Customer Reviews

Sea to the North

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

 

 

I recently heard that Garth Hudson was bankrupt and they were doing a benefit for him so he could save his house. How does one of our greatest musicians, whose albums are constantly being re-released wind up in this predicament ?. If it was only for the above reason I would have purchased this CD but lo and behold, when I received this I was overjoyed that this turns out to be one magnificent recording by a modern day musical Wizard. The compositions are dense and melodic with Garth's ideas and playing almost bursting from the tracks. This guy has more musicality and ideas in one finger then most musicians have in their head hands and feet. Buy this and sit back and be amazed. I hope some of our newer groups start calling Garth to work his magic on their recordings like he did with the Band and every musician who has worked with him (The Honeydogs come to mind as a good match). Thanks Garth, play on.

Fans of the Band have always been in awe of Garth Hudson's musical genius. From the Band's early days as the Hawks, to the classic 1965-66 tours with Bob Dylan, to Music from Big Pink in 1967, all the way to Jubilation in 1998, Garth Hudson has constantly enriched their music with his brilliance on the keyboards, accordian, and saxophones (as well as various other esoteric instruments!). Garth's uniqueness can be explained (but only in part) by the wide range of his musical interests--from the rock/blues/country mix of the Band, to classical music, jazz, Anglican hymns, European polkas (!), and much much more.

This, then, is the album we've been waiting for: an album that shows off the true eclectic artistry of Mr. Hudson. It is truly unique. It's (largely) instrumental, and sounds very little like a Band album...your comfort level with that may depend on how open you are to diverse musical genres & new sounds. Every track is different, and reflects a different cross-section of styles and influences...from the title track (which alone is worth the price of the album...a stunning, dark but whimsical blend of accordians, Indian percussion, saxophones, and much more) to the final track (a gorgeous, soulful tour de force on acoustic piano). I love this album...you just might too. The liner notes for the album advises the listener to "let it resonate within you, and don't be surprised to make new discoveries each time you listen"...I couldn't agree more.

I'm a big fan of The Band and Garth Hudson, and after seeing Garth improvise so brilliantly on the "making of the Brown Album" DVD, I expected his CD to be full of the same sort of stuff. Complex chord changes, sophisticated melody lines, tons of snakey keyboard runs...that's what I expected. And to be fair, the last song does fall into that category...it's terrific.

But the rest of the album relies too heavily on jamming, studio trickery, and input from other people aside from Hudson. With a mind as brilliant as Garth's at your disposal, why record a lengthy jam session based on a boring 2-chord progression? Why insert trippy overdubs and noises, when hearing Garth simply PLAY is much more exciting.

Wanted to love this, but didn't. Maybe you will.

This is the unique album of the year. A solo record from
Garth Hudson is something I never expected. It's good that
he's working because two of the Band's three singers are
deceased, and the third, Levon Helm, can't sing because of
cancer. When I heard Garth would do a solo CD I anticipated
that it would be new age music, not my favorite, but I would
buy it anyway because it would be Garth. But I was surprised
and impressed by the music, consistently. This is
a sometimes quiet and subdued set of compositions but also powerful, colorful, and bold. Any of the songs, with
the exception of the "Dark Star" cover, which never seems to go
anywhere for me, could be expanded to a piece covering a whole
CD. One could say it sounds like world music but that isn't
quite right, even though it's rich with influences from Asia, Africa, and Europe. And yet it manages to sound like The Band
in spirit--can't really say how, but it's there.

Ok, I can't really describe this music - so many elements come
together here. It's not a mish-mash or styles, or noodling; it
might be called "New Age", but it has more life and character
than the average run of such music. It's not background music
for conversation; it demands attention, but in the most polite
way. I use it to clear my head and calm jangled nerves. It's
fine to come home after too much outside life and put this on
the player and cast myself down on the couch for a bit of
the best kind of music therapy.

The title track is my favorite - groaning iceberg sounds, cold
and clear and lonely in a vast surging sea. "The Breakers" is
warmer and softer; I see different images every time I hear it.
It's possible to listen to each track alone, but I think of this
as an album with perfect sequencing, taking me on a mental
journey that leaves me refreshed. I've not tried it as road
music, but I suspect it's a fine sound track for driving long
distances through empty country.

I was surprised by this album, which shouldn't have surprised me because there was no telling how Garth Hudson's first album was going to sound. Other than, of course, being excellent. He plays almost a dozen different instruments, touches on many different styles of music from different eras and continents, and gives a good display of his eccentric genius.

If you like this, and if you have an open mind you should, try the albums Largo and Stay Awake which both feature gorgeous instrumentals by Garth.

This is one of those "I really wanted to like this album" reviews. And I did want to like it, insofar as Garth Hudson is a master musician who was the unassuming "glue" to The Band and their albums. He's also done guest turns for other performers that both compliment them quite well and shine as Hudson's own moments. Unfortunately, his first solo album, is...immaculate and that's about it. Nothing offends, but nothing really engages you either, certainly not on the level of Hudson's previously-mentioned musical contributions. Maybe you have to hear it late at night just before you retire for the album to kick in. But that leaves you in danger of snozzing through most of it. Sorry to say, but "immaculate," "pleasant" and "nice" just don't translate into "interesting" in this case.

Garth Hudson is well-recognized in the music world as one of the greatest organ/sax/piano/accordion/melodica players of the 20th century. His magic lives on in this CD, which is full of complex melodies and brilliant riffs. The band is incredibly tight...the percussion is perfect, keyboards ring nicely and that tenor sax is just out of this world.

This is the type of album you play when you want to just melt into a chair and absorb something astounding. Buy this disc.

Garth Hudson's The Sea to the North boils over with themes and strands. The music is dense and thick, so much so that focusing on and sticking with an idea sometimes proves difficult. The songs often roil and toss the listener, perhaps a purposeful nod the power of the ocean, which seems his muse. Forcing this music into a genre is not a worthwhile endeavor----it's rock, ethnic, folk, jazz, country----an amalgam of various elements (save blues).

In other words, those expecting anything like music of The Band should be forewarned that they will not find it here. Rather fans of ensemble fare such as that of the Willard Grant Conspiracy or even some of Van Morrison's more reflective songs are more likely to find these songs appealing (though without the strong vocal presence Robert Fisher imparts to the WGC).

Mr. Hudson plays an array of instruments, including Hudson playing an intimidating range of keyboards (including pipe organ), various saxophones, and accordion, plus two I'm unfamiliar with, the melodica and the tarogato. Accompanying him are members of the Crowmatix, and whoever they are, these folks seem at home with Mr. Hudson's vision.

Sometimes I like these songs, and sometimes I dislike the very same songs. There is something about this music that makes me want to build a fire or go sit in a treehouse and watch fireflies because this music seems to need that visual component. The textual complexity is both the greatest virtue and greatest flaw here. Hence, this recording is a great effort but not an easy album to fully embrace.

Awesome piano, accordian and sax... Beautiful vocals... Go ahead, treat yourself to this one...