Mondo Head

Kodo, ?? | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 23, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Red Int / Red Ink
• ASIN: B0000641BD
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,173 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #32 in Music > Indie Music > World Music > Far East & Asia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unless you're a big Mickey Hart and/or Kodo fan..., December 18, 2002

By 

Adam Weiner "rhythmyk" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mondo Head (Audio CD)

...then you might not like this.

This CD really gives one the feel that Kodo recorded these tracks and let Mickey Hart do as he wished. What's more, that's exactly what happened! Unfortunately, almost ALL the taiko on this CD sounds like either an afterthought or is buried under the "busy-ness" of it all.
Tracks 1 and 5 are a blend of 5-7 different artists, and unfortunately, the taiko part sounds "cut and pasted" into the tracks. There doesn't seem to be any reason to have taiko in the middle other than to have a different sound. Sometimes the taiko is providing a base beat or cyclical rhythm, but these chunks in the middle seem disconnected and isolated.

As for the good stuff - Track 10, Kashira, is a taiko-heavy piece that Kodo actually plays in concert. It's quite good, and although there are added instruments to it, the taiko is the focus.
Track 2 is a real treat - singer Yoko Fujimoto wails reminiscent of American Indian chanting. It sounds a bit new-agey, but it really doesn't get into that feel.

There are things to like about this album, but if you're looking for Kodo, buy another CD. I suggest Tataku, Tsutsumi, and Warabe. If you're looking for a Mickey Hart CD, it's pretty good except for the taiko issues I mentioned above.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars more Mickey Hart than Kodo, but it rocks, July 12, 2002

By 

Rodney Van Meter III (Half Moon Bay, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mondo Head (Audio CD)

There are no "pan pipes" here. This is glorious, inventive, adventurous stuff from some of the planet's premiere percussionists.

The structure and tunes seem to be much more heavily influenced by Mickey Hart than by Kodo's traditional approach. Nevertheless, this is new for Kodo, but not a total break.

Anybody who thinks that Kodo should stick to its "time honored traditions" doesn't really know Kodo very well. An important part of their raison d'etre is to bring the world closer together through percussion, which they have done through both concerts and recordings. In Japan, they often play with avant garde jazz musicians (Yamashita, Hino, Umezu) as well as percussionists from Hawaii, Senegal, Brazil, and more -- and even the occasional American gospel singer (Lacey Wright). This year's "Earth Celebration" guests were Airto Moreira and friends, who appear on "Mondo Head". If you want a taste of the international fusion, the absolutely over-the-top must-have CD is "Gathering" -- raw, exciting, exhausting, occasionally imperfect, and unlike anything you've ever heard before. It's too bad they don't bring this sound to the U.S. more often.

Mickey Hart's "newage" (rhymes with "sewage") liner notes aside, the best of this album is absolutely electric. If you had asked me if taiko and tablas could be combined in this way, I'd have told you no, but they pull it off with incredible finesse.

If you can have only one Kodo CD, get "Gathering". If you can have two, add one stocked with straight-up taiko (maybe "Ubu-Suna"; "Live at the Acropolis" leaves me a little cold for some reason). If you can have three, buy this album, and listen to it again and again -- there's always a deeper layer. Listen in the car, listen on your home stereo, listen with the bass turned up -- it sounds different and fresh every time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Multi-Channel Experience, May 5, 2004

By 

Jim Pullan (Ocala, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mondo Head [SACD] (Audio CD)

This SA-CD of KODO is nothing short of amazing. Especially, tracks 7 and 10. If you enjoy percussion instruments and want to experience a totally enveloping encounter, this is the SA-CD to own. It's great to show others exactly what multi-channel SA-CD and DVD-Audio can deliver. The detail of simple wind chimes, finger cymbals rise above the pulsating beat, clear and precise.
Highly recommended . . . . 5 Stars!!!