1 Giant Leap - 1 Giant Leap
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Free Music Notes for 1 Giant Leap
Free Music Review: A bit of a soufflé
Hit: 4 Stars
I bought this CD after hearing the Ulali/Mahotella Queens track "Ma' Africa" on web radio. It is a truly astonishing track. (Contrary to the Amazon.com editorial review, Ulali is not an African poet (that would be Moseo), but rather a trio of Native American women). Bridgeman and Catto are obviously accomplished musicians (and connected - getting all the guests on to their CD is an accomplishment in itself) but in the end what does all the talent signify? My guess is that part of the favorable response is simply to the familiar voices (Baaba Maal, Michael Stipe) put in unusual, pleasant, and high production-value musical settings - which is to say that these tracks are easy to listen to, and the songs and lyrics inoffensive (some would find them inspirational), but apart from "Ma' Africa," not particularly inspired. A bit of a soufflé, tasty, but puffed up with hot air. I like a good soufflé now and again, but I would not want a steady diet of them, and it is hard for me to believe that five years from now this disk will be in heavy rotation.Free Music Review: Exactly what it intended to be, Beautiful in it's own rite
Hit: 4 Stars
This is not what I would consider a true International CD; however, it definately has merit for what it is. It brings light to some international music in the most gentle way by engineering the CD to sound as similar to what people are used to hearing as possible. This CD is likely to bring more people to find the beauty of international music and hopefully explore those inclinations further. This CD contains some great tracks though, and should be noted for those.The Baaba Mall, Robbie Williams, Asha Bhosle/Michael Stipe and Speech (I wish Arested Development was still together) tracks are all amazing. The Mako Black and Franti tracks are my least favorite. This CD is a neat project and is worth owning, but just be aware of what it is when purchasing it.
Free Music Review: Compares to every style ever recorded - & nothing ever done.
Hit: 4 Stars
A jet-powered trip around the world, rootsy folk traditions blended (or is it jammed?) together with pop, electro-disco, jazz, psychedelic and classical traditions - including spoken word, mellow rap, and idealistic 'save the world' sociological commentary: that's 1GIANT LEAP in a large nutshell.
1GIANT LEAP compares to every style ever recorded - and nothing ever done before. Beat Poetry? Beatles? Youssou N'Dour plus George Harrison channels Ravi Shankar?
1GIANT LEAP defies easy categorization - and challenges the imagination.
All this - and if you want, there's a DVD supporting the music, of the same title.
Free Music Review: Striking Results
Hit: 3 Stars
Producers Duncan Bridgeman and Jamie Cato bring together seemingly disparate talents from the world stage to often striking results on 1 Giant Leap, a multimedia project which is also available on an equally eclectic DVD. The jumping off point for these 12 tracks is electronica, but they diverge wildly into mbaqanga, qawwali, Indian trance, gospel, hip-hop. It's hard to tell which illuminates more, the strains of "world music" as "exotic" or the conforming confines of electronica. Indigenous music experiences a tinge of bland-out against synthetic backgrounds, while those same rhythmic and vocal interjections raise the standard drums'n'bass or junglist scenarios to another level. Your favorites could very well differ from my own, which include the Mahotella Queens ululating over "Ma' Africa", Michael Franti's earthy raps on the otherworldly "Passion", the hymnlike "All Alone (On Eilean Shona)". Best of all: Michael Stipe and Asha Bhosle's frantically erotic Bollywood jungle rave "The Way You Dream". Now all I wanna know is: when is Michael Stipe going to do his solo electronica album, wherein his raspy croon has never sounded warmer, more at home?Free Music Review: Return to Deep Forest
Hit: 2 Stars
A perfect example of bland contemporary "world fusion", 1 Giant Leap is the kind of dross first perpetuated by the likes of Deep Forest and Enigma in the early 90s: grab some disparate performers and musical styles and mash them together until they achieve a consistent form. In no respect could this be considered a valid international collaboration, in which each performer works with others in the creation of something unique. The guys behind this bilge have simply thrown in whatever's necessary to sweeten the mix, creating sterile, context-free music that is JUST PERFECT for cocktail parties and dinners! Meaningless and entirely disposable.