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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let's go to Madagascar, January 16, 2000
I managed not to hear about Deep Forest until just before Comparsa came out in 1998. My friend Kathleen lent me Deep Forest, for which I will be ever grateful, because I love listening to it.As an immediate Deep Forest fan, I then bought Boheme, and finally, Comparsa. Deep Forest is really two French musicians, Eric Mouquet and MichelSanchez, who sample historical recordings of tribal and ethnic groups and then add a modern world/rock soundscape to the vocals. Think of the first CD, Deep Forest, as the pygmy album, based largely on samples of singing by tribepeople in Cameroon, Boheme as the operatic, gypsy, Eastern European album, and Comparsa as the Madagascar, Cuba and Weather Report album. Comparsa is probably my favorite -- no surprise for someone who has written about Madagascar and enjoys Weather Report!
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Ethereal and sublime goes Ricky Martin, June 27, 2000
Sorry, I'm a big fan of the first two D.F. CDs. Anxiously awaited the third...bought it without hesitation...mmm, sadly disappointed. The magic the first two brought to the world is what seemed to set them apart. Cosmic, mysterious and almost spooky. So fitting to the groups name, Deep forest made me feel sensuously connected to the natural world. Comparsa on the other hand, though it must certainly fill the musicians desires to expand their creative global conquest, fans like myself feel abruptly misdirected. Harsh, tinny, fast Latin rhythems, overwhelm a majority of the otherwise liquid and textural backbeat tracks. I just can't seem to kick back and drift away with this latest endeavor. Unfortunatly, it reminds me more of a Nature Company Latin sampler (don't get me wrong, I love the works of groups such as B-Tribe). But if you're expecting more of the same to come out of this beloved duo, get ready for a hard right. Perhaps their next albumn will return to a kinder, gentler world?
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Comparsa - the difficult 3rd album, October 4, 2000
Deep Forest called their 3rd CD "Comparsa" which in Southern Spain means a band of up to 15 musicians joined for carousing and partying at festival time. From the sleeve notes you realise that this was an accurate title for the CD, as the sampled sounds of the previous CDs are replaced here with a fine collection of real vocalists and musicians. After Boheme I awaited this album's release eagerly, especially because it was to be played by real "in the studio" musicians. (Deep Forest are at their very best on Boheme when Marta Sebastyn sings.)It is with sadness then, that I have to say in my opinion that Comparsa is the least likeable Deep Forest cd. I've tried hard to find that "something" in it by repeated listenings, but I usually end up skipping through to the standout tracks and avoid the cloying nasty Latin ones that I don't like. Maybe there is more to Comparsa than I give credit here for, but I honestly have not been able to find it. The funny thing about Comparsa is that the songs off it that are on the Live CD "made in Japan" translate to "live" really quite well, in particular the opening track "Ekue Ekue". I wasn't mad about this track on Comparsa, but on the live CD it is really bright and kicking - it reminds me of Steely Dan live it's so funky. Overall Comparsa disappointed me but I remain a fan of this brilliant band and I look forward to their next album.
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