Customer Reviews

Solid Brass

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

 

 

The A&M Records compilation SOLID BRASS (SP-4341) features selections from nine Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass LPs. As many tracks from it received considerable airplay in their day. Herb vocalizes on three of these and can be heard in the chorus on two others.

Mr. A. whistles melody on "Acapulco 1922," the flip of his 1962 hit single "The Lonely Bull." The rhythmic "A Banda" opens TJB's 9th album. "Flamingo" features sleigh bells. "Casino Royale" is the theme of the 007 motion picture of the same name. "Summertime" is a clever bossa nova track (with vocal) that expands on Gershwin's original tune. Alpert hums, whistles and joins the chorus on "So What's New?"

"This Guy's In Love With You" was released by popular demand after Herb sang it to his wife on a TV special. A&M's first #1 hit stayed in the Adult Contemporary top slot for 10 consecutive weeks. It was one of George Harrison's favorite records. The TJB's cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without Her" has an equally fine Alpert vocal. "Maltese Melody" was written by Bert Kaempfert.

PROGRAM--

SIDE ONE
[2:10] The Work Song (from: S.R.O. SP-4119)
[3:55] This Guy's In Love With You (from: THE BEAT OF THE BRASS SP- 4146)
[3:29] Slick (from: THE BEAT OF THE BRASS SP- 4146)
[2:13] The Maltese Melody (from: THE BRASS ARE COMIN' SP-4228) *
[2:07] So What's New? (from: WHAT NOW MY LOVE SP-4114)
[2:33] Jerusalem (from: SUMMERTIME SP-4314) *
[2:25] Flamingo (from: S.R.O. SP-4119)

SIDE TWO
[2:18] What Now My Love (from: WHAT NOW MY LOVE SP-4114)
[3:15] Without Her (from: WARM SP-4190) *
[2:35] Casino Royale (from: [[ASIN:B000A7Q28M SOUNDS LIKE]] SP-4124)
[2:10] A Banda (from: HERB ALPERT'S NINTH SP-4134)
[2:10] Summertime (from: SUMMERTIME SP-4314)
[2:38] The Lonely Bull (from: THE LONELY BULL SP-4101)
[3:03] Wade In The Water (from: SOUNDS LIKE SP-4124)
TOTAL TIME: 37:01

(* vinyl-only album.)

The A&M Records compilation SOLID BRASS (SP-4341) features selections from nine Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass LPs. As many tracks from it received considerable airplay in their day. Herb vocalizes on three of these and can be heard in the chorus on two others.

Mr. A. whistles melody on "Acapulco 1922," the flip of his 1962 hit single "The Lonely Bull." The rhythmic "A Banda" opens TJB's 9th album. "Flamingo" features sleigh bells. "Casino Royale" is the theme of the 007 motion picture of the same name. "Summertime" is a clever bossa nova track (with vocal) that expands on Gershwin's original tune. Alpert hums, whistles and joins the chorus on "So What's New?"

"This Guy's In Love With You" was released by popular demand after Herb sang it to his wife on a TV special. A&M's first #1 hit stayed in the Adult Contemporary top slot for 10 consecutive weeks. It was one of George Harrison's favorite records. The TJB's cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without Her" has an equally fine Alpert vocal. "Maltese Melody" was written by Bert Kaempfert.

PROGRAM--

SIDE ONE
[2:10] The Work Song (from: S.R.O. SP-4119)
[3:55] This Guy's In Love With You (from: THE BEAT OF THE BRASS SP- 4146)
[3:29] Slick (from: THE BEAT OF THE BRASS SP- 4146)
[2:13] The Maltese Melody (from: THE BRASS ARE COMIN' SP-4228)
[2:07] So What's New? (from: WHAT NOW MY LOVE SP-4114)
[2:33] Jerusalem (from: SUMMERTIME SP-4314)
[2:25] Flamingo (from: S.R.O. SP-4119)

SIDE TWO
[2:18] What Now My Love (from: WHAT NOW MY LOVE SP-4114)
[3:15] Without Her (from: WARM SP-4190)
[2:35] Casino Royale (from: SOUNDS LIKE SP-4124)
[2:10] A Banda (from: HERB ALPERT'S NINTH SP-4134)
[2:10] Summertime (from: SUMMERTIME SP-4314)
[2:38] The Lonely Bull (from: THE LONELY BULL SP-4101)
[3:03] Wade In The Water (from: SOUNDS LIKE SP-4124)
TOTAL TIME: 37:01

(Above music links are to vinyl.)

Work song, This Guy's in Love With You, Slick, Maltese Melody, So What's New, Jerusalem, Flamingo, What Now my Love, Without Her, Casino Royale, A Banda, Summertime, Acapulco 1922, Wade in the Water.

Solid Brass was a latter-day best-of survey of the Brass, originally released in the Spring of 1972, but not included in the extensive reissue series of recent years. It includes some of the group's more mature work, including the 2 very big vocal hits that Herb had.

These tunes are highly addictive, Flamingo especially, featuring interesting arrangements and instrumental colors. The song list is uniformly a good one, except maybe for Summertime, which pales before the Lambert, Hendricks and Ross treatment. One of these tunes turned up in an Ocean's 11 or Ocean's 12 soundtrack, for which they're absolutely perfect.