Customer Reviews

Roar of 74

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is my 5th Buddy Rich CD...probably my favorite thus far. If there are any words I could use to compare this album to the others I've heard, I would use "thick" and "heavy". This album not only showcases Buddy's brilliant horn section recruits, but there are some groovy sounds emanated by the accompanied lead electric guitar (Joe Beck), organ (Buddy Budson), and added percussion (Sam Woodyard) to give it kind of a "Starsky & Hutch" classic 70's wa-wa sound. This ensemble infuses jazz with a rock/funk sound on several tracks (Kilimanjaro Cookout & Big Mac) but still swings harder and louder than anything else I've heard (Nuttville & Time Check). I bought this CD for the latter two tracks mentioned and worth more than what I paid for it alone. I don't have to say much about Buddy's playing because it's nothing short of stellar and I hope that most people understand that anything recorded of this drumming monster goes without saying. This is an essential CD for all Buddy Rich fanatics. Stop wasting time and just buy this album.

"The Roar of '74" is Buddy Rich at his hardest -- a kind of big band jazz/rock fusion. Unlike many of Buddy's records this is a studio recording. This isolates the sounds of the individual instruments, particularly the drums, more than on the live records. Listen with headphones for an intense experience. Buddy absolutely COOKS.

I can totally understand why Buddy is in a race car on the cover... these tunes are awesome to drive to! I have always been intrigued by Buddy Rich, but I never took the plunge and bought something. I am really into King Crimson, and when I read that Tony Levin played bass on 'ROAR OF 74' I knew I had my gateway to Buddy Rich. The hard part now is deciding what my next Buddy CD will be! Check out the sound samples... they smoke!

Three tunes on this ablum, make it worth its weight in classic Rich gold.

Don Menza's "Time Check". One of the many classic and oft-performed charts by college and high school bands in the 70's, expertly written by Menza. Pat LaBarbera's cutting-edge solo and the usual masterful sax soli written by Menza.

Greg Hopkins latin-tinged "Nutville", with exciting solo work by Hopkins and LaBarbera. Fast-paced and foot-tapping.

And "Waltz of the Mushroom Hunters" (also a Hopkins treatment) with clean, easy-going solos by Buddy Budson on keyboards and LaBarbera on soprano sax.

These three alone are worth buying and listening to the entire album, over and over again.

I saw this band at the Newport Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall when they passed thru in '74. Harry James was also on the bill. At the end of the set, Buddy said that he had played with the best, and this was the greatest band he ever had. It had the intensity of a rock concert.

Released on groove merchant, it is contemporary, most of the music holds up today as blazing jazz-rock fusion.

And, of course, it contains "Time Check", which will sound brand new 500 years from now.

The trumpet entrance on "Backwoods Sideman" will knock you out of your seat.

The legendary bassist, Tony Levin (King Crimson and Paul Simon) sat in on this session!!

After this record, Buddy broke up the band to start his own nightclub, "Buddy's Place" with a sextet. So it was Pat LaBarbera's swan song, although he joined another great drummer, Elvin Jones.

The band definitely went out with a roar!! (although less than two years later, BR was back with the full big band).

The last album Pat Labarbera did with Buddy. The influence Don Menza left with Labarbera shows.

Don Menza's burning piece "Time Check" more than amply demonstrates the maturity Labarbera experienced in his seven years with Rich.

Manny Albam's Kilaminjaro Cookout showcases Labarbera, John Hoffman's high solo work and that of Keith O'Quinn on trombone.

Trumpeter Greg Hopkins treatment of Horace Silver's "Nutville" really moves and grooves. Listen to Labarbera, Hopkins and Budson burn on this fast-moving latin tinged chart.

Hopkins "Walt of the Mushroom Hunters" is a fun piece for the whole band. With Labarbera on soprano and Budson on piano.

Backwoods Sideman and Senator Sam show the tenor talent of Bob Crea (along with Labarbera), who I'd never heard of till this album.

Of course, Rich's always pulsating beat that keeps all the "fast-movers" on Mach 2 speed.

A great album for Buddy Rich devotees.

the reviews i read said this is one of the best, so i picked it up, its awesome what a great album. every song is great. i listen to allot of metal so when i need my mental fix i pop in buddy, my all time favorite is the sound of jazz (1988) west germany cd it feature lionel hampton on vibes if you haven't heard it you should it's awesome

If nothing else but for Don Menza's cooking chart "Time Check." Yeah sure, some of the charts sound pretty dated with the "wah-wah guitar" sound. But there are still some good selections here. Greg Hopkins treatment of Horace Silver's "Nutville" with Hopkins and Pat LaBarbera doing the solo chores. The catchy "Waltz Of The Mushrooms Hunters" with Buddy Budson on electric piano and Pat LaBarbera on soprano sax. Manny Albam's Kilimanjaro Cookout (yeah, with the wah-wah).

Backwoods Sideman and Senator Sam feature more Pat LaBarbera and the under-rated Bob Crea (checkout these charts on You Tube). And you can see the exciting "live performance" of Time Check with Pat LaBarbera on the Buddy Rich DVD "Buddy Rich - At The Top."

Buddy brought in the right guitar and bass players to really make these arrangments work, and the whole thing just came together fantastically. The energy is phenomenal, there's a powerful groove going on every tune. Truly a "roar" and truly his best.

This cd is great if you can find it. Long out of print.