Blood, Sweat & Tears

Wow dude. This is what I'm fucking talking ABOUT. Any hint of cheese that this might possess is instantly negated by the unflagging tightness prevalent across every single track. What an absolute ripper.

There's a track that shows they know how to play the piano and jam but the music is very AM sounding psychedelic that didn't age well. This sounds like the soundtrack from an Austin Powers movie.

In 1969, I turned 19 &, still living at home, also held the first backyard party where I invited everyone I knew. I seem to remember that this album was a large part of the soundtrack to that bash. I’s copped a lot of criticism over the years for being too mainstream, particularly when compared to the band’s debut album. I just played them back-to-back & the fact is they are both great but totally different. The debut album was half written by Al Kooper, who was essentially the band’s creator, but also highlighted a bunch of songwriters who had yet to make their mark as performers - Nillson, Randy Newman, Tim Buckley. Then Al left the band & his somewhat weak vocal was replaced by David Clayton-Thomas. You could not get 2 more different voices. But the thing I’m forever grateful for are the song choices the band took on the second lp. They introduced me to such great music - I had never heard of Erik Satie. The opening cover of a Satie variation is a piece of music I’ve heard so often over the years, but this was where I heard it first. I had never heard Billie Holiday, let alone God Bless The Child. I’d never heard Laura Nyro’s And When I Die. I’d never heard the Motown classic, You’ve Made Me So Very Happy. Not to say that there wasn’t great original material here as well - especially Spinning Wheel - covered by so many artists over the years. Anyone whose ever had a child in a school choir in the last 50 years knows that song. You can hear the band’s live set from Woodstock (1969) on youtube. I do love this record.

This one's a bit of a mess but enjoyable overall, I think. It sure seems like the band wasn't sure what kind of band they wanted to be so the album bounces from genre to genre, never settling into a groove. Is it rock? Is it proto-disco? Is it pre-funk? Is it big band? Is it lounge-lizard soft pop? I really couldn't tell you. There are a few bright spots. Jim Fielder, the bassist does some serious work on this whole album. That fella is a BEAST and single-handedly carries several of these tracks. And, obviously, "Spinning Wheel" is a jam. But it's also the single most coherent track on the album. Which is saying something because that song is kinda wild. Unfortunately, there aren't enough bright spots to tip the scales into a positive score. I have to dock the album a star for the weird instrumental tracks that really don't fit. Had "Variations on a Theme" and "Blues, Pt. 2" been omitted from the album, it would have felt so much more cohesive. But they're there. And they're awful. And so "Blood, Sweat, & Tears" earns a middle-of-the-road 3 stars.

Lot of fun on this album. I'm surprised the genre only says rock because the content feels very prog to me. Definitely will re-listen to this album later.

Extremely unfocused, but when they decide to have fun, it's a blast. Best track: You've Made Me So Very Happy

Rollicking bass and organ with jazzy horns, the perfect friend to David Clayton-Thomas’ incredible voice. This is my favourite iteration of BS&T and this one is a perfect album, simple as that.

well this is a new all-time favorite too good to rate

Never heard a band like this that fuses jazz and rock so well. Liked almost every single track. Thank you to this list for showing me this album. Rating: 4.8

I am a big fan of the Jazz/Rock bands of this era and BST is one of the best

Well that was an absolute belter. Never heard of this band before and had no idea what we were in for but this was great. Blues, funky, rocky , it's got it all!

Rock organ and horns? Sign me up! What I like is that it sounds natural/folk and experimental/progressive all at the same time.

I don't get it. First off it's an instrumental of a classical piece that's basically a lullaby. Then it's time for some prog and classic rock with almost yachty elements (although I don't think yacht rock actually existed in the 60s?!) and a bit of something like funk. Near the end we get a song literally called 'Blues, pt. 2'. That one is 80% jazz with a psych rock ending. And it's back to the lullaby for the closer. Apparently every song was written by someone different and only some of them are in the band. This is the sound of ADHD with guitars and bass and drums and some brass. Quite a lot of brass actually. No idea how you boil this down to a rating out of 5, especially after only a few listens. I quite enjoyed it but it's a strange ride.

So I have commented numerous times, that most bands have their good tracks spread out over a number of albums, so it is much rarer when you come across one that is loaded up with goodness… The “Blood Sweat & Tears” album is just one of those, as it seems like their most well-known tracks are on this album… First off, the quality of the recording for 1968 is exceptional, as I have listened a number of albums from the late 60’s – and many of them just don’t have a solid audio quality to them at all – but this one was excellent… As for the songs themselves – not sure what the purpose was for the opening and closing “Variations” tracks, but they kinda felt out of place to be honest… Best songs on the album IMO were the run of – “And When I Die “ – 6-stars out of 7 “God Bless The Child” – 5-stars out of 7 “Spinning Wheel” – 5-stars out of 7 “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” – 5-stars out of 7 “Blues – Part II” is also a very interesting track with multiple sections – 0:00-3:00 – The organ intro section reminded me of early ELP (i.e. maybe something off of Tarkus?) 3:00-4:30 – The obligatory bass and drum solos – ugh… 4:30-8:00 – Was a great sax-led jam, and the best part of the song… 8:00-8:50 – Was a reprise of Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” – not sure why that was on here… 8:50- End – Was the only blues singing on this track – which was fine, but suddenly ends – very odd… Wish this had been more of a 6-8 minute song of that great sax-led instrumental – or perhaps the organ opening, followed by the sax-led jam – but the rest really didn’t fit – but that’s just me… This is better than a 3, but not quite a 4 – but if I could, I’d give it a 3.50 for sure - but I can't, so it's a 3…

Broadway jazz rock is not my bag, but I hope it enriches others here. The chunk of “Sunshine of Your Love” indicates how big a deal that riff was to that generation - Hendrix kept throwing it into sets, Skip Spence savaged it for his terrifying outro to “War On Peace”, and I’m pretty sure most guitarists coming after that generation learned that riff first. There’s also the amazing funk cover. Requiscat Jack Bruce.

Ugh! Pop jazz. BS&T and Chicago - hated the sound and the instrumentation then, still sucks pond water today. Not sure there was a good reason for me to listen to this - again. But I did.

I get the name. It must have taken blood, sweat and a lot of tears to labor over these convoluted compositions in the studio that are so devoid of life, spirit and originality.

I think this is my krytponite. Its dated, has organ noodling and then some jazzy percussion that is supposed to be compelling. I won't deny that spinning wheel has a hook but all the other tracks are lost. Nothing i want to listen to again here.

Blood, sweat, tears & shite. Mostly shite.

The first time I listened to this album must have caught me on a bad day, because I feel like I've fallen in love this time. I can do without the Variation tracks, but understand their inclusion. But the energy, swing, and soul on all the other ones are fantastic. Favorite track: Blues, Pt. 2

5-

Marvellous

TRes bon, je ne connaissais que de nom et j'ai été époustouflé surtout pour l'année. Je réécoute certainement. un 5

Much needed vibrs after all the rock albums

This was actually really fun, I'm surprised I'd never heard of them before this

This is such a weird album. Wikipedia categorizes it as jazz-rock but I feel most songs aren’t the intersection of the two genres but instead different sections that alternate between classic rock and jazzy horn solos. More jazz and rock than jazz-rock. And the album is bookended by variations on a classical piece. In the end, a decently fun listen. 7/10

Really varied album, lot of jazz elements, good lyrics, bluesy, great fills. A surprisingly great listen. It’s my kind of all over the place.

Nice 60s jazz and r&b and folk rock.

How many genres can we fit into one album? Blood, Sweat, & Tears does their best to answer that question here. Somehow, they manage to land pretty much all of the genres they attempt. It is a bit disorienting though.

One of those records that has songs you know, but never knew who they were by. Also, I never knew that ODB sampled “You Made Me So Very Happy” for “I Want P****” from his second album.

A bit all over the place, but a good listen overall.

One is all for jazz flavorings in rock and supports outright fusion, but this is unsubtle in the extreme. The Satie opener and closers only add to one's wonderment that this was a top-seller and Grammy winner. It's fine, if too loud, too effortful and over-emoted. The primary strength – the lead vocals – are also its greatest weakness (or annoyance). Dude had a great voice but way oversells it. "God Bless the Child" is the most interesting cut, if only because it's the one least bulldozed by too brassy brass and least bludgeoned over-the-top vocals.

Blood, Sweat & Tears Variations on a Theme sounds pretty schizophrenic, which sort of encapsulates the whole album. It's messy, but not in a totally uncharming or unpleasant way, although it never quite seems to catch fire and fuse all its disparate parts into a fully realised whole. The cover of Smiling Phases starts off as a fun bit of rolling rock/soul, but then it descends into some kind of prog rock jazz club, with a A LOT going on, before picking the first bit back up. Sometimes in Winter feels vaguely out of place, it has the same jazz elements, but feels more like lounge music, and the vocals are quite nondescript in comparison to the normal lead singer, although again its not without a kind of slightly gentle charm. More and More is fun in a funky jazz way, And When I Die’s riff feels quite Sesame Street, especially with its stop start nature, definitely something slightly children’s entertainment about it. I’m not familiar with the original so not sure if it sounds similar? God Bless the Child’s horn arrangement in the intro sounds a bit like the Welsh National Anthem and He Ain’t Heavy, but it’s a nice enough version even if musically a bit heavy handed. Very nice and controlled vocal though. Spinning Wheel is probably the standout. I only know Shirley Bassey’s version, but it's a great bit of blue eyed soul with a nice tight arrangement. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy is a lovely song, and again, this is a nice version, particularly the more upbeat parts. Blues Part II, not sure about this, p robably a bit too much prog jazz and just too much happening in 11 minutes to get any sense of it, although I do like the Sunshine of Your Love bit, and it’s better than some of the Yes type songs we’ve had. Overall there’s a lot going on in pretty much every song, which although fun, does make you wonder what this would be like with a more focused approach. But then on the flipside the jumping around, time changes and jazz excess (Jazzcess?) seem to be done out of a sense of fun and enjoyment rather than po faced seriousness, so it might lose the appeal it does have. A nice little oddity that I enjoyed, but will probably not come back to - 3. 🩸🥵😢 Playlist submission: Spinning Wheel

Swell throughout. The closing Variations of a Theme sounded like The Legend of Zelda, which I enjoyed.

Pretty good. Some radio rock staples but overall it's just not something I could find myself reqply getting into.

Quadruple platinum, what the hell!? I guess this one really isn't for me. They seem accomplished enough at playing, and I like some of the musical bits (notably the brass explosions), but mostly it's just naff. I'm not drawn into any of this. It's incredibly boring. Edit: I wrote the above before I'd gotten onto the fucking awful, drawn-out drum solo. That's got to be half a star off right there.

I just listened to this a mere day-and-a-half ago, yet I already forget what this album contains within it. I was admittedly expecting some amount of soft rock, not dissimilar to Chicago or the Eagles, but with a 60s flair, and I suppose I was sort of right on the Chicago aspect, but more in terms of their debut, rather than their later cheesy ballads. However, while Chicago's debut shines due to its loud big band backing atop surprisingly solid rock tracks and amazing guitar playing, this album comes off more like if the guys over at King Crimson wanted to make music for the Average Joe. Now, credit where credit is due, this is a year before both of those projects, but that doesn't make it worth sitting through. You get a couple solid pop-y tracks right before the tedious closer, Blues - Part II, leading it so the whole album just comes out extremely mediocre. The only thing really to note is that I only truly enjoyed the opener and closer, as I'd forgotten about Gymnopedie, and this was a nice reminder.

Man hört die Leidenschaft und den Ehrgeiz – und trotzdem bleibt das Album merkwürdig unberührend. Blood, Sweat & Tears plätschert in einer ambitionierten, aber letztlich ziellosen Vielfalt vor sich hin. Die Arrangements suggerieren Anspruch, doch sie enden oft in gepflegter Belanglosigkeit. Pseudo-Progressive Rock-Elemente treffen auf lange, komplexe Strukturen, die zwar nach Mühe klingen, aber selten nach Überzeugung. Es ist, als würden routinierte Fahrstuhlmusiker versuchen, sich mit komplizierten Kompositionen selbst zu überlisten – doch am Ende schimmert die gepflegte Austauschbarkeit immer wieder durch. Hier und da blitzt ein Moment auf, der ahnen lässt, was möglich gewesen wäre, doch insgesamt bleibt das Album hinter seinen eigenen Ambitionen zurück. Kein Totalausfall, aber auch nichts, was lange nachhallt – solides Mittelmaß mit Extrarunden in der Selbstbestätigung. Meine Favoriten waren die Variations on a Theme, mit denen das Album eigentlich recht vielversprechend beginnt und auch endet. Da die beiden jedoch keine richtigen Songs sind, würde ich auch noch Blues, Pt. 2 dazunehmen, das auch ein paar Mal etwas spannendes Neues probiert.

why is "Gymnopédies" here? why it's pretty normal jazz rock afterwards? and why it switches to psychedelic rock after that? why did THIS win AOTY in the grammy in 1970 instead of "Abbey Road"? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE? 2/5

This was quite familiar, although not in a particularly good way. Almost as if someone decided to make a record satirizing the hoariest blues, jazz and '60s musical cliches all together at once. Not bad really in a technical sense, but not very enjoyable either. ELP without a sense of humor, in some parts

This one was all over the place, I think I liked 2 songs maybe? 3 tops? The fact that I can't remember sums up my opinion. I'd give it a 1 but thanks to M.I.A. my standard for a one has plummeted.

p168. 1969. 1 star. Music for 70s Las Vegas cabaret. Variations of classical music, jazz noodling, an 11 minute track and farting horns. And the arrangement of And When I Die is an abomination. Fuck no.

How gross!

Well that was all over the place - rock, jazz, classical, bit of novelty. It’s one of those where I’ve heard of the band for ever but never heard their stuff, and now I’m thinking ok, won’t listen to that again.

Wow. Spinning Wheel is ok on is own, I guess, but it is not enough to lift this bloated ponderous mess into anything I ever want to listen to again. Cheesy vocals, often sounds self-important. Then turns to instrumental jazz at the end. It’s a mish mash of styles and sounds I enjoy. Part of me feels like they deserve two stars because there is clearly good musicianship on here. But I really suffered through it, and it was long dragged out enough at the end to annoy me to the point of only giving it one star.

Took me blood sweat and tears to finish this album. I just dont see their “greatness”.

Weird combination of classic rock, jazz, prog, and a little southern flavor. But something about it hit just right, it was entertaining and I'm really into it

Peak

this is fucking incredible 😭 + sometimes in the winter

400 albums in, this is the first ever review I'm writing. So far, no album has surprised me as much as this one. Jazzy Rock? Incredible. Loved it. Edit: I think you can see why I've not written any reviews before if *this* is all the creativity that has built up over the the last 400 days

That shit was HOT. Hoo man that’s two insane late 60s bangers in a row. This one reaches more experimental in an awesome amazing way that my brain can’t even fully comprehend on first listen. This and the last album are two that make me happy I’m doing this wow.

Sometimes you don't know that you have just found what you have been looking for. Such unexpected joy.

I can see why it won the Album of the Year Grammy. A beautifully performed and arranged set of tracks with an awesome blend of big band, soul, rock, and blues. Truly, it does belong on this list.

This has always been a masterpiece. I have always enjoyed this album.

Like a Dave Matthews Band predecessor, but more focus on brass and electric organ. A mix of almost pure jazz with great pop/rock tunes. Unique.

Absolutely stellar. Stumbles at the start but quickly picks up and keeps pace. All excellent tracks

This is a gem.

So good. I bought this from the $5 bin and was blown away.

Blood, Sweat & Tears album is a great listen from start to finish. It has an energetic mix of rock, blues, and jazz, it’s a fun and dynamic ride. The band’s artistry shines throughout, making it a standout album.

I had no idea what I was getting into with this album, but man am I blown away. Never had heard of this group but their mix of jazz and rock is really spectacular. The bass is grooving throughout this entire album as the horns and piano take turns between David Clayton-Thomas' vocals, which are also awesome. Every song is a little crazy and it's common to see this group jump between sounds, like the ending of Spinning Wheel. And When I Die is a contemplative song and is a joy to listen to with hints of motown. I also really enjoyed Smiling Phases. Pretty much loved this whole thing, exactly what I'm looking for in this set list.

I don't think I've even been so into jazz fusion. The whole thing was wonderful top to bottom

Holy cow. I just have to note that sunshine of your love is buried within Blues Pt 2. This is the album I was waiting for. An out of the blue banger. I was listening while working and really enjoyed Smiling Phases and then my ears perked up at And When I Die, existential song wrapped in folksy cowboy ragtime. I loved the genuine lyrics on You’ve Made Me So Very Happy, sent that one to my wife. And then I had to pause because I had some presentations today at work. Now here I am in the evening and started back up on Blues pt 2 and got lost in it, had no idea it was 11 mins, I was so concerned it was part of the deluxe version because it felt so out there but that song is on the regular album so that just catapulted this one for me. Jazz, 60’s pop rock. A mix of mountain music CCR and Dave Brubeck and blues too! God Bless this Child has western harmonica moments along with a giant Tito puente jazz fusion number. Been a while since I’ve done a 5 star but this needs it.

10/10 Among the other albums I've already listened to there this one is a pure joy. So many sounds, instruments, expressions. It really impressed me, absolute glory. Blues, Variations and God bless found place in my heart!

Really good album. Great vocals and playing. Horns in rock is a plus for me. And, if you played Woodstock you're in the eternal pantheon of badass.

Have to give this one a 5 just to acknowledge the sheer ambition of it. Jazz, rock, classical...this album has it all. DCT was a stellar vocalist and the band was so talented, horns and rhythm section. Great songs including "Spinning Wheel", "And When I Die" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" compensate foe the digressing and diversions.

Ok, right back round to the subject of Jazz and Prog. Because this album is a GREAT way of showing how to make music that's sophisticated and smart and yet perfectly accessible to normal people like me. The songs are all over the place but they always return to a central idea and make it easy for me to go oh yeah, that's the song. Full of passion and variety and dynamic songwriting and performances. This was a 5 star album. It's dated in the best way. You can hear it came from the 60s, but it still sounds fresh and vibrant and alive. If it came out today it would just be called retro. The vocals were a particular standout. Makes me want to step my own singing game up. WOW.

What did I just listen to? I mean that in the best possible way. Trying to define this by an established genre feels impossible. Classical? Not entirely? Jazz? For some parts, sure. Rock? Definitely in there. Gospel? You could argue. Folk? I think that’s mostly the underlying theme here. I loved this. I loved it for its complexity, its variety, and its soul. I loved it for the tightness of the band and for their clear love of music, for its energy, and for the sheer force of will that is David Clayton-Thomas’s voice. I don’t even know what to say. This is an easy five stars. Just absolutely fantastic. A masterclass in feel and variety, in band tightness and togetherness. I even listened to the live tracks at the end because I had to hear how they were live and they didn’t disappoint. They’re the real deal. I must heard more. Standout Tracks: Smiling Phases, More and More, And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, Blues, pt. 2

Finally another album where I know some of the songs! I figured this would be "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and the rest filler. Nope, I'm very surprised how solid this was besides the first couple of boring minutes and the last couple. Really jazzy, I loved the drumming especially. The one song where the other guy sang wasn't as good as the rest. The main singer has a Tom Jones quality to his voice, so it might sound a bit lounge singer-like, but I like it. The three songs I knew all made me feel all warm and nostalgic, and that's surely going to bring my rating up. This album made me so very happy.

Hell, I'm so burnt out on indistinguishable 4-piece rock groups from this era that even if this album was just an hour of some guy playing a mildly-impressive kazoo, I'd still be looking up vinyl prices right now.

HOLY SMOKES. I had extremely low expectations for this album. The band doesn't have many monthly listeners, which has previously meant that the album really isn't worth it. BUT!! WE ARE FOOLS!! This album is SO good. I loved every minute of it.

Probably one of the best bands that you've never heard of

Truly magnificent. This was a mixture of like 5 genres?? Folk, jazz, rock, bluegrass, soul? I LOVED IT

god the drums on this one

Lovely. A little bit of everything. We love the blood, sweat, and tears.

Not perfect, but really good. I'd rate it 4.5-stars if I could. Jazzy. I love the horns. Grew up playing trumpet, so makes sense.

Excellent

When I Die, Spinning Wheel &’You Made Me So Very Happy are favorites of mine- going way back.

That first track is just the tip of the iceberg. Great album.

Loved it, loved it all. Great blend of rock and jazz elements. The Satie bookends are beautiful, can’t go wrong there. 4.8/5

I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't this. This was amazing.

Groovy. The Erik Satie cover is cool

Amazing! 4.5

Genre: Rock, jazz rock 1968 What a sound! Standouts: And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, You've Made Me So Very Happy, God Bless the Child, Smiling Phases, Blues Part II 4.5/5

This one really hit the spot for me. I love this era of music. I love how passionate each song sounds. I love the structure of the album, with the instrumental intro and outro, really giving it a sense of completeness.

Version of Smiling Faces too long but other than that it is a great album

I've never thought of myself as a jazz rock person, but I can dig this. It's fun and a bit campy, almost dramatic in moments. Some of it reminded me of musical theatre. And the horns sound great. I'm honestly a little surprised by how much I like this album. Highlights: Smiling Phases, Sometimes in Winter, More and More, And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, You've Made Me So Very Happy

Thanks for reminding me about this great album

Another interesting, eclectic album. I quite enjoyed this mix, both the music that was new to me and the wonderful classic hits.

Excellent!! No question that I will listen to this one again.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one even though I was sometimes flummoxed by unexpected changes in tone. (A salsa break in the middle of God Bless the Child? OK...) BS&T has a unique sound and interesting takes on other folks' stuff.

Blood, Sweat & Tears isn’t a group I know outside of the hits, but I always love their groovy intensity. This album is no exception. I dig the horns and organ, and those deeply urgent vocals. And When I Die, Spinning Wheel and You’ve Made Me So Very Happy deserve their hit status and are brilliant! But I also loved songs like Sometimes In Winter, More and More that showed some other sides to this band. Great stuff!

Búin að hlusta þrisvar í gegn í dag og var farin að skæla af fullkomnuninni í lokin. Þetta ættu öll að hlusta á, og virkilega *hlusta á*. Ég meina það.

Fantastic

Groovy and fun. Really loved this listen!

Those horns! This is fantastic! Great example of how well Jazz and Rock go together so well! Standouts: And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, You've Made Me So Very Happy, Smiling Phases, God Bless The Child, Blues Part II, 4.5

Great

This album is quite interesting. Sort of a jazzy feel mixed with 70s. Instrumentals include horns, which is a big plus for me. Some of the instrumentals even give me the feels of Christmas instrumentals, but that might just be because of the jazz sound in it 😁 They even got a jazz flute!! 😃 Hey what do you know?! I know some of their songs (Spinning Wheel & You've Made Me So Very Happy) 🥰

Blood, Sweat & Tears is one of the best bands of this productive age of music that combined so many influences. Their debut is also one of their best albums. While you don't really need the Satie variations (so many did them before and after it), the original tracks are amazing. 'Spinning Wheel' is just full of energy and 'You Make Me So Very Happy' too. These songs just want to makes the biggest loner have a big party with his family and friends on a long summer evening.

I wasn’t sure what to expect if a band called Blood, Sweat & Tears. It could well have been a punk band. It wasn’t though. It was really quite an odd sound, to be honest, but in a way that I quite enjoyed. It was poppy in parts, rock in parts, and then with a fair whack of jazz thrown in too. My one gripe was that it was a bit too long for me to - it’s a double album, and around 90 minutes. Sometimes really good albums can keep my attention this long, but this wasn’t quite there for me.

8.5/10