Overtime

Urban Turban | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 22, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Flame
• ASIN: B0000046I2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,817 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Overtime

2. The Price We Ought to Pay

3. Fear

4. I Can't Complain/Klagodans

5. Persian Night

6. Laurel Canyon Home

7. Miss James/Contact

8. Music Machine

9. 40 Days and 40 Nights

10. Fly Tomorrow

Editorial Reviews

Many Capitols and Metropolis's of our day and age are melting­pots of different cultures. The variety of languages, traditions, cultures and handicrafts always invite to a voyage of discovery. URBAN TURBAN reflects this manifold through a music mirrow.

The origin of URBAN TURBAN has quite a bit of resemblence to the experimental impulse of their bandleader Peter Bryngelsson. During a recording session, he decided to try an old folk instrument, the "Hurdy Gurdy" (Barrel­Organ), to see if it was possible to play the Blues with it. The outcome was fantastic. Peter then decided to invite fellow musicians to listen to his discovery. Together they let their minds run free, to create something new, without loosing their roots in Blues. The multicultural background of the musicians formed all of their ideas to this unique sound. URBAN TURBAN plays an interesting style of Ethno­Blues, abolishing "normal" structures through their instrumentation, their inspiration, the rhythm or the arrangements. Despite of all these "new" sounds, their music reflects their good mood and joy in making music.

With their first album, they reached the top position of the World Music Charts Europe. As quickly as this happened, the word also spread, that they are one of the most interesting live­acts. On the new album "Overtime" are own compositions as well as John Mayall adaptions ("Laurel Canyon Home", "Miss James") and classical Blues ("40 Nights and 40 Days"). The closest comparison are associations to Jah Wobbles or Tranceglobal Under­ ground. You could also picture it as "Captain Beefheart meets an arabian Big Band in the desert during a jam session".

Their current album was already released in Sweden and it received incredible reviews. Göteborg Tidningen describes "Overtime" as "one of the best albums of the year", Arbeterblader named it a "giant cultural crash" and Smelansposten called it "just simply excellent". Besides the 8 musicians, Peter Bryngelsson invited guest musicians for the recording of "Overtime". One of them is the popular turkish musician, 'Zyia Aytekin', who now lives in Sweden. Aytekin became famous for his soundtrack on the film "Yo".

In their songs, the musicians reflect signs of the times, they ironically take up position against racism, as shown in the song "Fear". "Instead of being afraid of the different cultures, we should try to understand each other and build bridges between our cultures", says Peter Bryngelsson. URBAN TURBAN tries this with their own method as musicians.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The name says it all, April 30, 2001

By 

Michael Heminger "pantherboy" (Pardeeville, WI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Overtime (Audio CD)

Imagine a sultan bringing his royal musicians to a Chicago blues bar, and you might get close. Urban Turban is the brainchild of Peter Bryngelsson, who wondered one day what it would be like to play traditional blues songs with non-traditional instruments (Hurdy Gurdy, Bozouki, Tabla, Saz, Violin) and arrangements. The result is refreshing and engaging - a fresh salty ocean breeze in a sea of Blues mediocrity, or, as the liner notes praise: "Captain Beefheart meets an Arabian big band in the desert."

Track 4 is my favorite with Beefheartesque vocals, and melds into a drum-heavy boostomp "Klagodans" that weaves through a fiddle ditty straight out of the Ukraine. Track 2 could pass for World Party in a continental mood (or as a They Might Be Giants cover band on track 7), and track 5 "Persian Night" could have been pulled off Zeppelin III. Overall, the sound is very Eastern European, the likes of which we rarely hear in this country, particularly in this type of vein. Their first lp (good luck finding a copy) had more traditional material to play with, and this one tackles John Mayall several ways, always with innovative and pleasant results. Recommended if you want unique music that you and your friends have never heard before.