Customer Reviews

Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs

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

 

 

I've been a fan of Otis Taylor's music since White African and Respect the Dead. Those albums had a raw power that was missing from so much contemporary blues. Taylor combines the best aspects of the blues at its most "primitive" musically and lyrically, as exemplified by John Lee Hooker -- wicked riffs and dark grooves, relatively stark and simple lyrics that search out new wrinkles and nuances with each repetition. To these he added new instrumental textures (electric mandolin, for instance) and a sophisticated command of African-American history, with which he constructed story-songs. With each subsequent album, he has pushed himself as an arranger and added new instrumentation: cellos, violins, cornet, organ, trap drums, and here on Pentatonic Wars, African hand drums. This tendency always makes me approach a new Otis Taylor album with trepidation. I'm not always sure I like it as instantly as I did White African. BUT repeated listens have always proven Mr. Taylor's genius. By the third listen, I'm totally in awe of his abilities to maintain those core elements that first drew me to his music, while still expanding his range as a musician and arranger.
I used to DJ a public radio blues program in downstate Illinois. Whenever I played country blues or piano blues, someone would call in and complain; they had a very narrow sense of what "blues" is, meaning they insisted on loud electric guitar solos and thought Chicago blues was all there was. If you are one of "those" people, don't bother with Otis Taylor. But if you can accept blues as a sensibility rather than a "genre" of music, Otis Taylor is your man. I will continue to give him my money and let him guide me on his blues journey.

This cd has some of the most beautiful music I have heard in a long time. And if you have a CD player or receiver that decodes HDCD it is even better (yes, it is recorded in HDCD but not labeled as such - at least with my eyes). The music is dreamy, the sounds float in and out and tickle your brain. I have 4 other CDs and to me, this is the best yet. I saw Otis and band at the Bayfront Blues Festival in August - Otis, Cassie Taylor, Anne Harris and Chuck Campbell. It was a highlight of the weekend. I did not know this CD was released before that. So glad I found out. Amazing live, amazing recorded.

I'm an old Otis fan, and really have enjoyed his last few albums. However if you're looking for something a little quieter, this is great, possibly the best of the bunch. Also for the high-end audio fans out there, an extremely well recorded and produced album.

The title (AFI) says it all. Otis has done it again. Though he describes his music as "Transnational Blues," it's more "Trans-Galactic Interspatial Harmony." Some of the sweetest but heart-breaking music, followed by tunes that may me want to pay tribute to him as the Pharaoh Sanders/Sun Ra of the banjo Gary Moore on lead accompanies on many of the songs. I have had the pleasure of seeing him and his daughter Cassie (bass player and vocalist with the sweetest voice imaginable) here in Paonia at the Paradise Theater (he'll be back Aug 1). I play him regularly on my jazz and blues shows on the local public radio station at kvnf.org.

Hugh Carson
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I really liked the album. I first saw Otis this past summer at the Bayfront Blues Fest. All of his many cd's were sold out before he finished performing. Good cd. I'd reccomend it.

Otis Taylor has a unique voice in todays blues scene. His droning and repetive style can together with his strong lyrics evoke a deep blues feeling. But, he's style is also limited. After White African and Respect the Dead he needed to enhance his musical visions and he succeeded with that with last years excellent Recapturing the Banjo.

But this album, Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs, is weak. He seems to try to combine his primitive blues with soft love songs in the line of Leonard Cohen. It's sentimental without sentiment. Listen to Sunday Morning. Otis daughter Carrie has a sweet voice, but when she whispers the phrase Sunday Morning for the xxxth time, I almost feel sick. It's like eating jellybread with cream topping and at the same time drinking a sweet soda pop. Too sweet.

And Gary Moore's guitar playing on three tracks for me feels totally out of context. His playing never seems integrated with Taylor's music.

I like and admire Otis Taylor, but this album is one of his weakest. To me it's a prime example of the saying "The emperor's new clothes".