The Atomic Mr Basie

yes bigband bonanza

Interesting

Listens: 4 Standout Tracks: None I liked this. Reminded me of what my grand father used to listen to; this, and classical music. I appreciate how by 1958, with the Cold War kicking into gear, that the Atomic bomb had entered the zeitgeist and was something that people were talking about, using nuclear explosions on album covers and calling themselves "Atomic". I liked this upbeat, focused swing style of Jazz more than I enjoyed Weather Report and even Bill Evans Trio. This was a hoppin good time.

Beautiful. The band’s confidence is a match for their precision and cohesiveness. A 5.

This was fantastic! I love big band and Count Basie and his Orchestra sure delivered. The music was consistently smooth and was so emotive despite the lack of lyrics. Too often instrumental albums don't distinguish between songs enough, but not this album. Really, just a delightful, fun, and easy listen.

Judging by this album cover, if you had told me that this would be a 1950s big band jazz album, I would probably not have believed you. But here we are. All in all, this was a pretty good jazz album! I was not familiar with (Count) Basie, so this was a new experience for me. Most big bands don't need a singer, and this was no exception; the band itself was allowed to shine and do what they do best. It seems as if this album is well regarded in the world of big band jazz, and I can definitely understand why!

Wow!

just swag as hell

Some interesting music but not enough of it.

No notes.

Sounds great even for my untrained ear. I can’t tell trombone from sax or anything else. Bass lines were great!

Man, do I hate jazz. And big band is basically the hard rock of jazz.

This wasn’t offensive, it just was boring. This shit got old real quick.

The brass section of this big band orchestra was a bit too loud in this album.I just couldn't hear it loud,it really annoyed me.Overall i always enjoy Count Basie's albums.I think it's the second album that i rate from him and his orchestra. Favourites:Double O. 4/5.

Sure, fine. Boring. 2/5 stars.

This was not Atomic, and didn't blow me away as the title and album cover may suggest. A perfectly ok big band record. Best: Fantail Worst: Double-O

Not my cup of tea

Loved it! Count Basie is a favorite.

I could always listen to Count Basie... I vaguely remember learning he was "from" KC (where I spent much of my youth). He wasn't technically, but had a KC era and I didn't think anything cool came from there...

Threw this on several times while dining and looking for the right tunes. Very enjoyable.

1 Stern extra fürs cover

Dope

Ca, ça trompette bien.

Obviously great musicians, some of the music certainly sounded familiar, not my thing, but it was easy listening and not poison to the ears.

Big band perfection!

Beautiful and fun

Bold choice for an album cover, but Basie delivers with an explosive opening number. This was full of fun and entertaining music that certainly led into more great music for my work day.

some good ol big band jazz. takes me back to the good old days, saved it to ethan's post-mission playlist as well. favs were midnight blue and splanky, 4.5-5 (we'll see how i feel in the morning)

This was great - swinging, big band jazz. The nuclear bomb on the front is a bit weird, because the music itself is really joyous and uplifting. I can imagine dancing to this in the 50s against the backdrop of rock 'n' roll being the cooler style. A small nod to the rhythm section as I liked the bass playing, and in general the interplay between the band is really seamless, they sound like they have good chemistry together.

8/10

I have no idea what to expect. Ok. The musicianship here is 10/10. But I don’t enjoy this sort of big band jazz. I would probably love this in a live setting. Too tedious as the soundtrack for my afternoon walk. 2/5 to rate it in line with albums I’ve felt the same way about.

mid

An album you could dance with a friend to. Good fun, and great playing.

I know it’s my own personal taste, but I would rather have near 70 year old dance music than that of the last 10 years. It’s just more organic, has more feel and emotion for me. It just screams cool. 4 Star

I had heard of Count Basie and his orchestra from their guest appearance on The Intro And The Outro by The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, where they played the triangle. Let's hear what they can do with a full album. Quite a lot, as it turns out. Some very nice big band jazz here. Call me a philistine, but this kind of easy-to-listen-to jazz is much more enjoyable to me than the stuff which is more about pushing possibilities and boundaries.

7.5 / 10

So bad no reviews

5

Boowop zoobity bop

Basie is classic and never gets old

Groovy! Great work music.

Allez, on continue de cocher les cases de ce foutu bouquin. Et aujourd'hui, on plonge dans le formol. Pardon, je voulais dire : on plonge dans le jazz. Enfin… le jazz ? Disons "un" jazz, celui des grands orchestres, des costards-cravates impeccables, des sourires ultra-bright et des musiciens qui jouent assis. On commence directement par la note et ce sera un trois sur cinq, soit la note de l'élève appliqué mais sans génie. La note du "fait le boulot, mais ne nous emmerde pas avec une quelconque aspérité". La note de ce qui est compétent, mais désespérément… sage. Et c'est exactement le problème de cet Atomic Mr Basie. L'ironie de ce titre… "Atomic", il n'y a rien d'atomique là-dedans, rien qui explose, rien qui irradie. C'est un pétard mouillé, une bombe à eau. Je vais être honnête, ce genre de jazz, pour moi, c'est l'antichambre de la mort par ennui. C'est le "jazz à la papa" dans toute sa splendeur, le genre de disque que ton dentiste passe en boucle dans sa salle d'attente pour que tu oublies qu'il va te charcuter la gencive. Le genre de musique que tu entends dans un hall d'hôtel de luxe où le personnel te juge parce que tu ne portes pas de mocassins à glands. C'est propre, c'est lisse, c'est tellement bien élevé que ça en devient suspect. Et le premier truc qui frappe en 2025, c'est le son. Mais quelle purge ! L'album a incroyablement mal vieilli, techniquement parlant. La dynamique est aux abonnés absents, ici tout est tassé, compressé, ça manque d'air, ça manque de coffre. On parle d'un Big Band, merde ! Je veux que ça me saute à la gueule. Je veux sentir le souffle des cuivres, la vibration de la basse, la caisse claire qui claque. Là, j'ai l'impression d'écouter un MP3 encodé en 64kbps sur une enceinte Bluetooth à 10 balles. C'est plat, où est la puissance "atomique" promise ? Elle a dû rester coincée dans le magnéto de 1957. Un bon gros coup de polish, un remastering digne de ce nom, ce ne serait pas du luxe. Parce que oui, musicalement, derrière ce voile terne, ça joue. Évidemment que ça joue. C'est Count Basie, c'est le "New Testament" band et les arrangements de Neal Hefti sont millimétrés. Ça swingue poliment, chaque section est parfaitement en place. Les musiciens sont des tueurs, le Count, avec son piano minimaliste, place ses petites notes avec une économie légendaire. Tout ça, c'est "bien". Mais "bien", en 2025, ça ne suffit plus. Je cherche la faille, la sueur, le danger. Je cherche ce qui fait que le jazz de Mingus, de Miles (période électrique) ou de Coltrane te retourne les tripes. Ici, rien, c'est du jazz de smoking, c'est du jazz qui ne veut déranger personne. C'est le jazz parfait pour un film de Blake Edwards. C'est le jazz qui a donné envie à des générations entières de ne pas écouter de jazz. Les morceaux s'enchaînent avec une compétence somnifère. "Kid from Red Bank" ? Oui, ça balance. "Li'l Darlin'" ? OK, c'est suave, parfait pour rouler une pelle à ta promise au bal de fin d'année 1958. Mais l'ensemble manque cruellement de passion, de folie, de vie. C'est un exercice de style, brillant, peut-être, pour l'époque. Mais aujourd'hui, ça sonne comme une musique d'illustration pour une pub de bagnole. Je comprends que cet album ait sa place dans l'histoire. Il représente l'apogée d'un certain style de Big Band, juste avant que le rock'n'roll ne vienne tout balayer et que le jazz lui-même ne parte dans des directions bien plus excitantes. Mais le "1001 Albums" est censé être un guide des albums qu'il faut écouter avant de mourir. Celui-ci, franchement, vous pouvez le laisser de côté. Sauf si vous ouvrez un cabinet dentaire. Un gros pétard mouillé, je vous dis.

i love jazz and this was a nice addition to my knowledge but nothing i have not heard

Love this. Nice break from the routine. Interesting, varied, and not something I'd stumble upon on my own.

Movano, HDH/Umgebung, Deutschland. Etwas fad auf Albumlänge.

Ok

Old school cool big band swing. Lovely

Jazz I can get behind - genuinely beautiful! The start really punches your ear drums!

Classic!

ok as background noise as i continue my job search

The Atomic Mr. Basie - Count Basie & His Orchestra While I'm not a fan of big band orchestras there is plenty on this album that focuses on the genius of Count Basie as his unique piano playing abilities are more pronounced and not so overwhelmed by his orchestra. His arrangements are, as always, excellent.

An album that I was not aware of before but one that I can definitely call great.

Dirty swing

vibey

This made me smile throughout the day! I pictured my grandparents sitting and playing cards listening to this record.

I really liked this one! Big bombastic orchestral arrangements, copious use of brass and piano, very vibe-y.

REminded of The DOors

A fun listen, but no songs stood out strong enough to give it another go.

I have heard Lil' Darlin' before in media somewhere. I do love this old style jazz.

Looking at the cover I was definately expecting some 90s juggalo style rap. Instead we got the spirit of jazz!

Beautiful instrumentals

Overall, this was a pretty chill album, nothing too exciting, but I think that because it's a bit old and because it sounds like it's for the background of an intense movie, it just sounds like an old movie is playing in the background.

Very energetic, but also calmer gems in here. Loved listening on Headphones.

jazz

My dad loves Count Basie

lo sto ancora sentendo a dire il vero, però bello

Bell album jazz però va bene come sottofondo. Cioè le canzoni essendo strumentali non sono cosí facili da ricordare e non mi sono entratr in testa

Enjoyable listen - not normally within my musical remit but I would potentially revisit.

From a bit before my time, and the cover art notwithstanding, I really enjoyed this.

I listened to this twice in a row, in between listening to the Minutemen. If there's anything better than that I don't know it, haven't seen it and never heard it. This is music for a rainy morning at home- you break the glass and listen to make yourself feel more alive. I couldn't tell you which song was which, it all blended together into a joyous cacaphony of jazz and swing and big band and stupid grins.

beep bop perfect vibe

omg! this is exactly what i am looking for, this is going to be go-to album, its beautiful

Why is there elevator music on this list?

A great addition to my limited jazz library - not something I’ll gravitate to often, but every now and then that itch needs a scratch and this is a good alternative to just going back to Kind of Blue every time.

This was a nice listen. A bit wild at times. My students thought it was bad but they are stupid.

‘E’ most definitely equals ‘MC2’ and Hefti and Basie undoubtedly provided a big-bang with this big-band! A swinging classic Capitol recording from ‘58!

Kom ud hvor big band var ved at blive erstattet af bebop jazz og mindre arrangementer eller hvad man siger. Så han prøvede at inkorperere nogle mere moderne aspekter til big band og swing lyden. Synes jeg også er rimelig tydligt at høre bebop jazzen i det. Det er elegant, energisk, selvsikker, swingende og sofistikeret. Jeg synes det var super godt men også noget jeg gerne vil vende tilbage senere til. Jeg kan ikke rigtig huske det efter jeg lyttede til det for nogle dage siden.

This album swings hard. Amazing!

3.5, standard jazz

uh sure

It started sounding the same at some point😂 but it’s nice

ugh jazz, instant vomit. and wtf is this album cover???

2+ Stars (6/15)

Meh instrumentaal

I liked it. I'm certain it's a classic, but it's not my jam.

Pretty cool! Some restrained songs, some bigger ones, the recording sounds really authentic. Liked it!

First song (The Kid from Red Bank) started extremely strong, but I think it did capture the spirit of the 50's Cold War era, but it makes for an intense listen. The more relaxed songs are a lot more enjoyable to listen to casually. Overall, this is a very solid album, and while it starts off a little bit much, the rest of the album is extremely nice and fun to listen to.

Lush and vibrant. Made for a toe-tapping Sunday night.

*1958. Big band. *Fun swing, jazzy, big band album. *Good for what it is, but wouldn't revisit. RATING - 6/10

This album takes me straight to Frenchmen Street in New Orleans — torn between getting up to dance or sinking into a dimly lit bar, mesmerized by the pianist, trombone, and sax players.

Big band jazz is not something I would listen to on a regular basis but there is no denying the talent of the musicians and the fantastic orchestration. I don't give it 5 stars only because it's not really my style.

Super solid album. I truly enjoyed this Album in its entirety. Count Basie & His Orchestra delivered in every way. I’ve heard these tunes all my life and have never listened to them all in one sitting and am glad I did. Added to the rotation!

I'm no big band expert but this was cool. And it had an atom bomb explosion on the album cover.

Nice enjoyable album. I picture my grandparents cutting a rug to this.

Skibidi toilet

Nice jazz

Big band swing jazz fun

Sunday Morning Big Band Music!

An insanely cool album cover for a big band orchestra. Never really listened to or thought about any of Count Basie's work, but after listening to the podcast, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs (check it out, fellas), it's not an overstatement to say that rock and roll wouldn't be what it is/was without Count Basie. A lot of his earlier work was incredibly influential the jazz musicians and R&B singers that would begin creating some of the early proto-rock and roll songs of the 40s and 50s. The Atomic Mr. Basie feels like the last word from the era of big band orchestras that dominated American music up until the birth of rock and roll, and it's a last word worth hearing.

hahaha this cover is awesome. Count Basie on his Jello Biafra shit or actually, Biafra on his Count Basie shit. Difficult for me to ascertain why some big band stuff would be better than others if it's at all listenable. I'm happy to have used this format to listen to it because otherwise, this would likely have never come across my radar. More than many other genres, this era of 50s big band/cocktail club music feels very transportative. It makes me want to install a recessed conversation pit into my shag carpet living room. I want to get a bar cart and keep it stocked with gin and vermouth. I want to throw out my entire wardrobe and replace it with pleated pants and starchy button-up shirts. I want to marry a woman I met in high school and live a domestic life that is most charitably described as "habitable" and I want a television with knobs with four channels that go off at midnight.

Sounded great, some classics, but not the type of music I will seek out.

Not my style of music.

8.3 - very good album, no bad songs. Splanky (9), Duet (8.5), and Double-O (8.5) were my favorites. Teddy the Toad (7.8) was the lowest ranked.

siento q es musica de cine mudo, lindas, me gustaria escucharlo de fondo en un bar

3.4 1x good jazz

Очень приятный джаз

This all darts round rather nicely, no melodies though. Hard to rail against such an innovator so will simply say its not for me and leave it at that!

Highlight songs: The Kid from Red Bank Duet After Supper Flight of the Foo Birds Double-O Teddy the Toad Whirlybird Midnite Blue Splanky Fantail Li'l Darlin

Felt classy while listening to it

Big swing band music is always fun!

Reiseradioen !?!?

Liker det, blir litt distrahert fra jobb og nikker hodet til musikken. Like greit siden jobben suger atm. Masse kule partier, men er jo litt slitsomt i lengden den her type jazz. Jevnt over tenker jeg 3/5

So much fun

Not my thing.

Favorite song(s): None stood out to me When would I listen to it: Never, I usually listen to instrumental when needing to focus but this wasn’t conducive for that. More of a fun, energizing instrumental which just isn’t for me. Sounded great though!

Masterclass I bigband-musik

This was a great soundtrack while I washed dishes! I’m glad I listened to it, but ultimately it’s not for me.

Easy listening, Big Band Jazz. Totally acceptable, don't really have much more to add, I may revisit if I need music to soundtrack something. 3 Stars.

1958? BIG Band? Jazz? Three strikes and you'rrrrre out! I don't get jazz. I can't even pretend to like it, it can't be on in a room without it driving me up a wall. The randomness and the repetition, the unnecessary solo's, the horns that just won't stop. Boring. Just not my thing. It's obviously popular with most tracks having over 1M plays. A few have 5, 18 and 8M plays, that's impressive. I don't understand it, but it's impressive. I got thru this one quickly. Not a single song I'd listen to twice. And to believe there was a time when this was super popular blows my mind. I'm sure he's great at what he does so I'll give it 2 stars.

finally some JAZZ 😩 liked it!! was a fun welcome back to nyc, especially with Mr Basie’s relationship to the city. however the album art did throw me off. enjoyed this listen! however I’ve been listening to some really good jazz lately so I think a 4/5 album would have some more experimental sounds. but loved it for what it was! will def add to the work day rotation

Banger instrumental album. The instrumentation is very impressive. Also, this is the perfect fall time, hanging around the house while I cook a meal music

This was a fun listen but I didn’t come away from it really liking any particular song deeply. It was a good throw in the background while working vibe. IK Gibs was throwing ass to this in the apartment tho.

Count Basie is not only an icon in jazz, but one of the major players in advancing and promoting big band to the world. This album is clearly a powerful and diverse trek through a wide range of vibes that can be evoked with jazz, executed beautifully with excellent playing from the brass and percussion. I don’t know where jazz would be without Count Basie’s influence, and I’m glad this came up on our trek through music.

Vanhaa piirrettymusaa :D ihan ku ois kelaillu Tom & Jerryä ja muita klassikoita ilman kuvaa. Kyllähän tässä viihtyi sen aikaa mitä se kesti, mutta ei tätä ehkä neloseen voi nostaa. Annetaan se tylsä kolmonen. Ei tästä mitään pahaakaan sanottavaa ole

Jazzia ja swingiä kuuntelee kyllä mielellään silloin tällöin, mutta tässä albumissa paistaa läpi liikaa levyn vanhuus, tai joku muu vastaava häiritsee hieman. Voisi olla nelosen lätty, mutta tiputan kolmoseen kyseisen havainnon takia. Levyn yllä kuunteli, mutta en erityisemmin pitänyt, mutten vihannutkaan.

Ei kyllä pystyny kuuntelemaan loppuun. Vähän turhan varttunutta kamaa. Jokainen biisi tuntui enemmän tai vähemmän samalta, mutta soittajat vaikuttivat osaavilta! Siitä lohtupiste Cunt Basielle

Tämä nyt kuulosti ihan siltä miltä jazz yleensä kuulostaa, sen enempää ei oikein osaa sanoa juuta eikä jaata.

Jatsihommathan on semmosta, että jos sille polulle lähtee niin kaninkolo vie mennessään. Oon itze pysynyt vähän etäämmällä, vaikka jotkut kyseisen genren levyt kyllä houkutteleekin kuiskailuillaan. Tää nyt ei ihan resonoinut täysii. Hyvää pikpändi-veivausta ja semmottiis. Eiköhän vielä saaha parempaakin kilkuttelua listan edetessä.

Siinähän tuo meni. Moinen jazzailu vaatisi varmaan parempaa keskittymistä jotta pystyisi arvioimaan paremmin, mutta näin kerran läpi taustamusiikkina ei aiheuttanut suuria positiivisia tai negatiivisia tuntemuksia.

Liian vanhaa kamaa itselle, jotta osaisi arvostaa tätä, yli muiden aikalaistensa. Kuulostaa toimivalta ja hyvin soitetulta, mutta kokemuksellani tästä en oikeen osaa sanoa mitään.

Ihan hauskaa mäiskettä. Ei oma musiikintuntemus riitä sen tarkempaan analysointiin, ja kun tuolta nyt ei mitään varsinaista korvamatoa jäänyt mistään, niin se vähän raakkaa pisteitä.

Your grandma definitely got fingered to this multiple weekends in a row at her local dance hall when this thing came out. Phenomenal listen.

Pretty fucking wild move making the cover of your big band jazz album the mushroom cloud of a hydrogen bomb in 1958. If the American public wasn’t already terrified of you (black guy) this would certainly do it.

9/10

A very solid big band jazz album, not that I would know a bad jazz album from a good one if it hit me in the face. It’s crisp, energetic, bombastic and lively. I am impressed with the arrangement and the solos are good. If I am being 100% honest I don’t engage with jazz the way that I do with more mainstream music. I can see why this is highly regarded and the musicianship on display is great but I am finding it difficult to actually critique this album so I am going to make this simple. I would put this on, not skip any songs, enjoy myself and I’d probably own it on vinyl. Would I pay full price for it or go out of my way to seek it out? Nah.

Love it. Big band big energy. Hits real hard out of the gate with “the kid from reels bank” and also really dug “spanky”. Makes me want to swing dance!

La portada es bastante elocuente. Nos encontramos ante un disco de uno de los imprescindibles del jazz, con su "All-American Rhythm section". Si Ellington era el duque, Basie era el conde. Sonido big band, swing de postguerra, y mucho, infinito estilo. Double o, es mi favorita pero Duet sin ir más lejos es un clásico para escuchar en cualquier momento.

I've never listened to a Big Band album before. I had an assumption it would all sound very loud and dense, but I was surprised by the variety of sound and how soft and smooth some of it was. I found myself unconsciously toe tapping from time to time. No songs "Liked" but I did enjoy the album.

This was quite nice, notably more accessible to my uncultured ears than Bitches Brew or the Koln Concert.

I feel bad giving this only 2 stars as I normally like Basie. This is low production quality and mixed horn forward, so it doesn't sound like a balanced orchestra.

Jazz is cool. It's albums like this that remind me of that belief that I have. This album's very good. It's not a masterpiece or anything, but it's just a lot of fun. It's got this swinging big-band style that I really enjoy. The opening track just hits you with awesome, fast-paced horns right off the bat and I love that. The album lasts for a respectable amount of time. It's not the most gripping jazz album ever, but I enjoyed it all throughout. I've got to give props to both Count Basie's orchestra and Neal Hefti's arrangements. Good job! Great jazz album. Light 4/5.

More music that isn't what I listen too at all, but if i can ever listen to a full album of music that is outside my comfort zone and either not mind or like most of it I think its undeniably a very good album. It was a fun listen.

No comment

Didn't expect to like this as much as I did - jazz usually isn't my thing. It was great to listen to while I was working/doing lab experiments.

This was really fun to listen to. Ill come back to it.

excellent big band album!

This was the lift I needed after Jeff Buckley yesterday. This would be easy to put on and feel good about at any time. I feel like I've tried finding big band all in one place in the past and it has felt hit and miss - this feels like it's all hits no skips.

What an opener or a song. It set my expectations a bit too high for this album though. If it had struck a better balance between these frenetic and softer songs it would've been a 5 star album.

I can’t really follow music like this

Excellent. Exactly the type of album.that deserves to be in this list. Excellent playing great variety .

outstanding

Not my thing

Amazing. Great drive, great rhythm. Basie never disappoints!

It just wasn't very engaging to listen to. I don't doubt that they are very talented and influential to music but I can't pick out a single track.

Basie is based. Phenomenal album, oh how I wish I could hear this live. I don’t think I’ll return to this very much as it is a very specific vibe I don’t feel too often, but I enjoyed every song and the album as a whole.

poop

# Album Name: The Atomic Mr Basie # Artist: Count Basie # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Not bad for a jazz album. Gets a bit samey but overall quite up beat. # Top Tunes: Not sure, blends into one. # Would I listen to it again? Maybe

Just when it starts to lag, it swings right back up. I love jazz albums that are “this is the show we were doing”, because they have such an amazing sense of place. I would have loved to see this.

Ahhhh yeah some good ol 50s jazz!! Really digging this. I Think I'll give this one 5 stars. It really hit the spot.

I liked it to a certain extent, but I just can’t get into this type of music. I’ve never been able to get into orchestras

Jó volt, Lil' Darlin kedvenc

This one doesn't fall in the bin of "mention the book in the blurb so it probably sucks" I like it. It's pretty late big band swing. A little anachronistic, but I was around in the 50s to know.

I like this better than jazz but I'm not sure how this big band type style is more significant than other band styles.

Jazzy Piano

Pretty great. Classy

A classic swing album by a master of the genre. The thing that gets me about this album is the absolute speed at which the energetic tracks are played at. The bass work is insane and rather than letting the rhythm section do all the work, the soloist keeps up the energy and is all over the scales. Even the backing horns, particularly in Double-O and Whirly Bird, are hitting a ton of notes cleanly and strikingly. The slower songs are great too, and it's where Basie himself actually shines a bit because you can hear the piano well. It's always noted that he didn't write most (any?) of these songs, but the arrangements by Hefti are enough. His band carries it all head and shoulders above the pretenders. Hell of a cover and title.

Exhilarating!

Lovely vibey jazz. Great moodsetter but not terribly exciting.

It was fine...pretty typical orchestral jazz, nothing stood out (certainly not something "atomic").

I haven’t explored more since I first listened to this years ago but I really like this bran of Big Band. Atomic is a great adjective for how dynamic and explosive the pieces can be, and it has aged super well

Not a fan of Jazz and especially not when a Big Band is involved. So sorry...

ich will ine jazzbar, aber so ine richtigi, und dete rauch ich au es zigi (oder probiers zumindest)

Not the kind of album I expected to find on here. Love the jazziness of it.

This is good. I've never been drawn to big band / jazz, but the compositions are well-made. 6/10

Not bad but instrumentals are not for me

Really great. 4.5

Pas mon style

Not my music at all. Bluesy but no vocals.

Really good, I have never listened to Count Basie before and enjoyed it, overall a 4 star album for me.

Big Band at its absolute best. 5 stars.

The

Goede jazz

The fast songs were pretty good. The slow ones had me losing interest. It should be obvious by now that Jazz isn't my genre. This was good for a jazz album. 3.5

This is definitely big band music, make no mistake about that. I do not know how often I would revisit this album, though I did not find it offensive or have any sort of issues with the sound. It was soothing at times and I tapped my foot. I sort of want to watch movies about gangsters now but that's probably to be expected since I so closely associate this type of music with movies about the mob. Pretty cool album cover and the music was entertaining. It belongs in the book, if not my personal playlists.

Top-tier background music

Like it 3/5

Still can't believe Mel Brooks got him to play his orchestra for a throwaway gag in Blazing Saddles. What a legend.

10/10 album cover. Tan & I listened to a lot of this type of jazz, call it “Tower of Terror queue music.” So I still can’t really listen to this stuff without feeling a wave of grief. I’ll give it a three because I did love the atmosphere of this, but this is a DNF for me.

More instrumental like this please I now know why there’s a Count Basie theater in Red Bank

excellent company for making arepas 💃🏼 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really fun.

A good album. Nothing special, but still fun to listen

Again I can appreciate the skills required but its not for me.

Little too jazzy for me, but can understand the beauty in it.

awesome!

5/5

The Count treated me to a lovely evening

Oh god I think this album proved once and for all that I love big band music. Just an absolute blast!

I feel like I'm in a 1950s movie set as they are doing an overhead shot of the MC's location and are about to talk to someone important at a party. Mastering isn't anything special but honestly the music is pretty fun. Not good enough that I'd listen to it any other time but it's perfectly enjoyable.

Nice

I don't know jazz at all, but I can definitely tell that this is a different form of it than on like Kind of Blue. Mostly it reminds me of Tom and Jerry soundtracks, which is cool.

Been a good while since I’ve had any jazz on the project, and several times they were all long-form tracks that would be less accessible for new listeners. This was great length, nice variety between songs but still overarching related, mastery of the individual instruments as well as true cohesion as a group… just a great album selection to have here. Enjoyment is around 4.25/5 but rounding up for the accessibility for those newer to jazz

Nice jazz, don’t think I can appreciate it enough. Upbeat and good vibes!

This was fun! Big band jazz will always remain my favorite type of jazz. That being said, it always loses me before the album is over.

Big band jazz, not much else to say about it. I feel like I turned out most of it, but that's what happens when there are no vocals.

It's ok, not convinced it's standout genre breaking or top of it's class but it's ok

I don't have strong feelings on the sound here, it is very 50s and there are moments that made me smile or that I enjoyed listening through but I think it's just fine overall - 5/10

Jazz. Love it.

8,3

Superb.

Pleasant listening while I made dinner

Nice orchestrals, but didn't do much for me

Bland old album

Very good.

Fedt album. Selv med fuld trut.

crazy riffs

i liked this a lot, very nice and easy to listen to jazz. 7/10

It's hard to come up with a band or ensemble that does this better.

Not for me.

This is perfect.

This was delightful. Silky, smooth compositions. Made me want to take my best girl out on the town for dancing & martinis. Maybe smack the Cigarette waitress on the ass after getting a pack of Lucky Strikes. Seriously good album. 4

Not usually a fan of orchestral music, but this album won me over.

5/5. Bam! This album is an onomatopoeia of explosions, sprinkled with slow and practiced jazz licks. Each song stands out so abruptly that it feels like it could be overbearing, and yeah, it is quite loud, but damn does it slap. And even the slower, piano driven songs keep it interesting. Each player is at the top of their game and what a selection of tracks. Just a joy to listen to. Best Song: Splanky, Duet, Flight of the Foo Birds

Great representation of the Basie sound with some killer solos from Lockjaw Davis. But honestly this one was probably picked for the sick album art.

Sounds mostly like a fast paced New York City focused montage you would hear in Mad Men, while the slower numbers represent the more somber moments in the show. Overall pretty good! 3/5

funky fresh jazz as you're sitting alone people-watching

Not for me. 1/5

I like this kind of jazz!

Vibrant music - decent listen

Me gusta esa base clásica de jazz con el contrabajo de fondo y que juegue con el piano haciendo notas finas llevando la canción y denotando los ritmos y tempos de cada canción, mi nota señor juez, SE CALLA EL DECORADO DEL FONDO, esta es mi nota Marcelo:

Good classic orchestral jazz album, will be listening to it in the winter just before christmas

No favorite tracks, the whole thing is fantastic

What a vibe! And a cover!

Veo esa tapa y escucho "War, War Never Changes", aunque ninguna canción del disco está en los juegos (después de todo es música instrumental). Bueno: The Atomic Mr. Basie es un buen disco. Tengo, en general, una gran deuda con la música de big bands. No es lo mío. Voy poco a poco. Con el único con el que me pude adentrar en profundidad es con el gran Duke Ellington. Entonces, no sé como este disco se configura dentro de la discografía de Count Basie. Entiendo lo que repiten todos: que esto es como un "last big hurrah" de las Big Bands en el contexto en el que surge el rock and roll. Por supuesto que no comparto para nada: el mencionado Ellington siguió pateando culos hasta su muerte (y de hecho me gustan más sus últimos trabajos, con mejor producción: Afro-Eurasian Eclipse no tiene nada que envidiarle a sus primeros trabajos); el gran Charles Mingus (al que me cuesta considerarlo como un director de Big Band porque lo quiero mucho más, pero era un músico de Big Bands) tenía casi todo por hacer. Incluso podemos considerar a piezas excelentemente ponderadas como The Grand Wazoo de Zappa como Big Band... Africa/Jazz de Coltrane también... en fin, hay varios discos posteriores. El disco: está conformado por 11 canciones todas compuestas y arregladas por Neal Hefti, un trompetista cuya obra no conozco para nada. Me imagino que trabajó en soundtracks o arreglando música para orquestas. No es uno de esos nombres que conocemos todos. Y las canciones en general no son muy conocidas, no son grandes standards del jazz. Y es que en realidad no parecen tan interesantes, comparados con otras cosas que se hacían en la época. Lo que sí son tremebundos son los arreglos: esto es, obviamente, una big band, y están los instrumentos de viento dándole murra mientras está por detrás Count Basie haciendo magia con el teclado. Esto sucede, por ejemplo, en The Kid from the Red Bank, la primera canción del disco, una de mis favoritas del disco. Otra que destaco es Flight of the Foo Birds, y acá tenemos el caso inverso del anterior: Basie acompaña, igual que la batería y el contrabajo (aunque la batería se nota más porque es una canción movidita) y los vientos hacen el trabajo: otra vez, no me parece que sea un tema de composición, porque la melodía básica parece simplona, sino que son los solos que hacen los vientos líderes los que hacen que el tema destaque. Y un poco es así el disco: es una especie de Manual de estilo de la Big Band: tuvimos todas estas décadas donde perfeccionamos este tipo de música, y las aplicamos para hacer este disco. Se nota el talento presente. Lo que creo que falta es la presencia de un autor. Es una película sobre el holocausto o la esclavitud destinada a ganar el Oscar: le falta el amor de un director, si bien los actores se rompen el orto actuando para que la película funcione. Y consecuentemente con eso, me parece que las canciones tienen más o menos la misma calidad todas. Destaco, además de las ya mencionadas Midnite Blue y la última; pero realmente están todas al mismo nivel: están bien y hay buenas interpretaciones, pero me hace extrañar a Duke Ellington. Igual puede ser que con las escuchas este disco suba de nivel, veremos. Tres estrellas.

OMG. I already loved Count Basie but never heard this album before!

Something I don’t hear or listen to a lot. Love it.

I like this.

I think I like jazz… a lot…

Some interesting big band stuff in here, but that's not really my thing. Interesting listen, decent for background while working or reading, but there's lots of other jazz out there I prefer. This is not something I'm likely to revisit. 2/5

It's kinda hot. Big band swing and all that. Some of it blends in with each other and fades into background music, but that isn't necessarily bad. I do like me some jazz and this had some really nice passages. Very enjoyable album - not the best in the world, but a solid 4.

This album _SLAPS_ I love that big band sound

Yup sounds like jazz

Smokin' Fast paced. Very good - 4

Big band jazz is not my favorite style of jazz, but this is well done. It's not my favorite but it's solid. 6/10

Awesome

Nice but jazz isn’t really my thing

What an amazing album. Why did this music every go away. It's just fantastic.

The first thing that has to be said about initially listening to this album, I was very disappointed no one came out and sang “Meet George Jetson! His boy Elroy!” So you have to take this at the time and place when this was made, which is essentially right before rock became popular. Given that lens, it’s a good album. All the same, I found this a bit boring. It gets a bit slow at times and while the band is good throughout, it just wasn’t amazing for me.

Cool jazz. I wonder how controversial this album cover was for 1958 lol

This one feels like what I imagine "jazz" to sound like. Not sure how I feel about it.

Most Excellent Album!

Great album!

Despite its reputation as a cornerstone of big band jazz, The Atomic Mr. Basie feels overly repetitive and lacks the emotional depth or variety that might keep modern listeners engaged. The arrangements, while tight, come across as formulaic, and the relentless brass sections can feel more exhausting than exciting. Instead of showcasing innovation, the album sounds stuck in a loop of bombast without much nuance.

I can hang with this. Pretty swing-y but with a bop edge.

!!!

This was pretty good! Very high-energy swing/big band record with a couple nice slower songs mixed in. Kinda like the last gasp for big band music before it was relegated to the dustbin of history. An enjoyable listen! 4/5

Swingin' music of the times.

Solid jazz. Not something I’d really listen to. But it’s pretty damn good.

Some very fun instrumental jazz. Sounds like pure, distilled spirit of the 50s. The playing is top tier, and I enjoy hearing it.

62/1001 :: Count Basie - The Atomic Mr. Basie Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 6 Listen before you die: Yes NGL I barely listened to this. That said it’s one of the funner jazz records I’ve heard so far in this (1001) project. Lotta swing. Be great at a wedding. Will revisit when the mood is right…

There isn't much to hate about this album but also not much to love. It has a bunch of solos that range from unremarkable to pretty good but doesn't have much to offer in terms of catchiness or memorability. It's just kind of alright.

(64/100)

This is my 5th album i've listened to. I love jazz and this is a great example of someone who pioneered almost all modern jazz. You can really tell that the tempo and how it just soothes your mind really plays a big factor into this. Now even though I do love jazz, if it isnt live I cant get into it as much. If only i got to see this album live than I dont think i would be able to put it into words. I wish i did but i was born 50 years too late. Now because i rate this in a way that i would listen to it on the daily, I cant give it that high of score due to its 'backgroundey' vibe. 74/100

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is cooking by the end, but this one comes out swinging. Hot and fresh. Feels like a Fallout soundtrack.

12/10 very great

Good big band, easy listening sound

A fantastic big-band album. I do wonder if DGD’s song “Count Bassy” is in reference him!

This album from Count Basie is all instrumental, which is slightly unusual for big band music. That is good from my point of view, because many times vocals detract from the instrumental stuff. Since these arrangements were done by Neil Hefti, naturally they have a jazzy feel to them. Even so, this album could have come from the 1940s. Good music, but not quite up to a five-star level.

I don't know what this is. "Big band"? Sorry, I only listen to small band. Highlights: 'Flight of the Foo Birds', the name 'Splanky'

Jazz.

muy bueno

Loved the big band and swing side of this! It's the kind of jazz I prefer

Enjoyed this. A lot of the times, I like the music more than voices, so this was great.

Splashes of colour and excitement. Refreshing, like big band musical sound without giving me a headache. Its jazz flair give it a sound it makes me want to go back to it like a vacation to a destination unlike any other.

Comes in with a punchy blast of orchestral delight. Definitely had me moving around a bit. Good rhythm. Before I saw the name for "Duet", I wanted to brush up on my swing dancing with that song. Fav. song, "The Kid From Red Bank".

Not my style appreciate the artist.

Court et explosif, un album swing/big band qui surprend! Je trouve généralement que le swing devient moins approchable plus il devient complexe, mais ici, la balance est extrêmement bien exécutée. Shout out à la personne qui a review l'album en disant qu'il n'était pas capable d'écouter du jazz trop longtemps en faisant référence à un album de 26 minutes.

Divertissant mais en tant qu'album c'est pas mal juste une compilation de swing très standard, pas grand chose qui sort du lot. Ma playlist automatique a continué pour 3-4 chansons et j'ai pas remarqué du tout lol.

Unexpected but good

Very nice, probably inspiration for Cuphead OST

Nice!

Solid big band music

Not quite as explosive as I was expecting, but it got two listens and I enjoyed it enough for four stars.

Enjoyable but not entirely my kind of music. Don't know if I would go back to it.

I would give this album 5 stars based on the album art alone, but I that is unfair. So I'll give it the earned rating of 4 stars

This is a wonderful album that had me smiling and tapping my foot from the jump. While I’m not the biggest fan of swing jazz (it can feel quite dated), this album is a wonderful example of Basie demonstrating that there was still some life left in this style. This fact is made even more impressive when one considers how Jazz had begun to dramatically shift towards small groups led by men like Rollins, Davis etc.

Love this album! Fantastic energy and melodies. I'm not the most knowledgeable about Jazz and its many forms, but the way a big band nimbly positions itself in such a high energy arrangement is awe-inspiring.

A lot of different sounds, probably a great jazz album, and some very cool tracks, but not ly thing in general. Glad I listened to it in general.

For being another lyricless album this one hit me like a semi truck. The first five seconds of the first song really took a sledgehammer to my face and set the mood for the rest of the album. And the rest of the album was good. I’m not a fan of albums without lyrics but I very much appreciate this one. It’s definitely a joy to listen to in the background

Instrumental may not be my thing but this is great!! Really fun big band stuff, I can appreciate it in small doses like this album.

Pretty much perfect for a swing album. Basie's as good as it gets.

In January 2021 I only gave this a 3.5, but I really enjoyed it on relisten so it deserves a 4. I'm not well versed in jazz for it to be higher, though, or to provide a more thoughtful review.

I really appreciated the album's nuanced discussion of the ethical concerns of using a weapon of mass destruction to end a war and how it has changed the legacy of Japanese involvement in WWII from aggressor to victim. Lol jk, this album was excellent though. I thought about going song by song in my review, but honestly I think "an incredible and genre-bending combination of soft, hard bop, and big band jazz that jumps out of the headphones." The interplay between piano and plungered trumpet is just what I need. 5/5

Oh boy. Jazz again. At least that's some vivid cover art: none of this generic Miles Davis with a trumpet stuff. Listening notes: -Wow I can tell that this is different than other Jazz (such is the bar). So lively and orchestral. Maybe a Jazz album can really impress me. -Maybe it's that I've been taking swing dance classes, but this feels very fun! -I still don't have an ear for good v. bad jazz (and I know my opinions of what is danceable only get me so far in the genres where I feel qualified to comment; plenty of bad danceable music out there). -It's going to be much harder to form an opinion if I have to do so without lyrics. Review: Jazz is always gonna be hard to review for me, but this big band stuff is a lot more up my alley than the more rhythmically abstract stuff we had earlier. There's good energy in this stuff! 4 stars. Maybe I'd bump it up if I got really into jazz. And maybe I'll try more to do so.

I've often been a bit more dismissive of the jazz we've been served in this project. But this one caught me off-guard in a way that could keep me engaged. It may be because this is more swingy than some of the other albums and have leaned in to the big bandness of it all, but I enjoyed it. Splanky was a favorite, but maybe because its the one that's stuck around in the culture the best.

This album is pretty great! When im all done with this journey, I might start my mornings off with this. I like the whole style of it, especially the frenetic horns on Double-O

Cool listen, wouldn’t listen again soon however

Loved the instruments on this album, made me wish I knew how to play piano. His talent! I loved After Dinner, such sultry vibes. When the album finished I was surprised because I wanted to hear more!

Sounds like old! I can appreciate this in spite of it being a soundtrack of a million movies I don’t remember. Oh my god, does this music cause dementia? Why does this record from the late 50’s sound like it came from the 30’s? All joking aside, this is good stuff. The greatness of a big jazz band sound has been lost over the decades. I doubt I will return to this album often, but it nice to hear the source material for The Caretaker’s albums.

I didn’t really like it it was like elavitor music