Customer Reviews

Swiss Movement

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first heard this disk when I was 15, and it knocked me out. The lead tune, "Compared to What" was the funky breakout, crossover hit that most people know, but to my mind the greatest tune on this album is Harris' "Kathleen's Tune". This is a bop tune with a catchy head that Harris works through in every possible variation, starting out with a simple diatonic restaement, and moving more and more outside until he's playing nothing *but* outside notes. It took my breath away when I first heard it, and still does.

The rest of the album may not his the same heights as "Kathleen's Tune" or "Compared to What" but it's still all great. Benny Bailey's solos make you wonder where he'd been hiding before this album came out (Sweden, as it turned out). "You Got It In Your Soulness" is another Les McCann gospel-influenced tune that makes you wnat to dance. And so on.

I've gone through three copies of this album over the years (LP, CD and now remastered CD), and played it for scores of jazz neophytes, most recently my 10 year old nephew- and he dug it. You will, too.

When I heard "Compared To What," I had to hear it again. It hooked me in from the moment the drums kick in with the steady ride cymbal at the beginning.

Some have made reference to the song's datedness, but I don't see it as a very dated song at all. Of course, Les sings about the Vietnam War (although he does not mention it by name,) and some may see that as dated, but if that were true, then any song that mentions current events is dated. Essentially, the listener must understand the times to understand the song. If one does not understand life during 1969, many of the song's references are either laughable or confusing. In fact, after one verse, McCann yells, "Sock it to me," one reference to a phrase used often on the NBC-TV comedy, "Laugh-In." One previous reviewer comented on the silliness of that phrase, but it's no different than hearing James Brown yell, "Hit Me!" Not only is it NOT corny, it's in keeping with the funky mood of the song.

"Compared To What" is worth the price of the CD alone, but each song afterward is great in its own right, including "Cold Duck Time," which Les McCann admits was given to the band by Eddie Harris that day. By the way the band plays it, you'd have never known that it wasn't a long standard on their song list.

This is a definite gem of an album.

Jazz at its live best, as it often happens in Montreux. Yes, there are imperfections, but no improv jam I've ever heard has the same bundled power as this, with two edgy, belting horns and some nifty piano work by the band leader. Even if you don't have a jazz predilection, chances are you'll like this record because the tunes are in uptempo binary rhythms.

This review is related to the Japanease release (mini-LP replica) of Swiss Movement.
This is one of the greatest jazz performances. Spirit. Soul. Life. Drum. Ecstasy. But the sound quality is of big questione. Yes, it is dated to 60's. Yes, it was recorded at the concert. But the bonus track showcases how good the sound quality could have been on this release. On all other tracks you hear drums, keyboards and voice in your left channel and the horns in your right channel. Bass is almost not defined and is boom-boom box rather than a set of strings. The audience is in your right channel, too.
This is a great piece of jazz (probably, a must have). But it is definitely not an audiophile record or even close to it.

This album is great. Even if you are not crazy about Jazz, you will love this. Definetly one of my all time favorites. Get it now and enjoy!

This is a party CD. Impossible to find until Amazon.com. This is an all-star jam of jazz greats. You don't have to be big on jazz to like this CD. You just have to know how to have fun!

This album transcends jazz, especially on "Compared to What," which is a rollicking, foot-stomping, full-cry, politically incorrect hoot! (The vocal is a RIOT!) "Cold Duck Time" is a kinky, slower-paced improv wonder & "You Got it in Your Soulness" builds from a catchy melody to an infectious romp. Put this in during a long drive & you'll have a great time, but watch the speed limit....

Get it for the tour de force performance of McCann's "Compared to What", but stick with it for some of the best funky jazz ever! If you aren't groovin' by "The Generation Gap", then someone has to check your pulse to determine if you're still with us...PS, my buddy's 12 year old kid digs the heck outta McCann/Harris. Such a bright kid with good taste!

I was 15 in 1969. I was introduced to Swiss Movement by an older cousin at a Christmas dinner at my aunt and uncles house in Chicago,IL. My cousin Richard Craver told us to play it in the basement, but don't let the grownups hear it. Compared to what blew me away. This album took me places and continues to do so 40 years later. My cousin Dicky passed away this year and the introduction to this jazz was his gift to me. RIP Dicky. Stan

When I first heard this album, it was a recording heard between sets at the Left Bank Jazz Society in Baltimore, circa 1972. Sun Ra was playing. Swiss Movement was on his reel-to-reel as filler music. I had to go up and ask one of the percussionists what album it was. I bought it the next day. I still feel like it's one of my favorite recordings, 36 years later. I read all the negatives, like "poor production values", but hey, it was recorded live at a festival in Montreiux Switzerland in 1969. How good could the recording be? I'm going to buy the enhanced CD next. I've owned it on vinyl, 8 track, cassette, and CD so far. My three favorite tracks are Kathleens Song, Cold Duck Time, and the anthem of the 1970's jazz toker, Compared To What, my big favorite. I was asked on Facebook today to list my favorite top 20 songs...it was one of the ones I thought of first. Nuff said.