Customer Reviews

Splendor in the Grass

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

How do you describe this band to folks who have never seen them? Let's see, they write and sing songs in sing songs in French, Italian, Spanish and English. They sound like 50s cocktail music sometimes and like 90s jazz sometimes. The two lead members both went to Harvard and the composer/pianist is a musical genius. And they come from, of all places, Portland, Oregon!

The only way to really explain them is to play a few tracks from their CDs.. or better yet... see them LIVE in concert (nearly all of which seem to sell out!).

This is their fourth album and the word continues to spread. I was anxiously awaiting this disc and am not disappointed! (Well, maybe because of two tracks .... more on that in a minute). All the elements of their previous albums are there from the multi-lingual songs crafted by either lead singer China Forbes or collaborator Alex Marashian (who is responsible for 5 of the 13 songs here) to the great arrangements by co-leader Thomas Lauderdale. Though a couple of songs are sung in languages other than English (the translations are included in the booklet included.).

I really hated to drop my rating to a 4 but there are two tracks that seemed out of place. It was great that they got the staff in their office to join in on the track "Sing" (the Sesame Street/Carpenters song), but the song is so saccharine that even PM can't make it palatable on repeated listening. The other track that doesn't work as well is "Piensa en m", where 90 year old Mexican singer Chavela Vargas (artist Frida Kahlo's lover) provides the vocals. Her aged voice is a far cry from the dulcet tones of China Forbes and the musical flow stops when she follows the "Sing: track. All is well, though when the lyrically brief (just two verses) "New Amsterdam" closes out the disc, before a reprise of the lead off "Ninna nanna".

Though not my favorite PM CD, its heads above much of the other music out there. Pink Martini fans will definitely want this disc (while waiting anxiously for the next), and it's a good intro to those yet to discover the "musical magic" of the band.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

I heard about this CD the day before it came out. I eagerly sampled the tracks on Amazon and came away thinking maybe Pink Martini had jumped the shark with this one. But then I remembered that I almost didn't buy Hey Eugene based on listening to the samples, so I bought it a couple of days later. I don't want to go through it track by track, but my general impressions are:

The first two tracks were what I have come to expect from Pink Martini. The musicianship is excellent and the music is innovative and fun. Then "Splendor in the Grass" came on and I thought, "Whoa! Here's where we part company." The lyrics are weak and the melody is bland. Midway through, they break into my favorite piece by Tschaikovsky and suddenly I was back on board, at least part way. After several more listenings, though, this one is a definite miss. It is puzzling that a band the caliber of Pink Martini would choose to record such a mediocre track.

It was evident what "And Then You're Gone" and "But Now I'm Back" were going to be just from reading the titles. This is a musical cliche that has been done to death in pop music at least since the sixties. But I found myself chuckling in places the first time through, so I guess they pull it off. "But Now I'm Back" nearly crosses the line into a novelty song, so the jury is still out on how it will hold up to repeated listening.

They lost me again at "Sing". They do this song as well as anyone I have ever heard, but some songs are so bad even Pink Martini can't fix them. Out of their four CD's, this is only the second of their tracks that won't take up space on my Zune.

"New Amsterdam" is a strange little song. Fortunately, I like strange little songs. Sometimes. The lyrics might make sense to one of the relatively few people in the world who think New York City is the center of the universe. For the other six billion or so of us, not so much. But they don't really detract from the song over all, and this track will likely be one of my favorites.

Except for two tracks noted above that would have been better left off, this is a pretty solid effort. There are a couple more tracks that are okay for background music, but don't reach out and grab your attention the way I had come to expect from this band. It was a tough call between three stars and four, but hey, this IS Pink Martini. This CD has a legitimate place in my collection but will not get listened to as much as the other three.

UPDATE: Seven months later, I rarely listen to this CD. Most of the tracks just don't hold up to repeated listening. I have owned their other CD's for several years and still listen to all of them often. This one just doesn't cut it. I have removed most of the tracks from my Zune, something I rarely do. Changing my rating from four stars to two.

I was looking forward to not only enjoying the new album, but enjoying the concert DVD. From what I have seen in the past, Pink Martini shows are as enjoyable as their music. When the DVD would not play I discovered that it was in PAL format not NTSC. I did not see this called out anywhere. I guess one is supposed to deduce the format from the import classification.
If you are in North America, forget ordering this and just get the CD, which by the way is wonderful.

Warning to US Customers purchasing the limited edition CD/DVD from Pink Martini (Splendor in the Grass). This is listed as an "import" - which is an extremely poor way to describe this package. The bonus DVD is in PAL video format, which will NOT play in US equipment.

I sincerely hope that Amazon and Pink Martini can get this description fixed - as this is not an inexpensive package.

The new material on the CD is very good - with China weaving her wonderful voice throughout the selections.

I have been anxiously awaiting this new album after I saw them at the Hollywood Bowl last month. They performed so many of these new tracks and it brings back that wonderful night.

I highly recommend this to ANY Pink Martini fan - it might be my favorite so far (although Hang On Little Tomato would be a close second). This album has that wonderful feel of the mid to late 60s (a bit of a Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass touch. Its has several fun songs and many of their usual beautiful arrangements with clever call backs to amazing composers.

Over the Valley stands out (as it did at the Hollywood Bowl - you could hear a pin drop as she and Thomas delicately floated through one of the best original written melodies since Moon River).

Thank you for this fantastic album. This will carry me for a good year!

THOMAS AND CHINA - I am sure you need a break BUT GET BACK TO WORK on the next collection of amazing pieces of work! We love you!

Heinz Records presents "SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS", featuring Thomas Lauderdale (piano), China Forbes (vocals), Timothy Nishimoto: vocals, percussion), Gavin Bondy (trumpet), Robert Taylor (trombone), Nicholas Crosa (violin), Pansy Chang (cello), Dan Faehnle (guitar), Phil Baker (upright bass), Maureen Love (harp), Brian Davis (congas, percussion), Derek Rieth (congas, percussion), Martin Zarzar (drums, percussion) --- and that my friends is Pink Martini!

The fourth album from the celebrated "little orchestra" features an array of fabulous guests including Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas, Emilio Delgado a.k.a. "Luis" from Sesame Street, NPR justice correspondent Ari Shapiro, and Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols!

If you enjoyed this album check out "Sympathique" (1997), "Hang on Little Tomato" (2004), "Hey Eugene!" (2007), "Discover the World: Live in Concert" (DVD) (2009), which is one of the best DVD's in my collection, you feel as if you're there in the concert hall --- all titles are available from Amazon and you may sample some of the tracks, try it you may just become a Pink Martini fan like the rest of the world.

Splendor in the Grass [track listings]

1. Ninna nanna [4:41] - opening track sets the tone for some melodic fantasies.
2. Ohayoo Ohio [5:01] - mixture of Henry Mancini chorus sounds with blends of early Martin Denny.
3. Splendor in the Grass [3:38]- the group drew inspiration from poets William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman and "a little bit of Tchaikovsky
4. Ou est ma tete? [4:11] - rumba rhythms abound in this contagious ballad.
5. And Then You're Gone [2:42] - a touch of "Hang on Little Tomato" lingers.
6. But Now I'm Back [2:59] - popular NPR correspondent Ari Shapiro makes his professional recording debut.
7. Sunday Table [4:29] - lyrically the suggestive phrase you could almost fall in love, very enjoyable
8. Over the Valley [4:38] - love song with a hint of an autumn breeze, keeps this memory alive over years to come.
9. Tuca tuca [2:50] - features China Forbes seductive singing in Italian and bassist Phil Baker playing the sitar from the 1968 Peter Sellars' film "The Party".
10. Bitty Boppy Betty [2:44] - composer Alex Marashian original complete with barbershop quartet, cool percussion and horn sections, and a melody which swings and sways.
11. Sing [4:10] - vocalist China Forbes teams with Sesame Street's Emilio Delgado for a bilingual version (a song originally composed for the popular kids program and covered by the Carpenters).
12. Piensa en mi [3:59] - 90-year-young ranchera singer Chavela Vargas
13. New Amsterdam [4:49] - brass section is joined by multiple saxophones, euphonium's, tubas, trombones and trumpets with China Forbes and the incredible Tsunami Singers of the Pacific Youth Choir ... following the driving beat of the concert bass drum.
14. Ninna nanna (reprise) [3:18] - intimate reprise with famed Dandy Warhols guitarist and leader Courtney Taylor-Taylor appear.

This is definitely a fun album and sonically sound (no pun intended) --- Here is a quote from band leader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale -- "Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure ... if the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we'd be that band." --- Well said Mr. Lauderdale, so travel back with me to those yesteryears and enjoy everyone's favorite Pink Martini!

Total Time: 54 min on 14 Tracks ~ Heinz #6 ~ (10/27/2009)

I love, love, love Pink Martini. I was entralled with Sympathique. I adored Hang On Little Tomato. It's one of my all-time favorites. Hey, Eugene was excellent, but not quite as good as the others. I was excited when this CD came out. But I've listened to it at least 15 times since it was released and I'm forced to conclude that I just don't know what to make of this mess. At least 4 of the songs are either unimaginative or poorly performed novelty pieces. Others are little more than saccharin 1950's Muzak. Chavela Vargas, who guests on "Piensa en mi," has a voice that is so shot as to be unlistenable. There is not a single piece of music here that I have any desire to listen to again.

But the heart of the problem with this CD is the palpable lack of energy, enthusiasm and effort. The arrangements lack originality and complexity. The vocals, aside from China Forbes, are weak; and even she seems uninspired. The musicianship, normally Pink Martini's strength, is lackluster at best. They all seem so bored by the whole thing.

I certainly hope Pink Martini can get their mojo back and come up with some creative, exciting material for their next effort.

Splendor In the Grass is a fine album. I consider it the LEAST enjoyable of Pink Martini's first 4 albums, but that's still a very high standard. They're a fantastic band, and this album is quite fun, it's just maybe a notch below its 3 predecessors.

Unfortunately, I have to give a much lower mark to this "Limited Edition" version. The Limited Edition contains the exact same music CD which I had previously purchased (as expected), and a bonus concert film which is what made me lay out the cash for this new copy. The DVD will NOT PLAY on American DVD players, as it's in the PAL format; something that should have been made clear in the product description. I mean...this is an American band; why would I guess that their DVDs would be released in the European format?

I found that I could play the movie on a computer (which was not my preferred method for showing it), but all the material was just a repeat of what is already available on their previously released concert film! In fact, it's a subset of that other DVD. The product description should really be more clear. They're charging extra to include A PORTION OF the same concert you've probably already purchased, and they're giving it to you on a disc that won't play in American players.

I'm pretty miffed about having paid for this "Limited Edition", but I still enjoy the standard CD of Splendor in the Grass.

For those who have been listening to the Oregon-based Pink Martini for the past few years, the latest album "Splendor in the Grass" remains in the style they put forth in "Hey Eugene". It is truly alternative--musically and linguistically. This time Pink Martini seems to experiment more musical styles, crossing contemporary (folk/pop) and classical (swing), if my ears serve right. Of course, compared with "Hey Eugene", Pink Martini is not making a bold breakthrough this time. It is not their ambition, anyway. As far as I am concerned, Pink Martini is more interested in delivering a world atlas of folklore or old-time-pop music in style. For that, "Splendor in the Grass" deserves a warm welcome back.

I love Pink Martini, but I am not sure about the last CD. I expected much more. The first song is great, but the rest are under a ??? Few songs should not even be on this CD. Song "Sing" which is sang much better by Carpenters, "Piensa En Mi" done by a guy, who sounds like he is at the funeral of his beloved wife. I don't understand the lyrics, maybe that's what he is singing about. "New Amsterdam" very week song that puts me to sleep. This CD is the weakest out of 4 CDs.

I am giving 5 stars because I love the band for their talent and new experiments in the music world. They are also very good performers LIVE. I saw them in concert, and would go to see them again.

If you like Pink Martini, you should have this CD in your collection. Very clever CD cover, that was designed with the flavor of LPs in early sixties.