Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You can't miss it !, March 23, 2005
The first time I heard this album I wasn't so impressed, and put it aside. Now, several years later, I'm just listening to it, and can't understand why didn't I perceived all the beauty it has! It's amazing! very creative, and it's fun to listen to.
You must have it!
Dihelson Mendonça
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Thankfully not "smooth jazz" but could be edgier at times, April 29, 2005
Fusion, when done right, can be one of the most exciting genres of music..harnessing the power and majesty of rock or the rhythmic inventions of funk (or both) while filtering in the subtle melodicism of jazz. The Brecker Brothers were one of the bands there with their "skunk funk" at the beginning, when the genre hit its stride in the early 70s. This was their first album since 1980.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Jazz purists will hate the hip-hop influenced "Big Idea" but it has one of the better musical grooves on the album to my ears. I think the addition of Veera's electronicly altered voice was a bit much though. Peppy somewhat Latin flavoured "Above and Below" reminds me a bit of Chick Corea Elektric Band. "On the Backside" is a strutting chunk of mid-tempo funk with some nice trumpet/sax interplay by the Breckers and tasteful piano asides from George Whitty. "Sozinho" is a lovely flugelhorn based ballad though it's perhaps a bit too long. "Roppongi", the album closer, flirts with Brazilian rhythms and flits between several quirky melody/meter changes that somehow manage to hold together.
LOWS:
Randy Brecker makes an ill-advised attempt at singing on "That's All There is to It", a self-penned tune that's no great shakes in the lyric department though the skewed reggae arrangement is at least occasionally interesting musically. "Good Gracious" sounds like the theme song to some bad WB TV show.
BOTTOM LINE:
There are some good songs here and I enjoyed it enough to buy it, but I don't count it among my favourite jazz CDs or even my favourite fusion for that matter. There are some definite "skip" tracks. Listen for yourself and choose accordingly.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great to Have Them Back Again!, October 21, 2004
After an unintentional 10+ year hiatus, Michael and Randy Brecker pulled back together, curious to see if the old magic was there. For the most part, the answer was a screaming YES! As would be expected of an early 90's release, the production is more slick and there's the obligatory (for the time) hip-hop/electronica touches, which while not necessary in the slightest, were less obnoxious and overbearing than most (hence the 4 as opposed to 5 star rating).
I'll take it track by track this time:
1. Song for Barry - Feisty little opening Afro-Fusion tune dedicated to the late trombonist Barry Rogers. Starts burning and gets positively incendiary as Randy and Michael fire inspired phrases back and forth.
2. King of the Lobby - More the traditional stomping BB funk with David Sanborn (from the original lineup) making a guest appearance. Could've done without the pointless breathy vocal interjections though.
3. Big Idea - Brecker Bros - 101 or a Brecker Bros commercial depending on your outlook. In other words, melody lines lifted from several classic BB songs and then put together by a dance music producer with a loping electro beat (that still oddly grooves), punctuated throughout with a line from "Squids". Fun little ditty actually, just please lose the stooopid vocal interjections!
4. Above & Below - Here's a barnburner for ya! Starting off with one of Randy's typically twisted melody lines, the band soars with great solos by Randy, Michael and guitarist Mike Stern (whose playing I'm normally not very fond of but here, he transcends himself, unleashing fruity chords and melodies), before bringing it all to a rousing conclusion, propelled along by Dennis Chambers muscular drumming.
5. That's All There Is to It - DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON, RANDY SINGS WARNING WARNING!! Over a rather lifeles pseudo-Reggae groove, Randy does the nearly unpardonable, namely singing some rather lame lyrics (and his voice ain't the greatest either) trying to play it up for laughs but just falling flat on his butt. Oh well, like th song says "I'm only huuumannnnn--"
6. Wakaria (What's Up?) - Michael takes an EXTREMELY rare turn on soprano sax in this African influenced outing, playful but a bit repetitive for my taste.
7. On the Backside - - Hip-Hop meets Crime Jazz vibe here, pretty cool in an early 90's sort of way.
8. Sozohino (Alone) - Beautiful haunting jazz-ballad
9. Spherical - Randy sure loves Monk, as evidenced by his penchant for twisty, angular and yet very witty melody lines.
10. Good Gracious - Loud, bawdy and just good sleazy fun!
11. Roppongi - Great closing tune, that alternates jamming funk and thses perky yet twisted Salsa sections, and at the loud downward swoop of bassist James Genus, turns on a dime into some of the stompingest funk ya ever heard, great fun!
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~ Brecker Brothers
~ Brecker Brothers
~ Brecker Brothers
~ Mike Stern
by The Brecker Brothers 
