Tete a Tete

Calexico, ABBC | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2001)
• Original Release Date: November 21, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wabana
• ASIN: B000035X7B
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,326 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #26 in Music > Indie Music > Latin Music > Latin Pop

Track Listings

1. La Valse Des 24 Heures

2. Elevator Baby

3. En Route To the Blanchisserie

4. Mobile Home

5. Orange Trees In the Yard

6. Gilbert

7. Pluie Sans Nuages

8. The Wrestler's Masque

9. Je Voudrais Me Rappeller

10. Le Savon Se Dissout Dans La Rigole

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Spaghetti Western-inflected, Tucson-based outfit Calexico have already proved themselves fearless explorers of the new Western frontier. On Tête à Tête, the group's mainstays, Joey Burns and Joey Convertino, give their ingenuity and stylistic curiosity fresh impetus by teaming up with two French friends recently relocated to Tucson, Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhom. The match is immediately enticing--the Gallic flavor of the accordion instrumental "La Valse des 24 Heures" an edifying contrast to the lonesome dustbowl yearning of "The Wrestler's Masque" and "Le Savon Se Dissout dans la Rigole." As newcomers to the dusty desert life that inspires so much of Convertino and Burns's music, Amor and Belhorn bring an added sense of awe and moody grandeur to songs like "Gilbert" and the haunting, classically inspired "Orange Trees in the Yard." A collection of allusive but bewitching pieces, Tête à Tête doesn't scream out for attention, but rest assured its measured beauty and subtle shadings offer up increasing riches with each listen. --Gavin Martin

Product Description

During the recording of Calexico's Spoke in 1996, French filmmaker Marianne Dissard (director of Giant Sand documentary Drunken Bees) introduced Joey Burns and John Convertino to two French musicians, Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhom. In addition to the two duos, Tête features German musician Martin Wenk, who played in Calexico's European touring ensemble, and Marianne Dissard on vocals.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Meeting of the Minds, December 12, 2000

By 

Budman "budnsarah" (El Dorado Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tete a Tete (Audio CD)

Officially, on the album anyway, the artist is credited as ABBC,which is neither a new alphabet nor ABBA misspelled. ABBC stands for Amor Belhom Burns and Convertino, which is another way of saying this album is a collaboration between the Amor Belhom Duo and Calexico. And the Tuscon sound is in full bloom on this disk. While one track is a repeat of one found on the Amor Belhom Duo's Wavelab Performance release (albeit an alternate take), the rest are true to the sounds established by both groups on their separate releases. The dry lyrics shared via laid back vocals, the jam-like workouts that include various percussion implements (particularly evident on the 13 minute plus "The Wrestler's Masque"). The Joey Burns song "Gilbert" is a standout, as is "Je Voudrais me Rappeller" co-penned by Naim Amor and frequent collaborator Marianne Dissard (who guested on the standout Calexico track "Ballad of Cable Hogue" from their latest "Hot Rail" release). Tete a Tete is a good album, not a great one, but one that fans of either group will want to have. It does display the kind of unique sound that is great to find and makes one wonder just what's in the water down there in Tuscon. Maybe more musicians should be drinking it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For completion, mainly, August 9, 2005

By 

Daniel Ucko "faute de mieux" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tete a Tete (Audio CD)

If you're a fan of Burns and Convertino in Calexico, you might be interested in this as a way of completing your Calexico discography. I do not, however, find this record all that interesting. While some tracks like "La Valse de 24 Heures" are arrestingly haunting, others like "The Wrestler's Masque" descend into minimalism and never really grab hold of you. The 3 stars above may be unfair, but on a scale that includes Feast of Wire by Calexico any higher rating would just be grade inflation.

5 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars HEY BUD...TUSCON IS SPELLED TUCSON, July 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Tete a Tete (Audio CD)

If your gonna write about our music...and send potshots our way too...at least spell it right T-U-C-S-O-N...now say it bud...TUCSON...and there is somethin in the water.