Trilogy (Dig) [Box set]

Rob Wasserman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 3, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B000269RW4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,327 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Released together for the first time, Rob Wasserman’s groundbreaking 3-CD Trilogy includes Solo, his collection of compositions for acoustic bass; along with the Grammy-winning Duets; as well as Trios. This tremendous package includes new notes, photos and commentary, plus 24-bit remastering by Joe Gastwirt. Featured performers include: Cheryl Bentyne, Edie Brickell, Les Claypool, Elvis Costello, Willie Dixon, Al Duncan, Jerry Garcia, Stephane Grappelli, Matt Haimovitz, Dan Hicks, Bruce Hornsby, Joan Jeanrenaud, Rickie Lee Jones, Branford Marsalis, Bobby McFerrin, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Marc Ribot, Jennifer Warnes, Bob Weir, Chris Whitley, Brian Wilson, Carnie Wilson and Neil Young.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Diamonds, Some Cubic Zirconia, Even A Little Coal (3.5 stars), February 1, 2011

By 

L. King (Pacific Northwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trilogy (Dig) (Audio CD)

I have to dissent just a bit from the other review. While I agree that these three records are uneven--and some vocal performances unworthy--I very much like the eclecticism of the collection. Some of the best things DON'T "fit," whatever that means when an artist makes a series of collaborations in which he genuinely tries to come together with musicians very different from him. "The Ballad of the Runaway Horse" is a perfect example. If that song is country, then I'm a champion rodeo rider (hint: I can barely stay seated on the bus). Instead, it is an experiment in minimalism, a simple bass line with a hushed vocal--not a song to be played at a party but a song to be listened to, carefully, through great speakers or big, fat headphones. Because what you hear is perfect playing and perfect singing, subtle variation in each phrase that is both expressive in itself and responsive to the emotion of the lyric. Just amazing--and I usually like things loud and over-the-top.

Speaking of, Cheryl Bentyne's "Angel Eyes" is pretty thrilling, though you can't tell from the sample, as there's nary a note from her to be heard. And I like the bowing early on Lima Twist; the style sounds Asian (go figure), which I realize isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for me. Most everything else the other reviewer said I agree with; I, too, bought the record for "Satisfaction" and love the more rocking, bluesy numbers. And I think, if you're going to sing in an overly contrived style, you'd better have great pipes, which Rickie Lee Jones and Edie Brickell do not. Pitch them out, bring in the funk, and this collection might approach greatness!

1 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lobster with peanut butter, better get Bromberg's "wood", January 24, 2005

By 

gurehaundo "Globalize fair pay!" (Japan and Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trilogy (Dig) (Audio CD)

It is a mixed bag of great and mediocre tracks with a couple that are down right horrible.
I'm glad I bought this as a set, since I would have regretted to buy them separately. Now I've made myself a compilation of the listenable tracks.
Let's begin with the horrible:
Rickie Lee Jones might have been drunk or high or both when she recorded "The moon is made of gold", she starts the track singing acceptably and then she slurrrrrrrss like a bottle and a half of bourbon, and whines and...argh!
"Ballad of the runaway horse" for some reason sounds too country for the rest of the album, it just doesn't fit.
"American Popsicle"
A track that will make your stomack turn inside out courtesy of Edie Brickell, spoiling the work of the great Jerry Garcia, and "Zillionaire" is food poisoning, for the same reasons.
The first half of Lima Twist has the worst bowing I've heard from a bassist, sounds just like the old Godzilla movies, but.. the second half of the track rocks!
Rob has chops and technique, no doubt, but he wastes it with most tracks in that there's no bridge, or main theme or apotheosis or climax.
A lot of the tracks sound unfinished, with a build up for a theme that never comes.

Now for the rescuable:
"Thirteen"
Probably a promise of what the album should have been and never was, but undoubtely a great track.
"Lima twist"
also great...on the second half.
"Lady be good"
a good sounding tune, skillfully played.
"Bass blue"
is one of the absolute best tracks on the set and I wish there were more like it.
"April aire" and "Freedom dance" leave us with 6 good tracks out of 13 making solo a 1/2 album.

On Duets, "Stardust" again opens awesomely with the voice of Aaron Neville singing a beautiful timeless song.
"Duet"
Wasserman on Wasserman, playing and acompaning himself after recording a track and then playing on top of it.
"Gone with the wind"
is both great and indigestible, everything stars fine until Dan Hicks starts "singin" like a Chipmunk around half of the track sadly appearing like a wannabe Al Jerrau who would have been a much better choice for this album,but then he regains his composture and finishes the song o.k.,but the damage is done, I had to record and edit that part of the track to make it listenable.
"Over the rainbow"
with Stefan Grapelli saves the day as the best track on this Cd, showing that when you have it, you have it regardless of age, which anyway leaves us with only FOUR good tracks out of 10! No wonder people are burning CD's!!!

Disc three starts with "Fantasy is reality" which is a bit repetitive but passes.
"Country" is a solo track that should have been included in the first album Solo, preferably instead of "Sara's Rainbow song" or "Ode to Casals" which are rather lame.
"Dustin of the Bass" is the track that finally makes you think there's some groove and wasted spark in Wasserman's head although it has EUB's (Electric Uprights)one of which sounds terrible, but Willie Dixon sounds so charming you will overlook that.
"Satisfaction"
was the track that made me buy this box set after listening to the mp3's Lima Twist and Thirteen(is that good),making me think there was more of that, but well...It is better than Spike's Bulls or Gypsy One which are the other rather cool tracks on this Cd.

The unforgivable on this set is the fact that "3 guys named Schmo" was left out of the original TRIOS Cd, being the only funk track in the whole box set.
That leaves us with 7 tracks out of 14.
Now go and listen to Bromberg's "wood" ASIN:B000063IVK you are better off with anything from Bromberg on upright.