Blood, Sweat & Tears

I admire the maximalist ambition of this a great deal. But it’s just so annoying isn’t it?

lood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968) On Day 286, any initial skepticism about the cover, title, or the "jazz-rock" label vanished immediately. Learning that this record famously beat out Abbey Road for Album of the Year set sky-high expectations, and it delivered on every front. The musicianship is razor-sharp and highly technical, marked by insane drum work where every instrument stands out crisply within the massive brass arrangements without ever feeling cluttered. David Clayton-Thomas's booming vocal presence ties the whole powerhouse together. Reimagining "God Bless the Child" as an upbeat, hard-swinging jazz workout was a revelation, standing distinct from Billie Holiday's original while remaining absolute peak. The infectious funk and rhythm of "Spinning Wheel" and personal favorite "You've Made Me So Very Happy" were undeniable highlights, while the driving energy of "Smiling Phases" and the immaculate classical framing of "Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st Movement)" rounded out a flawless listening experience. A triumphant, masterclass fusion. A definitive 5/5.

Un jazz fusión muy interesante Este álbum como tal me parece que combina covers, versiones alternativas y otros elementos en un mismo lugar, pero esto lo hacen siempre con un estilo propio y procurando siempre llevarlo al terreno del jazz aunque sea un poco Me entretuvo y me parece que tiene canciones muy destacadas, otras no tanto, en ese sentido puede que si algo inconsistente, pero su estilo si está muy marcado Buen viaje musical, reescuchable, y recomendable

An album which is 20% instrumental and 90% covers shouldn't really be on this list, no matter how good the songs are or band is. Good band, average songs.

A whirlwind of emotions. Mostly hate for having to listen to this. But also laughter at how ridiculously stupid it is. And a dash of depression for the precious time I lost. Truly, truly awful. Embarrassingly awful.

I have been on quite the horn streak. The best part of this otherwise blah album

One of the most badass albums ever recorded. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1970, competing against, for instance, *Abbey Road*. Jazz, rock, and blues in unique arrangements, with a special focus on the horns section. For those who admire Jaco Pastorius, Jim Ferguson on bass was certainly an influence on his style.

Awesome album! David Clayton-Thomas had a powerful voice. The horn section was badass! The only track that stops me from giving it five stars is “Blues Number 2”. It’s way too long and it takes a while before it starts to get good.

Really enjoyed this!

WOW I REALLY LOVED THIS ALBUM I was shocked by the Erik Satie. There were tracks that were very very long (Blues Pt2 and the last two tracks) but it’s the first time I’ve heard jazz instruments in rock (maybe due to own ignorance) Anyway the mix of saxophones / horns / trumpets (?) made the music catchier and also more interesting to me… so I had to save all of them. It sounds very inspired by black music

Base rating 3; +1 for Spinning Wheel; -1 for confusion with Earth, Wind & Fire; +1 for fact that Blue Lou from the Blue Brothers is not only in the band, but is instantly recognizable in the first Wikipedia photo of the band even though the photo includes like 600 people; -1 for band's apparent nefarious association with various right-wing initiatives in the early 70's; -1 because other than Spinning Wheel, it's not all that good.

I will never ever believe that trumpet-bothering "jazz rock" was important hot shit that people liked. You can't gaslight me, Dimery!

I never really got B,S & T and still don't. They seemed to fall between various genres and didn't excel at any. Not jazzy enough consistently to be enjoyed as a jazz group and the occasional bursts of rock didn't last long enough - even in the same track - to satisfy. Hard to listen to even though Clayton-Thomas' gravelly voice is good but could have done so much more. I enjoyed their Satie performances on this album though.

This is prog disguised as jazz rock! Im always so confused by this sort of music - what is this, why can they not just play a song, why does every instrument ever have to be featured, why does it all sound like a god awful 60s musical 😭 (good to hear the Super Fresco advert though 👍)

I don't really understand what I just listened to but it wasn't good? An absolute mess of genres and styles, somehow making any sound they touch sound generic and dull. Kinda has the ADHD tendencies of prog, but makes even less sense.

Didnt think I knew any of this, but was quickly proved wrong. ‘Spinning Wheel’ just reminds me of an advert from the 80s. Its all just on the wrong side of annoying (especially sat in traffic on the m25)

This is jazzy and all over the place - both which usually annoy me - however, this wasn’t quite as annoying as I expected it to be. I liked some of the horns, particularly on “Spinning Wheel” and, while this version of “God Bless the Child” isn’t a patch on the Billie Holiday original, it is at least distinct from her version. I also couldn’t help but quite like “You Make Me So Very Happy” despite it being an utter cheese fest. Other than that, this just wasn’t for me.

Oh jazz... But rock! But jazz.... I quite enjoyed the singing. I did not really enjoy that much else, although it was not bad enough to justify a 1. So a short and sweet: 2/5

Such a weird mix. Half enjoyable/Tom Jones-y, half super out there and somewhat morose. 3

I like some of tracks but this just doesn't connect with me.

3.5 started off quite confusingly. Some sort of '70s acid cowboy album? Then all the hits came on the second half.

Actually smack in the middle of 3* and 4*. It's a cool genre, but there aren't many hits on the album.

Found this tough to review. There's a lot going on in this, maybe too much. Some of the soulful, brassy rock is pretty good, if a bit smoothed over and cheesy. But not sure it comes together with jazzy instrumentals and the sprawl of Blues Pt 2. I'm taking the coward's way out and giving it a middling 3 stars.

A fun one, I can see how it made it's impact on music decades later. The lead singer has That Voice

I knew some of this without having heard of them. Enjoyable. I prefer the Shirley Bassey cover of Spinning Wheel though.

Ta bien, me gustó el jazz rock

Some bands just oose talent.

extremely fascinating musical medley! will never listen again! but fascinating all the same!

I really enjoyed the flute version of Gymnopédies and 'Smiling Phases' is a cool mix of jazz and blues. Those two really make this album a 3.

Went extremely hard

My dad LOVED this album when I was growing up. Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking but I’m still kind of blown away by the musicality in this one. Did it deserve AOTY over Abbey Road? No obviously not but also I get it.

It was fine! There were some fun and interesting tracks. Wouldn’t mind revisiting at some point.

Combinatie van filmmuziek en jazz. Niet zo mijn ding, maar heeft wel leuke fragmenten.

Мужики постарались

Nose que opinar de este album. Tiene rock, jazz, y musica de minecraft. Pero son como muchas ideas incompletas y mezcladas

That was an unpleasant listen. I liked none of it.

Standouts More and More God Bless the Child Spinning Wheel You've Made Me So Very Happy

I never owned this album but now I wished I did. Several great songs on here and some good horn blasting too.

Loved this fusion, must have been very refreshing at the time. I'm still not sure what you would call it really but I liked it. Drums and guitar was great!

Lots of horns, but not bad.

1.5 While variations on a theme was nice to hear while under an umbrella during a fall rain. The rest sounded like the most manufactured hippie blues, just not genuine at all. Fake.

"What goes up must go down, Superfresco from Graham and Brown". Not only was the opening track used to sell wallpaper but a lot of the album is wallpaper music. Superior wallpaper music, though.

As I'm listening to this I'm thinking these guys are like The Decemberists of the 1960s. As much as I love Lucretia McEvil (from their next album), I expected to find their style overly ridiculous...and it IS but it fuckin works! There are some crazy-ass interludes and a bit too much theatricality but so much of it hits very well.

Dynamic but melodies not memorable

Nicely done. Good music and lyrics.

well… i certainly wasn’t expecting that! a bit all over the place but an interesting listen on the whole. 3.5

I enjoyed this album, but it is a work that suffers, to an extent, under the weight of its own ambition. I'll listen to it again and perhaps over time my mind will change. At the moment though, it's a low four for me.

intro is the minecraft song? Into a weird synth/trumpet version? i paid for my entire seat but currently I am only using the edge! what a strange collection of genres here, from classical to weird cowboy Jamaican polka style? We have now incorporated Latin sounds? idk 4/5

It was okay. Sounded a bit like arcade or fair music at points, but the beats were fun and different.

it's nice

my expectations were very low - i was so pleasantly surprised. this album is so bloody good, i LOVE the combination of multiple genres. just such a good album, and a really good one to listen to in the morning before school

7/10 Buen album, divertido. Me hubiese gustado que cante en mas canciones, pero tampoco es mala solo la instrumental

This album is gorgeous, so wonderfully delicate and varied. I love how jazz converges with rock in it in a very progressive way, giving really outstanding musical moments, and a lot of cohesion too (also with the way it begins and ends). It is really a lovely record, so pleasant, so enjoyable, and so interesting too. There are a lot of different details and changes that the songs really flow very freshly. Gorgeous record.

Blood, sweat, and tears went into the A side, but it's only on the B side where the fruits of their sacrifice and labour start to show.

More cheese than a Sunday at Lambeau Field. Not for me.

It was okay

7 stars actually

Very old fashioned. I can appreciate the musicianship and work put into it but it’s ultimately boring overall. Just a different era.

nice combination of jazz and rock. the vibes are immaculate

A treat! It’s all over the place and full of covers but a very enjoyable listen.

Dit is een geinig album. Het begint met klassieke muziek, daarna krijgen we vroege 70s rock, jazz en een vleugje country. Een soort The Doors hoor ik er ook nog in terug. Een album met veel afwisseling maar waarbij het toch als één album blijft aanvoelen. En dan begint de tweede helft onverwacht ook nog met een nummer dat ik zowaar ken. Ik vind dit wel een album wat je een keer gehoord moet hebben. Een onverwachte 5 sterren.

Album #214: Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears ⭐ If I’d been on the session all weekend at Woodstock, and it was 1:30am on a Monday morning, and I was eagerly awaiting Jimi Hendrix to come on, and Blood, Sweat & Tears came on, I’d pack up my hippie dream and get the hell out of there. The dream is well and truly over with this band. It’s an album of firsts for me. I’ve never listened to Blood, Sweat & Tears before. I confused them with Earth, Wind & Fire when I saw their name this morning. As well as that, I think this is the first band I’ve ever heard that played at Woodstock that I dislike. And I really, really disliked them. Despite never hearing them before, there were a few recognisable moments, chief amongst which is that in The Sopranos, Paulie Gualtieri quotes the chorus of Spinning Wheel when he hears about John Sacrimoni’s death. Tony Soprano shoots him a look of disgust, and I used to think that was because Paulie made the moment about himself. But actually, I think Tony was just not a big Blood, Sweat & Tears fan. But he is a Steely Dan fan, and this album makes me think of the jazz rock of Steely Dan. But where I actually love Steely Dan, despite them being one of the most uncool bands of all time, if Steely Dan are uncool, I don’t know what the word is for this band. This has to be some of the least cool music I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s rubbish rock and roll, and it’s poor jazz. I will throw a tolerant ear at jazz music. I’ve never been big into jazz. I would actually like to be big into jazz. I feel like there’s a whole genre there worth exploring. But this was near intolerable. It was pretentious. It was meaningless. It made me hate the idea of jazz rock. It’s got some sweaty lead singer who sounds like a really, really crap Joe Cocker. You can smell him through his voice, and he doesn’t smell great. It’s a real physical feeling listening to this album, and none of it was pleasant to me. There are moments of merit where the rock and soul elements come through and the band settle into a little bit of a groove, but it’s always interrupted by some big-band brass bollocks coming in, slapping you in the face and taking you out of the moment. The fact that it even had moments of merit kind of annoyed me because I felt like there was something there. And I appreciate that they’re doing something different, and I appreciate that this was probably quite ahead of its time. But if this is the prototype, then you want to scrap the product and start again, because it’s simply not good enough for the standard of the time. Every element of it is poor in comparison to other bands. I’d much rather be listening to Van Morrison for this kind of jazzy stuff. I’d much rather be listening to the aforementioned Joe Cocker for the soul singing. I’d much rather be listening to any other band that played at Woodstock than these guys. I was flirting with the idea of one star halfway through, but I was convinced I was going to give it two. Then we got to Blues Part Two and that fucking drum solo came in, and I was like, I cannot bear this anymore. Even the drum solo, this limp-wristed drum solo, just sums it all up. Everything is weak. Everything is a pale imitation of better stuff around it at the time. This is only my second one-star review. I’d give it a strong one. It doesn’t reach the depths of whatever that crap Suzanne Vega album was to me, which is an album, in my opinion, that had no merit whatsoever. This does have merit. But not enough for two stars. I’m sorry. I just want to move on from this one as quickly as possible.

Overall Rating - 4.56/5 (9.11/10). A rock band with a brass line? Yes, please! An all-killers, no fillers album. Even the 11 minute long Jam Tune is awesome. No question, this is definitely a 5-star album.

Wow this was era defining in a busy era

For some albums on this list, I have just no idea why they are there. I have never heard of this band, I don't think anyone else has either. The music started fine but it was never outstanding. If I had to point to albums which underscore how arbitrary this list is, this would be one of the main offenders. A bit of samba, a bit of jazz, some rock. It's not really like anything else I've heard on this list. Although the novelty is welcome, it is spoiled by the fact that none of these are things that I like, it's just this weird melange of clashing lounge singing, jazz brass, and harmonicas, then at the end of Spinning Wheel this pseudo-medieval flute music broke through. By halfway through this album I was wanting to tear off my ears and then it ends with nearly 12 minutes of improvised (?) jazz / blues and drum solos. No thanks.

a bit all over the place tbh but fun!

Okay, I liked it. Good to hear this again. I believe I do have it in my album collection. There was one song that drove me crazy when it came on the radio, (You've made me so very happy) because they did overplay it a bit. But good stuff here!

7,2/10

Did. Not. Like. At. All. Spinning wheel is a decent time. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy boasts one of the all time cheesiest lyrics. Maybe that’s why this is here.

Ok but too long

Not bad not bad at all

Very highly skilled musicians.

Easy 3 star middle of the road - nothing offensively bad but nothing amazing album. I liked "you've made me so very happy"

By the end of the album I was thoroughly convinced that these musicians are very talented and that I don't need to listen to this album again.

a rather captivating romp mixing organ-forward prog rock, light funk, jazz combo jam sessions, and some almost Sesame street style singalongs. mastering has some of that old school raspiness/warmth in a totally charming way. would definitely listen to this again

Unbelievably crisp and tight. Production value is absurd. The lyrics can sometimes feel out of place but when the horns blow and the lyrics slip into the groove, all is right.

Like a poor mans steely dan

A fun mess.

This was a very intriguing album. Early on, it was not at all what I anticipated. Once they moved into more of their normal material, my head instantly went towards Chicago, but with a deeper feel (more prominent bass, lead’s lower voice). Then the record veered towards a jazz type of album for a bit of time. Just all over the place, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Hard to really pin down, if we are being honest. Not amazing, but more than unique enough to keep my interest.

I had to listen through twice to make sure I could believe and understand my ears. Five stars for sheer eclectic genius

5.5/10

Beauty!

Blood, Sweat & Tears is like the ultimate stage band. The horns are so tight and I love David Clayton-Thomas' voice. Their originals are strong and I really like their covers, especially And When I Die. Liked Songs Added: Smiling Phases And When I Die G-d Bless The Child Spinning Wheel You've Made Me So Very Happy

Am I the only one whose mind immediately goes to Sir Winston Churchill when hearing Blood, Sweat and Tears? I refer of course to his famous blood, toil and tears speech in WW2 used to motivate the British nation during their darkest days. Little or no connection between those two things can be heard within the tracks as can be expected although I haven’t looked closely at the lyrics for any references to fighting on the beaches. What does exist is a lot of jazzy rock type music which I’m not over fond personally but appreciate its value to others - AKA The Few! 3/5 24/9/26

Um? Every time I start to like it and get into the groove they change it up. It’s downright Brechtian. Not a fan of Brecht. The musicianship is undeniable. That’s probably lifting this to a 3. Because my actual enjoyment is much closer to a 2. That is until Blues pt2. Then my enjoyment goes way up. Partly. During the instrumentals. That bass player is truly awesome. So this album is a mess. A well played mess. 3 Boolean: true, yeah sure, ya betcha

I was stunned that Rolling Stone said this album was not as good as The Child Is Father To the Man. Both fantastic in their own way.

An unexpected delight. A weird mixture of r&B, 69s pop, psychedelica, jazz and even prog. More and More, and When I Die are two personal favourites.

well that was unexpected! experimental jazz???

I don't think I've heard anything from this (Except Spinning Wheel - Good song), but this album repeatedly sounds like stuff I've heard. Feels like Chicago basically owes their entire existence to this album. And on an early song, I swear I heard a vocal line that was similar to one from Disney's Hercules. Among other little spots. So yeah, incredibly influential album. Was expecting pysch rock, and happy to say I'm pleasantly surprised it's not psych rock. Some pretty good stuff. Don't know if I'd ever go back to it, but it's good.

I went into this album already knowing and loving “Spinning Wheel” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” and knowing Blood, Sweat & Tears had some of the same rock-with-horns DNA as Chicago. What I wasn’t expecting was just how much jazz and blues I would find throughout the album. At first, “Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie” seemed like an odd way to open a Blood, Sweat & Tears album. But as the record unfolded, it made perfect sense. “Smiling Phases” and “More and More” immediately became favorite discoveries, “Sometimes in Winter” changed things up with a different vocalist, “And When I Die” brought in gospel elements, and “God Bless the Child” leaned beautifully into the blues. Even the nearly twelve-minute “Blues, Part II” earned its running time. Instead of feeling dragged out, it became a showcase for the musicians, with the drums, sax, vocals, and other instruments getting room to shine. Then the short reprise of “Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie” closes the album and completes the bookend. That was when the whole thing really clicked for me. This isn't just a collection of good songs. It's an incredibly well-crafted album. I was originally thinking four stars, but after sitting with it, I had to bump it up. Every song ranges from really good to great, the two hits I already loved still sound fantastic, and the jazz and blues elements are right in my wheelhouse. Favorite Familiar: “Spinning Wheel” / “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” Favorite Discovery: “Smiling Phases” / “More and More”

Quite groovy jazz rock, surprised by its transition of improvisation then structured rhythms. The album cover doesn't represent sound fully; like you'd think it's giving Ethel Cain, especially with that classical opener. But it's danceable and just quite rhythmic in general (3.5-4).

Too much noodly jazz, not really my thing.

“Ah, horseshit. You fuckin' hippies came up here to smoke dope on a dark road, huh?” Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

It’s essentially a greatest hits album.

Kind of all over the place. Spinning Wheel is great. Overall average.

The corniness threatens, but is ultimately overwhelmed by the power of the songs and performances. Was pretty surprised by this! ML407

Musical e instrumentalmente buenísimo, tremenda la cantidad de instrumentos y la impecable superposición de los mismos, me asombra por el año en que se hizo. Una base de jazz y blues que se mezcla con rock y funk. La verdad me sorprendió muchisimo, tiene temazos y realmente a todos los temas se le puede destacar algo.

Pretty enjoyable. Probably not coming back for more but very good as a once off.

A genuinely remarkable album. The range of sound, the precision of the instruments, the depth of the lyrics, the reverence of the spirit of music; it can all be found here. This is a band that truly loves music in all forms. You can find jazz, soul, western, blues, big-band, rock, samba, California hippy, pop, and even orchestral. What a beautiful homage to American music culture of the time. I began this album list expecting to find variety and if any album exemplifies the spirit of this list, it's this album. I've already saved the album for future listens and will revisit this album for sure. What an experience, needless to say I'm blown away. An obvious 10/10.

Idk, it was kind of an interesting mashup of styles, but I still found it boring. 2.5 rounded up