Customer Reviews

Reggae

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

 

 

My family used to have this album on vinyl in the 70s and we lost it. I could not believe it when it recently appeared on CD, and I bought it. If you like reggae and instumental music with a strong beat this album is for you. "My girl" is simply fantastic; 18 minutes of magic, and as soon as it ends you want to hear it again. Of all the albums I have bought for nostalgia's sake, this one is far and away my favorite. Fantastic!

This album is one of my favorites of Herbie Mann. Although not as
technically proficient as some of his other work, the free and easy swinging lope of the tunes is intoxicating. I especially love the interplay between Mann and the clavinet that has hooked me on that instrument ever since. I've been waiting for this on CD for 20 years.

There are only four tracks on this Atlantic session from 1974. All have a reggae rhythm feel and all have Herbie Mann's flute dancing on top. I especially like The Rivers of Babylon and The Swinging Shepherd Blues; both present those familiar melodies in appealing ways over the steady reggae rhythms. Mann made a lot of records and tried a lot of musical styles throughout his career. He was often criticized as a commercial popularizer, and there is certainly some of that. But he was also a serious musical explorer and often made strong statements in Latin, Brazilian and Middle Eastern styles, as well as Southern funk. He could do reggae too.

I was so delighted to finally have this cd. Many years ago I owned it on vinyl.Listening to the four selections made me so
happy. It easily is one of my all time favorites. If you pur
chase this cd, the first thing you should do is get a burned or
additional copy so you will never be with out it again.I can't
start to explain how well My Girl is arranged. Every time I hear
it moves me more and more. Jaye Price
beltsville md

When Mick Taylor participates in a record there is always a special touch in it. As a Rolling Stones fan, the period with Taylor was special. I don't know why the second record with Herbie Mann was never published in cd format. This is a way to make disappear music. I am talking about REGGAE II, where Mick Taylor appears too.

Herbie Mann is truly a leader in the field of World Music. In the early '60's he went on a State Dept. tour of Africa which led to his album "Common Ground." Only a few years later he went to Brasil and was largely responsible for bringing the Bossa Nova back to the U.S. In 1974 he went to Jamaica and recorded this masterpiece with an authentic Reggae band augmented by some of the members of his regular group, "The Family of Mann." This is a happy, joyful album with many inspired solos. My favorite song is The Temptations' "My Girl," a ninteen-minute romp which took up the entire second side upon the album's original release. I'm very pleased that this great recording is finally being released on CD. Buy it and have a great time!