Customer Reviews

Rendezvous in Rio

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My love of Michael Franks and Brazilian rhythms has never been in jeopardy. The thought of Michael merging his sublime style with this beautiful bossa sound was something that I was seriously looking forward to hearing. This is indeed a marriage made in heaven, and a pairing that I hope will be showcased more often than not in the future. His admiration for the late, great Antonio Carlos Jobim, and his touching 1995 album, "Abandoned Garden" flirted with all things Latin, and it is here where he has definitively rendezvoused in Rio.
Michael may be a little greyer in the hair department but his sheer presence diminishes not one jot. Vocally and lyrically Michael has not skipped a beat; he is as sound today as a performer as he was back in the mid-1970s and is equally as important as far as being fully ensconced in the current music scene. To me, Michael is a poet of our time if not also a genius. As has been stated elsewhere, Michael cannot simply say, "I Love You". His philosophy is more ethereal than this as his vocal journey in getting there. It is a lyrical fountain using the most beautiful, whimsical, inspirational and novel of words, phrases and visions. I love this CD : it is a seriously fine album of gentle melodies, lyrical warmth and delivered with the passion and expertise of a master who knows his craft. Any doubters out there will do no better than listen to the opening song, "Under The Sun". Simply glorious and so spot-on if you ever have been sick of cold winters, rain and all the snow. One for those who suffer with SAD syndrome! LOL! The gentle sashaying bossa, the plucking acoustic guitar, and percussive undercurrent serve well as a backdrop to Michael's wistful, thoughtful and gentle vocal. A livelier approach is taken on the excellent titled song, complete with Latin percussion and whistles; this is so typical of a Franks' groove and as such is essential.Echoes of his "Abandoned Garden" album can be heard on the beautiful "The Cool School" which is extremely laid back and jazzy and almost fits into a more lively dinner mode. Chuck Loeb is unmistakable in his performance and excels, as we would only expect. "Samba Do Soho" is a seriously irresistible mover and is helped to sparkle with the support of vocalist Pamela Driggs and flautist Chris Hunter. Perfect accompaniment for the lovely climes this ragged old Isle is experiencing at the moment! If you really want an intelligent tune to get your teeth into, then look no further than the pointed "The Critics Are Never Kind". Do they know, he muses, what it's like to get high on sweet inspiration? I bet the answer to that is a resounding `no' for the majority. I hope Michael finds this particular reviewer kind and understanding at least.
Today music is a throwaway commodity aimed at the young. True art, longevity and beauty is missed on a lot of people, but like the old Tabu label creed has it, "the world has music for those who listen". Take a listen to this artist, this album and see where it takes you. It should transport you to warmer climes, poetic places and warmer feelings. From a thinly veiled swipe at those who deem themselves in a position to judge we move onto more traditional territory with the pure whimsy of "Scatsville". Jeff Lorber is evident here on production, and Gary Meek and Michael White eagerly deliver their musical talents to good effect.
I could continue my praise for this set ad infinitum but suffice to say that along with all the talented musicians and executive producer John Rozenberg, Michael has delivered one of the best albums for some time. I really and truly hope to hear more like this, and whatever Michael deigns to give us I will be happy to embrace it with open ears and open arms.
A must-have CD

Despite being a huge Michael Franks fan, I've been mildly disappointed by most of his recent recordings. There's nothing really wrong with them; they're nice enough, but he seems to have lost his edge. He's been coasting ever since BAREFOOT ON THE BEACH. RENDEZVOUS IN RIO is a little bit better, which is encouraging. I wish the rather shocking photo of a noticeably aged Franks had been left off of the back, though. Kind of adds to the fading of his musical brand of sensual fantasy. It shouldn't matter, and wouldn't, if this music had the old, slow burning fire. The coals do spark into flames here and there, though. The opener, "Under the Sun" is typical Franks, and it's lovely, setting the mood for what I hoped would be a consistent ride. The title song follows, but adds no territory that hasn't already been covered before: "...Dance the samba in Bahia On the Beach we'll chill So hemispherically contented in Brasil..." how many times have we been there with Mr. Franks? Okay, so it's the title and the theme of the record; fine, but not in league with his best reflections on Brazil. Better is the one non-original, "Samba do Soho," which really does have some life and energy. The most beautiful song here is "The Chemistry of Love," but once again, this is Franks on autopilot; he could do this in his sleep. "The Critics Are Never Kind" is conceived as a dialog between Gaugin, Van Gogh and Degas, but it seems to be a thinly veiled attack on Franks' own critics. Boo hoo... well, I WILL be kind: this is a pleasant album from someone who majored in pleasant, but I believe Franks is still capable of something more. If you are a newcomer to Franks' music, don't start here. Buy SLEEPING GYPSY, TIGER IN THE RAIN, BLUE PACIFIC or his relatively recent masterpiece, ABANDONED GARDEN. Also, to be kind, I do like portions of RENDEZVOUS IN RIO enough to not be sorry I bought it. It's not bad, just nothing new.

Michael Franks, yet again, continues to pour out the beauty and emotion of his art that is so cathartic to the soul and spirit of anyone within an earshot of his compositions. To understand Michael Franks, you must understand that he always does something different than what he did previously...Just like a new Prince album would be a total u-turn from the one before. My favorite song on this CD, this week, is "Songbirds". There are no words to express how wonderful and lovely this song is. "Songbirds" is the ultimate tribute. The rest of the CD is so marvelously styled, executed and produced that you will soon empty the rest of the music out of your ipod because you will only listen to this CD for at least 2 months. But seriously, this is so typical of Michael Franks...you could play this CD a million times and never get tired of hearing it. I often wonder if when Michael Franks composes, does he intentionally hide treasures that you continue to discover in his compositions, even years later. I will close by saying "hats off" to Michael Franks once again because he is the only artist that I've ever heard who actually does get better as the years go on. A man who has truly mastered his craft! This is one of the best albums I've ever heard!

In my opinion, I think Mr. Franks went back to previous "formulas" for this CD... putting himself in a comfortable place and putting out a quality set.

This is typical Franks... smooth, mellow, just a little hip, but ALWAYS relaxing.

Some people may want Franks to be more on the "edge" of creativity and exploration, but I like the old Franks... this Franks.

Yes, typical Franks but GREAT music. Good job.

It would be very easy to take this artist for granted, but I don't fall into that trap.
Michael Franks produces material that over and over again stands out from the crowd, effortless it seems.

"In the heat we'll shill, Copacabana'd and banana'd in Brasil". The lyrics are as fine-tuned as ever, and no one can make us imagine that cozy, southern room better. We are on our way already when he starts to sing. His new effort takes us to Brasil, always a favourite for him and Antonio Carlos Jobim feels as close as ever.

This new effort mixes samba tunes with more jazzy material, nothing new it seems, but even though we've visited these places before, what makes it so exciting is that he reinvents himself and comes out as an artist true to his music, but just a little bit better than the last time.

The arrangements have a freshness in them, a "live" feeling that makes the CD very enjoyable. Like a fine wine, Michael Franks is aging with dignity and grace. These songs will be played for many, many years to come. A classic Franks.

I have been a Michael Franks fan since 1978 when I was introduced to "The Art of Tea". I have owned every album Mike has ever released. Mike has been a writing inspiration for me.

This album is certainly a return to cool and a classic. It's awesome! Like vintage Michael Franks, the lyrics have much depth and read like perfect pentameter poetry. The musicians are exceptional and Mike still has that smooth edge.

Great job Mike.

Ed Gray
author, "40 Days to a Life of G.O.L.D. (God Ordained Life Development)"

Here in the UK, there's never been much awareness of Michael Franks. He resides in best-kept-secret land. That's not helped by the fact that he appears to believe that he'll catch mad cow disease or something similarly grim if he steps foot on British soil - I've been an admirer since the late seventies, and he's not performed here in all that time.

But that's a shame, because he's a unique, and precious voice. Yes, there are foibles, he makes mistakes, mild errors of judgement - as we all do. However, at the core is a highly intelligent and humane man who writes and performs beautiful songs which repay the listener on many levels.

This new album is another MF classic. Now, that's not to say that each of the 10 songs are going to engage each of us in the same way. But overall, the album is a beauty.

Already, "Under the Sun" has squeezed into my list of 8 tracks to take to a desert island. (OK, I know that changes every week, but not that much...) It's an elegant, sophisticated song, evocative of all that's best about emerging from hibernation, blinking into the sun. And it's wonderfully performed, with the backing vocals by Carmen Cuesta Loeb really adding the icing to the already perfectly baked cake.

"Scatsville" is fun, "The Chemistry of Love" simply gorgeous, "Samba do Soho" swings. Mind you, can someone tell me if the "Dunga" referred to in the lyrics is the Brazilian footballer?

If I had any minor criticisms, I do tend to agree with a previous reviewer that there are a few too many references to jazz greats this time around. That said, I'm not sure that Leonard Feather's been namechecked that often!

I also reckon that many (but not all) of Michael's best albums, like "Abandoned Garden" and "Sleeping Gypsy", have benefited from the consistency of a single producer. Maybe next time around. And I couldn't imagine anyone more likely to get the best out of Michael than Eliane Elias, both as producer and musical director. But that's another story..

There's a track on this called "The Question is Why?". Well for me, that's a decent question in relation to the existence of this new Michael Franks album.

And as far as I am concerned, there are many answers, and they are unconditionally positive.

In a world of constant and increasingly rapid change, Michael Franks remains the same. And thank your chosen deity for that! No one writes such blissfully escapist music. To the fan, this is more of what we love. To the new listener it's as good an introduction as any. I would humbly suggest trying my personal favorites first though: The Art of Tea, Blue Pacific and Sleeping Gypsy. Will our hero ever tire of getting naked with his lady under the swaying palms? I hope not.

Firstly, if you groove on Michael Franks, then you'll want to add this album to your collection. There....you've got my recommendation.

I'm a Los Angelino, married for many years to a beautiful Brasilian. Years ago, when we met, I had just discovered Michael Franks, Michael Ruff, Al Jarreau and other classic jazz vocalists.....and then my wife introduced me to Brasil, and the world of Brasilian Bossa Nova and Samba became one of my new loves.

After many wonderful years of travel to Brasil, I have accumulated a large collection of Brasilian Bossa Nova, Brasilian Samba in various forms, American Contemporary Jazz and many albums where American artists have discovered, merged and recordered Brasilian sounds.

Michael Franks has merged his talent with what I believe is some of the greatest rhythms this world has to offer in this album. Yes, he's done it in other albums, but for me, his rendition of "Samba do Soho", a true contemporary Brasilian Bossa Nova classic, provides a great musical center for this album.

While not all of the cuts are Bossa Nova or Samba, there's enough Bossa Nova and Samba rhythm-percussion to give you what you'd expect when you buy an album that has "RIO" in the title.

Being a long time Michael Franks fan, I am absolutely delighted by this new CD. It continues much of the Brazilian love and influence of previous CD's . Michael's singing is silkily smooth and the backing musicians are wonderful. I like about 3/4 of the songs on the CD, with the remainder taking time to grow on me. If you are a Michael Frank's fan this is a must have to add to your collection. For my recent birthday I was given an Antonia Carlos Jobim CD entitled 'Passarim'. On the CD the track Samba de Soho is my favorite. I was thrilled to see that Michael has covered this same track on this new CD. I now have 2 versions of the same beautiful song. A delightful CD to own and enjoy !