Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than Expected, March 7, 2006
When I first heard of this project, I was really skeptical. I kept thinking it would be just another tired effort of some rappers or hip/hoppers ruining yet another classic album. Man, was I ever wrong! This is actually pretty good! This album is really an Alpert solo album as opposed to another TJB effort. Herb lays down some new trumpet parts and seems to be having a great time doing it, and this turns into a very jazzy effort. The rhythms are more modern sounding, with some heavy backbeats, but most of this album still swings as did the original. In particular, "Lollipops & Roses" has an urban big band feel to it, with Herb playing some hot horn on top. "Whipped Cream" has a very funky feel to it, yet never loses the original appeal. In some cases - "Ladyfingers" especially - this sounds better than the original. Herb even gets into a bit of an electric Miles Davis mode on tunes as "Butterball" and "Green Peppers". The one clunker is "Love Potion #9", which features Ozomatli doing a vocal, which just doesn't add much. But overall, this is far better than I expected. People who are still stuck in the 60's probably won't enjoy this, but if you like your whipped cream jazzed up a bit, you should dig this! It's nice to know that a 70-year old music legend is still making better music than most other artists of today.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
21st century update of a 20th century classic, April 10, 2006
Herb Alpert has certainly always found a way to keep himself busy. He's a businessman, musician, producer, arranger, composer, painter, sculpter, philanthropist...I guess the list goes on and on.
While fans of his Tijuana Brass work have been rejoicing over reissues of some of the 60s back catalog, Alpert wasn't satisfied with just re-releasing old product. Along with the first batch of reissues came "Lost Treasures" containing previously unreleased TJB recordings. Now we get "Re-Whipped". Not exactly a remixed version of "Whipped Cream & Other Delights" and not exactly a mash-up but more of a re-recording with plenty of samples of the original tracks from that classic LP.
Lots of well known mixers and DJs are featured here, each bringing his own style to the table. Some of these tracks work better than others and you'll have a definite opinion about which ones work best for your personal taste.
When you think about it, this project is not really too surprising. Alpert has never been one to coast on his legend. The 1974 LP "You Smile - The Song Begins" showed that he was always willing to update his sound and stay current in the ever-changing musical landscape. He reinvented his sound again and again ("Rise", "Keep Your Eye On Me", "Colors") and keeps adding to his musical horizon.
This is an adventurous undertaking and kudos to Alpert for doing it.
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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Whipped vs. Re-Whipped (track by track), April 19, 2006
I suppose it was only a matter of time before the eternally hip music of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass was subjected to the remix treatment. But thankfully, Re-Whipped is not just your average remix album...
First of all, Herb Alpert himself actually lays down some new trumpet solos on some of the remixed tracks. Also, the entire Whipped Cream & Other Delights album has been "re-whipped" by a variety of remixers (although the songs are in a different track order for some reason...) This gave me the unique opportunity to dig out my old vinyl LP of Whipped Cream and listen to all 12 tracks side-by-side with the corresponding Re-Whipped CD remixes...
The album cover: The cover photo on the original Whipped Cream & Other Delights is really the only reason most people own or even know about this album, isn't it? It's a classic, an icon, a masterpiece. And -- it's a real girl, covered with real cream (shaving cream instead of whipped cream, but still...) Re-Whipped attempts to update and perhaps even outdo the original -- BAD IDEA. There's more skin, less cream, and -- worst of all -- the whole thing looks computer generated. Winner: Whipped (by a knockout)
A Taste of Honey: Ahh yes... nothing says "swingin' sixties" better than "A Taste of Honey." Herb's rendition is pretty straightforward except for that nice part where he takes the tempo way down and just wades in a sea of marimba for a few seconds... John King's remix wisely retains and repeats this moment a few times, but otherwise doesn't do much other than add some synths and a backbeat. Winner: Whipped (by default)
Green Peppers: Smooth, baby... and short -- the original is only one and a half minutes long. Anthony Marinelli's remix adds the obligatory big beat, some reggae rhythms, and lots of echo. It's nice to hear Herb laying down a fresh solo, but the track goes on for nearly five minutes... and then just fades out. Too bad... Marinelli should have followed Herb's lead and kept it short and sweet. Winner: Whipped (by several laps)
Tangerine: A real laid back, melodic affair on the original. DJ Foosh keeps it mellow, throws in quite a few processing effects and so forth. Quite nice, really. Winner: Re-Whipped (in a tie-breaker)
Bittersweet Samba: Um... not really -- Herb's original is more like the soundtrack to every unbearably unfunny madcap slapstick routine you could ever imagine... however, it is mercifully short. Mocean Worker doesn't have much to work with here, but he does manage to superimpose an actual samba rhythm on it and, as an added bonus, he keeps it short too. Winner: Re-Whipped (T.K.O.)
Lemon Tree: Ah, yes... the background music at every Chi-Chi's restaurant in Purgatory... Thievery Corporation actually improves upon the original, though, transforming it into a gorgeous, dreamy Mexican flavored meditation... Winner: Re-Whipped (opponent threw in the towel)
Whipped Cream: Middle of the road, soundtracky stuff -- but that funky little drum and bass fill is sure cool. Marinelli delivers a phat beat, a new Alpert solo, and some background vocals, but somehow manages to leave out the best part -- that killer drum and bass riff. Oops. Winner: Whipped (judge's decision)
Love Potion No. 9: A fun little cheesy pseudo-stripper music number in Herb's hands... and then it fades out. Marinelli and Ozomatli (there's a tongue twister for you) manage to turn this tune into some kind of hip-hop/indie-pop hybrid, complete with radio-ready vocals by some guy named Asdru Sierra. Kind of a mess, but you gotta admire the effort... still... Winner: Whipped (barely...)
El Garbanzo: A corny little fiesta ditty that goes on a little too long on the original album... The remix by Medeski, Martin & Wood seems to be trying a little too hard, but in the end it's a bit more fun to listen to, I guess. Winner: Re-Whipped (by a nose...)
Ladyfingers: A rather lovely, loungey little no-frills ballad on the original, Camara Kambon's remix throws in a lot of extra bells and whistles while still sounding sort of pretty -- too bad the beat is just a little too intrusive... Winner: Whipped (by a field goal...)
Butterball: A boring and/or irritating little tune with a monotonous beat and pseudo-New Orleans Jazz interludes made worse only by Marinelli's relentlessly dull, unimaginative and seemingly endless remix. Winner: Whipped (since it's shorter...)
Peanuts: Direct from the Mexican Polka party of your worst nightmares comes "Peanuts"... Marinelli manages to turn this into a pleasant if ignorable techno confection with a nice new Alpert solo as an added bonus. Winner: Re-Whipped ("I give it a 10 for a good beat")
Lollipops and Roses: The ultimate "driving through Southern California with the top down" music to be sure... Marinelli unfortunately tries to turn it into a retro Stevie Wonder-ish synth-fest and drains all the fun out of it in the process. Winner: Whipped (no contest)
OVERALL: You simply must own the original Whipped, for the cover art if nothing else (and preferably on LP -- don't worry, you can find several copies of it in every used record store in the world.) Re-Whipped, while not essential, is certainly a cut above most remix albums -- despite the terrible cover art. Might as well just give in and get 'em both...
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by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass 
