphis Spoon Bread and Dover Soul', a track I'm guessing is every bit as tasty as is one of the best baking fillet's when served together with a rich cornmeal pudding. The languishing melody of The Beatles' 'You Never Give Me Your Money' is a sweet choice for the closer, at nearly opposite ends of the continuum from the feel of the opener, 'Bitch'. The mix of genre's between the two could hardly be more diverse.

There are other performers of note on 'London Underground'. Keyboardist Pat Rebillot, a mainstay of Herbie Mann recordings and a one-time member of Average White Band is featured, and one of my favorite bassists, Calvin 'Fuzzy' Samuels, who had just completed a tenure in the rhythm section for Stephen Still's Manassas teams with drummer Aynsley Dunbar, reknown for his work with John Mayall and Frank Zappa. King Crimson saxophone player Ian McDonald appears as well. The mix of sounds, compositions, and performers couldn't be much more eclectic. Although the disc could have been improved with the presence of some token vocals here and there, there is no question about it, four stars for Herbie and company.

Before it goes away again. This one was hard to find.

If you like jazz - and you like relaxing music - slip this in, kick back, and go to your happy place! Herbie Mann cannot be beat.

I have had the album since about 1977 and still have several songs on tape to practice flute to, together with some Ian Anderson solos, Celtic and renaissance material.

This album features a great lineup of musicians, who play the songs strongly, up-tempo and the recording quality on the original vinyl was excellent. Several songs are great to play along to on flute, such as Mellow Yellow, featuring Stephane Grappelli with Mann, Paper Sun, Spinball, Something in the Air and Memphis Spoon Bread. The rest I couldn't care for although they get a passing grade for performance. This album is a mix of songs I would rate as 5 stars, with those that are 3's.

If you are out for great pure jazz, perhaps avoid this one, but if you play the flute buy it immediately (!), and if you like FUN, then certainly this one feels very light-hearted as well as energetic.

PS - if I remember correctly, Channel 50 in Detroit used to use this version of Mellow Yellow sometimes as the opening theme song to the daily 4pm Three Stooges show! Catch my drift?

Mann has a stable of superb musicians accompany him on this homage from the jazz world to the London rock world.