Customer Reviews

Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
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Raymond Scott is not a composer of cartoon music. He is however a compser whose music was later used for many cartoons. His musis is so tied to those cartoons that listening to his extrodinary and complex pieces is like revisiting the old Warner Bros. cartoons. Much of the music on this CD is recognizeable including the Warner Bros. archetypal piece Powerhouse.

It was once I understood that this music was not written to accompany Bugs Bunny that I understood Scott's genius: this was just the music he liked to compose. It was not a soundtrack to accompany an animated rabbit and duck and his composition names were not references to cartoons.

Scott is not a jazz musician in any traditional way. His music was very rigid. He would tap out pieces on piano and tell others to play it on their own instrument. There was no room for improv. He never wrote down a note of music but rather composed pieces on the spot and assigned people in his quintet to play them. Rigid and formal in compositional style, he was very serious about his fun music. Said to be a loner and a workaholic, he seemed an unlikely candidate to be the musical spokesperson for a generation of cartoons. In spite of the restraints he placed upon his band, his music swings like few others. It feels fun and alive as if playing the music is the greatest joy.

Despite knowing about his utter lack of involvement in the making of Warner Bros. cartoons, it is still far easier to imagine a pack of animated animals playing his music than actual people who slaved away for weeks to learn each piece.

Later in life he left this fun jazz behind and became a pioneer of electronic music and even did soundtracks for the short films of a pre-Sesame Street Jim Henson.

He is one of the most important, influential, and played composers of the 20th century. There are few people in America who have not heard his work although most have no idea who he is.

This 22-track CD includes the original 78 rpm tracks performed by the original 1930s Raymond Scott Quintette -- especially those used in CARTOONS (WB Looney Tunes, Ren & Stimpy, The Simpsons, Animaniacs, etc.)

This 24-bit remastered CD 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.

For the 'new & improved' version, all tracks were remastered at Sony Studios (the latest technology was used to extract better sound from the original 1930s metal master discs); two tracks have been replaced by different, newly discovered -- and better -- performances; the liner notes have been corrected, updated, and expanded; and the inside booklet has been redesigned.

''RECKLESS NIGHTS AND TURKISH TWILIGHTS is a collection of the music Raymond Scott wrote and recorded between 1936 and 1939. It is totally inspiring; high energy music with tempos that rival any speed garage techno-schmecno dance music.'' -AVANT Magazine

I was listening to the Soul Coughing CD "Irrisistible Bliss" and noticed that my favorite track on that CD was built on top of a sample from Raymond Scott's music. So I ordered this CD.

Wow! As a big fan of the old Warner Bros. cartoons as well as Ren & Stimpy, finding this was like walking right into a treasure room. As the excellent liner notes explain, many of the Looney toones were based on Raymond Scott's unusual style of jazz.

I'm not a big jazz fan, but this is "goofy jazz" and very accessible. If you enjoyed the music in Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny cartoons, you will love listening to the source of all that music.

The sound quality is excellent considering that all of this was recorded over 50 years ago ...

I stumbled upon this album accidently, and now I am completely addicted to Raymond Scott. This album in particular is wonderful, for you will recognize tunes from various cartoons of the past, like bits used in older Warner Bros., and much older MGM cartoons. You cannot listen to this cd and remain in a bad mood, it's impossible. My daughter calls it 'bug music' (she's 2), and has to dance to it every day, and so do I! Really, it's one of those 'must haves'.

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THIS IS A WONDERFUL CD! The music is timeless...

When the first version of this CD was released in 1992, the CD's sound-quality may have left something to be desired. However, THIS version of the CD sounds fantastic; it's amazing all the bass, and other parts, that I never noticed before! (The secret? I'm not a technical expert, but I think they actually did LESS processing of the original [1930s] master disc recordings this time... But whatever the process was, the results are a definitely a knock out!)

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Although these recordings were made in the 1930s, Sony has done an AMAZING job of extracting the best-possible fidelity! Anyone who loves the old version of this CD owes it to themselves to get this NEW, REMASTERED version to replace it! You'll be stunned by the astonishing sound-quality!

Okay, as a little kid growing up in the 1990's, I was a fanatic of the Ren & Stimpy Show. And I always wondered, when the rambunctious cat and mouse duo were engaging in their hysterical hijinx, what WAS that incredible background music?! It's a little bit ragtime, a little bit trashcan jazz, and a whole lotta AWESOME!!! Well, a few months ago, I did some extensive research on the web, and to my eternal joy, I found out that the composer in question is one Raymond Scott, and boy, did I jump at the chance to buy this CD! I was NOT disappointed! This guy is a musical dynamo! His compositional structures and musical ideas defy every convention! And all the looney old ditties are here, including a few that any cartoon fan will INSTANTLY recognize, like "Powerhouse", "The Toy Trumpet" and "Manhattan Minuet", and a few that I didn't even know he wrote! Even the ones that I'd never heard before impress me to no end, like "The Penguin" and "Huckleberry Duck." This cat really knew jazz, despite what the purists say. He also had a knack for taking a concept or idea, and totally expressing it musically, like Richard Strauss, but with swing! I don't know how I ever lived without this CD. A few of my personal favorites are "The Toy Trumpet" (the tune WILL get stuck in your head, mark my words!), "Manhattan Minuet" (a jazzy little tune with a twinkly background), and "In an 18th Century Drawing Room" (which is really just a jazz variation on the first movement of Mozart's K. 545 piano sonata, but you'll be astounded by what Ray does with it!) Great CD, highly recommended! If you're a music lover, you must check this one out!

---Barrett

Sure, many people haven't heard the name Raymond Scott. However, plenty of people know his music. It has been used in both Looney Toons and Ren and Stimpy, not to mention countless other cartoons, and has been sampled to death (by artists such as Soul Coughing). However, his music can stand on its own merits and is much more than just incidental music for cartoons. In fact, Scott never composed a peice specifically for a cartoon. His music is incredibly surrealistic and zany, perfect for a cartoon. Despite the fact that this is music of its time, it sounds incredibly fresh. There wasn't much like this around in its day, and there is even less like it around today, which makes it an unique listen. This is the most logical starting point in your appreciation of Scott's legacy. If you like this music, check out the incredible double-disc set "Manhattan Research Inc", which also contains a booklet. A legend entirely deserving of his cult reputation.

If you are reading this review, chancs are that you aleady know who Raymond Scott is. This is the CD that started the revival of interest in his music. Raymond and his original group are the real masters of his music although the Beau Hunks are a very close second. Raymond left no room for error on his recordings and it shows. The performances are completely polished. True these all come from 78 RPM sources but they are as good as it gets. You will NOT be disappointed. If you only buy one Raymond Scott CD, this MUST be the one to get.

These songs bring back memories of being a kid and watching cartoons. Even though I don't watch many cartoons anymore, there's a delicious wackiness to these songs that makes them fun to listen to.