Spontaneous Inventions

Bobby Mc Ferrin

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records / © 1986 Manhattan Records
• ASIN: B000005H4A
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,817 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This 1986 completely improvised one-man show at the Aquarius Theatre in Los Angeles is the essence of Bobby McFerrin's magic. Using only his pliable voice and his body as percussion instrument, McFerrin lets his fertile imagination and vast musical knowledge run in free-association overdrive, dipping into jazz tunes, arias and Beatle songs along the way. Wayne Shorter joins him for a duet on Miles Davis's "Walkin'".

Added to this remarkable concert are the two videos that McFerrin made in support of his "Simple Pleasures" album, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and a tour-de-force "Good Lovin'". Total running time is 55 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS IT!, January 26, 2000

By	David J. Loftus (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have to get only one Bobby McFerrin album, this is the one. The later _Simple Pleasures_ is slicker, more commercial, and better suited to a wider audience, but this disc showcases his vocal talents at their truest and best. Most of the cuts are live and unaccompanied, though there are three duets and a smashing rendition of "Another Night in Tunisia" with Manhattan Transfer (at least according to Amazon; on my original cassettes, that cut is on the _Simple Pleasures_ album).

Duets with Herbie Hancock on piano and Wayne Shorter on soprano sax ("Turtle Shoes" and "Walkin' " respectively) are fine. The collaboration with Robin Williams, "Beverly Hills Blues," is just plain fun, as is the playful throwaway "Manana Iguana" (how did that ever make it onto the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" best-of collection?). McFerrin does another excellent cover of a Beatles tune whose pallid original would seem to have made it a poor choice, "From Me to You."

But for me, the best cuts on this disc are the utterly infectious "Thinkin' About Your Body"; the sharp, bluesy rendition of Joan Armatrading's "Opportunity"; and "I Hear Music," the best McFerrin/audience collaboration on record (although I've heard and participated in much better examples, alas).

Get this one for its musical artistry and sheer joy of life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just plain fun, February 4, 1999

By	David A. Beamer (Clawson, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When listening to this recording, you get the distinct understanding that there is nothing Bobby McFerrin would rather be doing that exactly what he is doing: amazing things with his voice that just tickle audiences. A few of the tracks here are live recordings, and a few are accompanied by another musician -- well, Robin Williams doesn't count as a musician, but "Beverly Hills Blues" is probably the most fun track here. It sounds like they were just making it up as they went along.

As someone with "professional training" in singing, I am astounded at the things he does with his voice.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bobby is in a class by himself on this album...., June 9, 2004

By	D. Pawl "mariposarosa2" (Seattle) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Sigh, I long for the early days of Bobby McFerrin and this album reiterates that opinion for me. This is an unbelieveably beautiful, innovative, humorous, creative and unique little album that introduced Bobby to the world. This man who has the unusual talent/ability to sing two (count them, TWO) notes at one time, mimic virtually every musical instrument known, impersonate other famous singers, and come up with wonderfully catchy and innovative covers of well-known songs does not fail us on this CD!

"Thinkin' About Your Body" kicks it all off. The whole time I listened to the song I tried to figure out how he could possibly provide not only all of the instrumentation using only his voice and body, as well as all of the vocalizations! It sounded like there were 20 Bobbys up there on stage and not just one! Amazing! The rest of the album featured the brilliant Bobby and some special guests who "dropped in." "Another Night in Tunisia" features The Manhatten Transfer. The hysterical "Beverly Hills Blues" features the wonderful Robin Williams. Check this wonderful, melodious album out. There is something for everybody, and it is lives up to its "Spontaneous" title.