Customer Reviews

Sro (Spkg)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This has always been my favorite Tijuana Brass album, mainly because it was the jazziest of the group's repetoire. Herb Alpert even takes a nice trumpet solo on the opener "Our Day Will Come", which unfortunately suffers from a bit of tape distortion in the first minute. But you quickly forget about that little flaw. "I Will Wait For You" is a groovin' little ballad, with a bit of a smokey jazz club feel to it. "Mexican Road Race" has always been a fan favorite written by Sol Lake, who wrote many of the songs for the Brass. "Bean Bag" is a bit of a Brazilian romp, and "Wall Street Rag" is a very clever Dixie swinger. Both "Work Song" and "Mame" were staples in the TJB concerts, and both were big hits for Alpert. "Blue Sunday" is a very underrated song, almost a rocker. Burt Bacharach's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" follows, with drummer Nick Ceroli setting the groove. A very passionate "For Carlos" follows, and Alpert works in the vocal backgrounds well with the signature horn lines. Guitarist John Pisano contributes his "Freight Train Joe", and the band finishes with another Top 40 hit with the rockin' "Flamingo", again with some nice trumpet lines by Alpert. This album also illustrates Herb Alpert's incredible arranging skills, something many people have forgotten about. To me, this is the first time the TJB sounded like an actual "band" instead of a recording group. Well worth picking up!

And no, mono is NOT the way an artist intended to hear his music. Herb Alpert was a master of updating recording techniques, as this set will attest to.

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass remain one the best musical groups to come out of the 1960s; their "hey-day" from the 1960s still goes strong! This CD entitled S.R.O. (Standing Room Only) offers you an excellent assortment of eleven instrumental tracks as well as one song to which they sing the lyrics, "Mame." They may not be the greatest singers I ever heard; but their awesome, infectiously catchy melodies and relentless happiness and optimism more than compensate for this disappointment.

The CD starts off strong with the catchy "Our Day Will Come." And their day HAS come, believe me--and it's a day lasting several decades strong now! The horns, percussion and drums carry the melody well and infuse it with a type of Latin beat despite the fact that these gentlemen were not from Mexico. Great!

"I Will Wait For You" has a slower tempo that gives it a romantic effect; once again the horns and percussion carry the number very well.

Other great songs on this CD include "The Work Song" which they perform complete with a few grunts and groans to highlight that this number is about hard work done by inmates on a chain gang; "The Work Song" also brings to mind the horrors of slavery with its brutality and cruel work loads. "The Wall Street Rag" offers a relentlessly upbeat melody that you will enjoy; and "Mame" also displays such warmth and optimism that you just won't be able to resist jumping up and dancing right there in your living room!

The CD ends with "Flamingo" which employs tambourines in addition to the horns and percussion that are so fundamental to The Tijuana Brass style. Catchy and romantic both at the same time, "Flamingo" gives this album a strong ending.

The CD comes with a twenty page booklet replete with photos of The Tijuana Brass both in the studio and in concert. You also get the original liner notes for the record album release written by Chuck Champlin; a commentary by Herb Alpert himself and an extensive essay about the band by Josh Kun. Bernie Grundman did a terrific job of remastering the numbers on this album, too.

Overall, fans of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass will consider this a "must-have" for their collections; and people who enjoy classic instrumentals and easy listening will enjoy this album, too. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass will remain a strong force in the world of entertainment for quite some while to come because of their numerous superb releases during the 1960s.

¡Olé!

After hearing with great excitment the re-mastered CD's, I was hoping they would released SRO. This is a really great CD and sounds fantastic. It is a very good collection of songs and a very strong finish with 'Flamingo'. Very amazing to hear this and I hope they release ALL the TJB library!! Can't wait for "Sounds Like..."

Like other reviewers here, I've been waiting a long time for these remasters...having grown up in the 60's these albums were about the only thing I had in common with my parents (music-wise, anyway)... I'd read everything I could about the other musicians on the album covers, so I am just a bit disappointed that in his updated liner notes Herb Alpert gives almost no recognition to The TJB; in fact, at one point, he tries to pass them off as an ever-shifting lineup when almost every original cover shows the same recognizable faces...these guys deserve their due and it's sad that even now they're relegated to being faceless session players...Sorry, Herb, but what are these guys doing today? Anyway, the music's great

S.R.O. exemplifies why I purchased every Tijuana LP and still have the complete collection. Though I still love the music, listening to half the songs then flipping LP sides and the deterioration of sound quality meant with less and less frequency. Now, these CDs are played every night as we go to sleep just as we used listen to a stack of records in our first apartment.

Most today won't recognize the name, but Herb was and still is one of my very favorite musicians to spend time with. A great sound, wonderful beat, beautiful trumpet, this work provides music to enjoy!

Thank you Amazon for having Herb Alpert on CD's. My husband all of his music on 33 1/3 LP's. You have made my husband very happy.

This CD is a must for all Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass fans. I love all of the songs on this CD and every song sounds clear. If this music doesn't make you happy, there is no hope for you.

This album is considered by many to be the best Tijuana Brass record ever recorded. It certainly is a great recording. This album is very consistant. Obviously, this is the Brass' most jazziest album yet, recording Nat Adderley's The Work Song, the dixieland, Wall Street Rag, the swinging Mexican Road Race, the standards I Will Wait For You, Flamingo, Our Day Will Come, and the tune made famous by Wes Montgomery, For Carlos, during which the Brass shifts time signatures with ease and a nice trombone solo by Bob Edmonson.
This album really has a group sound to it. All the instruments of the Brass were very well represented. The drums, the bass, the piano, guitar. Basically the whole rhythm section is tight as hell. Herb's trumpet playing is also superb.
A brilliant album. The best in my opinion up to this point. If there's any Tijuana Brass album to start off with for jazz fans, this is it. SRO.

sro that was me standing and waiting for this album to become a cd....thank you herb....took you long enough...but you never disapoint the sound is wonderful clear crisp smooth and mellow oh how i wish i could have joined you on those steps to music heaven........