Montage

Montage | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 6, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1968
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sundazed Music Inc.
• ASIN: B00005QZLJ
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,086 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Shall Call Her Mary

2. She's Alone

3. Grand Pianist

4. Men Are Building Sand

5. Desiree

6. The Song Is Love

7. Tinsel and Ivy

8. An Audience With Miss Priscilla Gray

9. My Love

10. Wake Up Jimmy (Something Is Happening Outside)

11. The Mirror [#][*]

12. Thor and Or [#][*][Instrumental]

13. The Song Is Love [#][*][Instrumental]

14. Desiree [#][*][Instrumental]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stellar...a lost gem., November 17, 2001

By 

David Goodwin (Westchester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Montage (Audio CD)

Mike Brown--the intensely talented songwriter for the Left Banke who penned most of their songs--DID have a post-Banke career, but with the odd exception of Stories (who had their one hit, Brother Louie, after Brown had left the band), none of those bands ever made much impact, or were availible on CD. This disc, released almost 30 years after the fact, is now a welcome exception to that rule.

Montage was the eponymous album issues by the New Jersey group, who wisely decided to partner with the otherwise-not-actually-in-the-group Mike Brown and cohorts for songs and production; although Brown writes most of the songs, plays keyboards, and does a whole host of other things, he was apparently not technically in the band. Odd. Yet he and his other LB cohorts (Bert Sommer cowrites some of the material, as does Tom Feher; both contributed to various LB projects in some way) obviously hadn't lost any of their talent, and it is my firm opinion that Montage blows even the Banke's heralded debut out of the water. The songs are *that good*. The performances are understated and emphasize "feel" more than rocking out. That's *just the way these songs should be*. Both of Montage's singers have wonderful, expressive, yet vulnerable voices. Exactly suited to the material.

It's really that good, folks. Highlights include The Grand Pianist (which later shows up on a Bert Sommer album in a sparser arrangement...heck, he wrote the lyrics, so...), an earthier take on the Banke's Desiree, the stunning opener I Shall Call Her Mary...in fact, my only complaint about this set is that they didn't include MORE. I mean, c'mon, there must be more where The Mirror (one of the excellent bonus tracks) came from!

Buy it. Now. If you're a fan of the Banke, Zombies, the Beach Boys in their "Today!/Pet Sounds" mode, The Association, or 60s music in general, you are almost guarenteed to love this.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was there when it was originally being made..., May 4, 2004

By 

V. Chapman (Vero Beach, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Montage (Audio CD)

I Loved the album when it was being made... I was there. I was lead singer Vance Chapman's girlfriend and I am now his wife. I was with Vance when he sang the lead on 7 of the 10 vocals and the off-key song is not his, although one thing I need to explain is that Mike Brown's intention in the song "Men are Building Sand" was to have that NOTE painfully out of tune since it was the writer's intent to demonstrate his displeasure of urban sprawl. But Vance and I agree, it does sound bad and the reason for doing it that way was never known by listeners. However, Mike Brown never let the band use the simple technology of echo on the vocals, which is why the vocals sound drier than those of the richly styled Left Banke. The talent and voices were always there and still are. Vance went on successfully making music with the VANCE CHAPMAN BAND for years after the Montage went their separate ways. He still sings and is still capable of producing the same dulcit tones with more fullness and maturity. I may seem prejudiced and of course, I am. Vance and I hope you all will continue to enjoy this labor of love.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good- but not great, December 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Montage (Audio CD)

Felt I needed to provide balance in regard to the other review. I blindly purchased this cd because of my love for the Left Banke. This is a very good album and certainly should be purchased if you are a Left Banke devotee. I strongly disagree with it being better than Left Banke's debut however. But there are several very good songs on this album, I particularly like Tinsel and Ivy.

If you have a chance to listen to this album check out Men Are Building Sand. It contains the most painful recorded note I have ever heard- completely off-key. What's the deal? No other complaints aside from this.