Herbie Hancock - River: The Joni Letters (with Bonus Tracks) - Amazon.com Exclusive
|
List Price: Our Price: $14.99 You Save: $3.99 (21%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $12.45 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for River: The Joni Letters (with Bonus Tracks) - Amazon.com Exclusive
Free Music Review: The Wrong Side of Hype : A Decent & Overrated Collection of Songs
Hit: 3 Stars
**First of all, I must say I found this album incredibly short, with only ten songs. If you get this from Amazon, it has twelve tracks, but everywhere else it contains only ten tracks**
This album is so very reminiscent of Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company" and Santana's "Supernatural" - I am surprised not many other listeners have been able to pick up on this. The `guest starring' classification of album is certainly a regular feature these days - and frankly, before I picked this up, I thought it was fast heading towards overkill. If you look at Santana for instance, he is a classic example of great marketing - and the people he picks to make albums with - i.e Chad Kroeger, Matchbox 20, etc, ensure that he pulls in audiences from varying demographics.
In the same vein is this hyped and much-advertised album. If you're reading this review based on the Grammy Award it won for Album of the Year, you must understand that I am neither a fan nor a hater of Herbie Hancock. He strikes me as harmlessly listenable - much like my opinion of Amos Lee, or even Norah Jones. However, since Joni Mitchell is one of my all-time favorite performers (I discovered some of her more obvious works only this year, actually), listening to this album was a highly anticipated event.
"Court and Spark", where Hancock duets with Norah Jones, is definitely the highlight of the record, but in retrospect that doesn't really bode well for this album. Remember "Not too Late" by Norah Jones? Remember how the last five songs on that album all started sounding the same the first time you listened to it? Well, that is a curse that even this album cannot escape. For all its passages of sensational instrumentation and rhythm, there are plodding segments that have no business being on this album. "River", featuring the luminous Corinne Bailey Rae is a stellar piece of work, but its on the musical duet of "Tea Leaf Prophecy" that Joni herself makes an appearance. I didn't quite like this song. In fact, the entire CD is definitely in the Norah Jones/Astrud Gilberto vein for the most part, but I also think it takes itself too seriously. For all its literary pretentiousness, the songs don't `breathe' at all, leaving you rather emotionless and uninvolved with the music. That was my primary impression of the album in general.
That's not to say this isn't quite good. Of course its good. But also remember that the standard retail version of this CD (the one the Grammy went to) has only TEN songs on it (of which four, according to me, are definitely not worth listening to ever again). That leaves you with six quality tracks. I'm all for separating the wheat from the chaff, but there seems to be a whole bushel of chaff here - and not in a good way.
As an experimental record, this is average. As a work of art, it is pretty much middle of the road. From a technical perspective, this gets a high eight on ten. However, I do think that there have been better tributes to Joni. A recent "Tribute to Joni Mitchell" while also quite flawed, is definitely more listenable than this. I would also highly recommend Joni's own "Travelogue", which remains an underrated masterpiece that not many people know about. Listen to that album - she reworks her own songs - and compare it to this. When you do, the music on Hancock's disc will suddenly strike you as being `muzak' (it did, for me) and you will realize that this CD is definitely overrated.
Album of the Year? Certainly not. That would be "Release the Stars" by Rufus Wainwright. But if you're into eclectic music with a jazz twist to it, then you may as well pick this up to find out what the fuss is all about. However, I would never call this an `essential' recording. Go in with low expectations, and you may find a track or two that you will enjoy.
Three Stars.
Free Music Review: ITS ABOUT TIME...
Hit: 5 Stars
I am so SICK & TIRED of these arrogant hip hop rappers that are So full of themselves with attitudes that the world owes them...with sarcastic lines like "we run this" The one that really takes the cake is when I saw JZ on the same stage w/Paul McCartney...what the hell was that?.I'm not sayin that none of these guys are talented because that would make me quite ignorant.But theres more bad than good.then they start makin millons of dollars...they get all this media and attention...the smoke goes to their heads..they start to believe it themselves that they are these Business moguls...The only reason why they got there is because the music wave shifted in there direction...How can it not top 40 is dead...Its non existent...otherwise some of these rappers are as talented as the rejects from American Idol...Herbie Hancock's music genre deserves this & more...Its sad that the real talent in this country still goes undiscovered...cause the record moguls care about one thing the quick buck.But its good to see the results...we can't stay musically derailed forever...Free Music Review: Get Joni's jazzy-orchestral "Travelogue" instead
Hit: 3 Stars
I was just as surprised as anyone when "River" won the Grammy for Best Album of 2007. I was surprised even to see it nominated in that category. This is a pleasant album of slow, jazz-inflected arrangements of some of Joni Mitchell's well-known songs. But there is very little that is special about it. Hancock has done much better; I don't think he is that perceptive an interpreter of Mitchell's work, though it's nice to see someone of his stature acknowledge her greatness. If you want to hear a glorious album featuring Mitchell's songs, opt for "Travelogue" instead. She and Larry Klein re-worked a mixture of classics and lesser-known songs with orchestral arrangements and a slightly jazzy feel, and the results are stunning on most tracks. It is one of the lushest, most beautifully melodic albums you will ever hear. And Joni's voice, husky from age and smoking, sounds wiser and more lived-in than ever. The production values are virtually unrivaled. This is an album with which to test audiophile stereo systems. So whether you buy this CD or not, you really should investigate "Travelogue" to hear a jazz-inspired approach to Joni Mitchell's music.Free Music Review: OMG!11
Hit: 5 Stars
i heard a sample of this today on NPR and my jaw dropped! I am a bebop fan and fusion isn't my thing, but this is really my thing!!! It wove such a tapestry of notes that i cannot begin to say anything but magical, translucent, warm. I wish it was a MP3 so i could get it!
Free Music Review: Probably as good as it gets
Hit: 4 Stars
Let's face it, covering Joni Mitchell is almost never successful. I've looked into pretty much every tribute album or cover (especially the ones by jazz musicians) and have almost always been left cold. Except for the most straight-ahead, pretty melodies (Both Sides Now, Woman of Heart and Mind, etc.), her music and especially her lyrics just don't translate well. Turns out all the cliches about her "idiosyncratic genius" are more or less true and you're always better off just listening to the original.
That said, this is a very pleasant disc with some very good covers and probably as good as it will ever get for a Joni tribute. I'd agree with others that Jones' Court and Spark is quite good, and I like Kitchell's sunny cover of All I Want. I never dreamed of Tina Turner singing Joni Mitchell, but her beautiful reading of Edith and the Kingpin is the best cover. All these really work. Souza's Amelia doesn't work for me - go directly to Hejira. Mr. Hancock's playing is beautiful throughout, and I admire his choice of tunes, including Sweet Bird.
Still, as admirable as the effort is, everything pales a bit after hearing Tea Leaf Prophecy in Joni's own voice - rich, tender, poignant and beautifully set by the playing of Hancock and Shorter.
We keep hearing that Mitchell's recording career is ending, and we've had her big, ambitious retrospectives. All very good, but all I really, really want is an album of Joni's singing over a subtle jazz band (ideally this one) - her songs, others' songs, I don't care much - but more along the lines of this version of Tea Leaf Prophecy. If there has to be a last Joni album, that's the one I want.