Customer Reviews

The Music of Raymond Scott / Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
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THIS IS THE OLD VERSION -- DON'T ORDER FROM THIS PAGE! BE SURE YOU ORDER THE REMASTERED (ALSO AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON.COM) INSTEAD!! The new, remastered version from SONY sounds better, the booklet has been updated, PLUS: it's cheaper!

It's important to note there are actually 2 different versions of this CD available!! The album, produced by Irwin Chusid with Executive Producer Hal Willner, was originally mastered by Parkinson in Summer 1992 & released on Columbia in December of that year. The 24-bit remastered version allows for a fuller presence in the transfer from metal master to digital format. Meaning: it sounds a lot better, brighter, more alive. There's more bass, & richer textures. "The overall sound is far superior to the first CD issue," Chusid commented. "We continue to be amazed at discovering the bass in these tracks, especially as compared to the CD. "We're doing only light CEDAR-ing [declicking & decrackling]. Most discs are very clean sounding. We found an alternate take of 'Oil Gusher' where the drums are more prominent in the middle section. The performance is comparable to that on the first CD, & we intend to substitute the newly found ver! sion. "Even better is a stunningly different take of 'At An Arabian House Party' -- one of two numbers on the CD by the RS Orchestra -- that features 'comic' horns a la the Quintette in the intro, a great guitar solo in the middle, & a neat tom-tom fill at the end, none of which were on the version used on the '92 release."

Honestly, I purchased this CD after someone played "Powerhouse" and I recognized the song from many of the classic Warner Brothers' cartoons of the 40's and 50's. I had heard this piece many times but never appreciated how fantastic it was without animation accompanying it. I purchased this CD and it just blows my mind that so few people know anything about Raymond Scott. All the pieces are interesting but the amazing feel of his music comes from how well he paints a picture through sound. "Tobacco Auctioneer" and "At an Arabian House Party" both floored me with the musical moods that he arranged.

Scott also stands out as a great example of closely arranged and innovative jazz. While he allowed some of the musicians to improvise during the sessions, he set the arrangement in stone once he had it "perfected", so some people may even disagree with classifying his music as jazz. Jazz or not, this music is more than a soundtrack to some great cartoons, it stands on its own as an unappreciated direction that instrucmental music took during the early 20th century.

No, the name of this review isn't a misquote of a Chicago song title. It's simply a sneakily veiled way of saying that any man who writes music using 32nd and 64th notes can't be all bad. Raymond Scott was clearly in a class by himself. He was the very best at what he did: composing complex, varied music that sounds modern even 70 years later--and that's hard to do, folks!

A new version of track one, "Powerhouse" (Scott's most famous work), was used in a 2007 TV commercial for a debit card-- perhaps you saw the machine-like lunchroom that hums until a man DARES to pay for his meal with, of all things, CASH. Yep, that music is the very same "Powerhouse." (Scott's original was recorded in early 1937.) Besides that signature piece and the equally famous "Toy Trumpet," be sure to give a listen to "The Penguin." You may have heard it before. But ALL these songs are wonderful, and there's lots to like on RECKLESS NIGHTS AND TURKISH TWILIGHTS.

Often, Raymond Scott's compositions sound like an early form of be-bop. Not always easily approachable, yet it's still definitely worth the effort to get to know the man's music. Analog to digital transfers are of the highest quality, while content and performance are unparalleled. Album includes a nicely detailed 20 page booklet. Very highest recommendation.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 61:32

If you need music to wash your car, clean the house, bake a cake or juggle to, this is the stuff. These songs were in cartoons and conjur up wacky images in the mind of madcap chases and retarted farm animals with firearms. Holy crap! this is a good cd! Sure, it's a little silly but not in a Puff Daddy way, in a good way! Perfect background music for everyday activities. Excellent driving music. It makes you want to swerve into other cars and run over fire hydrants.

I have heard "Powerhouse" and other Raymond Scott works used in all sorts of animation and other projects. I was pleased to hear his other compositions
and performances-- I've very glad I found this CD at Amazon.

You may have heard some of Raymond Scott's compositions played by such bands as Ambrose, Sydney Lipton, or Jack Harris, but until you hear this you ain't heard nothin' yet. Scott was a very inventive individual, whose passion for technology influenced his musical compositions, and lent them a unique character.

This compilation presents twenty of the 23 commercial releases which the Raymond Scott Quintette recorded between early 1927 and mid-1939, plus two of the later recordings by his New Orchestra. Sound quality is excellent, and trumpeter Russ Case deserves special mention for his high-speed staccato delivery on "Tobacco Auctioneer". The 20-page illustrated liner note sets out Scott's career in some detail, although in trying to be equally quirky has sacrificed something to legibility. But never mind, this is a fascinating glimpse of a stylised jazz form which if it never quite took off has never quite gone away either.

I'm not surprised so many other reviewers have given this album five stars. It's a perfect collection. Some would say the sound quality isn't up to par with the great recordings of the 20th century, and that's true, but this album made me realize something about the music of Raymond Scott -- it was actually written with that poor sound reproduction in mind. When this music is recorded in high fidelity, it's almost too much (though Carl Stalling certainly did a magnificent job with his arrangements of Raymond Scott's music -- especially "Powerhouse"). I think the lower fidelity of this recording protects the listener from the full "manic" impact, giving you a chance to enjoy the performances and the composition.

There's a program on TV right now, I believe it's called HOW IT'S MADE, that shows wonderful automated factories making all sorts of products. I can never see those machines without hearing "Powerhouse" in my head. Raymond Scott was truly a composer of the Jazz/Machine Age, an absolute genius. Get the real thing, folks, the original.

What a great stress-buster! The syncopated rhythms and happy melodies perk up a dull day at the office and help me breeze through household chores.

Raymond Scott's compostions have been appropriated by Soul Coughing, Warner Bros., and Ren & Stimpy. Now you can enjoy the originals. Often quite invigorating and imaginative, tracks like "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals" and "Boy Scout in Switzerland" will be quickly recognizable with the catchy rhythms and swinging reeds that Scott reined in to create his miniature masterpieces.