Reviews (page 4 of 6)
Im rating this a 3 purely because it ended on Satie's 1st movement. I didnt like the album but I like Satie
5.5/10
Definitely the most interesting boomercore album I've heard while doing this. It's pretty varied, musically-accomplished, sounds good. Yeah, can't complain really. Not sure I'll go back to it a lot but an enjoyable listen
wasn't expecting that
Ok. Lots of good ones. Good memories. Didn’t like the whole album. 3.0
2.7
I can't exactly pinpoint what bothers me of this album. It is not that it can't decide what it wants to be. It's not the singing, nor the outdated sound. If I try to analize it, I feel I should have enjoyed more. Perhaps I would have liked it better within a film; it really feels like a sound track. 6/10
It was interesting
Solid
jazzy rock.
Whoa. These dudes would’ve loved the film Whiplash. Kind of a messy record to me, but I’m not really one for jazz. I think it was Keith Richards who said that solos are forgettable, but a good lick or melody is forever. I fall into that category of music listener. That said, I actually kind of like this album. It spans jazz, organ improvisation, some blues, opens with a classical cover, some crazy jazz drumming and I’m pretty sure I heard the riff of Sunshine of My Love on the last track. Whew. I do really enjoy the guys vocals, and this is certainly one of the most interesting classic rock era albums I have ever listened to. I won’t reach for it often, but I’m happy to have been introduced.
I didn't know that to fuse different genres, you could just play multiple songs/pieces of different genres in the same track and call it a day! Still an enjoyable mish-mash stew of music, I suppose.
Not terrible. Peppy at times.
Some things work here, some things don't. I don't love how much certain parts drag on. I do love Satie, so I appreciate the cover, so to speak. There is a lot to like here, but I feel no particular need to listen again.
Enjoyed some of the instrumentals and enjoyed the second to last song on the main album.
I’d never heard this before. At first it sounds a bit classic, almost unassuming, like there’s nothing particularly new going on. But it turns out I clearly have a soft spot for late 60s/begining 70s fusion. After the band War, this kind of jazz-rock just hits that “man, that sound is soooo good” nerve. The keyboards, the guy’s voice, and damn drumming fit perfectly. It’s not all on the same level, but even the crooner side works. Finally pretty wild to think this came out in 68, the production still sounds great while not being too slick. Fuck Steely Dan.
Not quite my vibe but some good songs/musicality
I was familiar with the band's name. However, I expected the music to be in a different genre. Not so much big band and jazz. It was quite interesting, but it didn't really convince me. I want to listen to it again. But I wasn't thrilled by it. 3/5
I will not include the live CD bonus tracks in this review. Blood, Sweat & Tears is one of those groups that I was only familiar with the singles. I did not realize until now how many lineup changes they went through over the years. Even just for this self-titled album, original vocalist Al Kooper left the band over artistic differences, which led to the recruitment of David Clayton-Thomas. It was the singles from David's tenure with the jazz-rock outfit that I was familiar with, which had me curious how the rest of this record would sound. Unfortunately, it seems that I wasn't missing out on much. To be fair, I do think it was a smart choice on the group's part to bring in David, as he is quite the belter. He had such bravado in his vocal performance that he helped make the most out of these big-band style arrangements, particularly on the original songs "More and More" and especially "Spinning Wheel". Though that said, I also even dug the more serene "Sometimes in Winter", with Steve Katz's reserved delivery nestled alongside Dick Halligan's elegant flute playing and the softer brass passages. It's a nice, quieter stew amidst the louder, poppier tunes. Now, this is the part where I have to make clear that I just covered all of the original songs on this album, as the rest are covers and renditions of existing songs. This is where the quality is all over the place. At the top echelon is the cover of Brenda Holloway's "You've Made Me So Very Happy", which is bursting with such joy from David's vocals alongside the horn accompaniment, while also balanced with Halligan's thoughtful organ playing. Next tier down are the covers of Traffic's "Smiling Phases" and Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child", which are about on par with the originals. Then there's the cover of Laura Nyro's "And When I Die", which is fine, though I will admit that Laura had a better vocal performance on her own track than David did, plus I wasn't much into the added harmonica on this rendition. Following that are how this album is bookended by variations on themes from French composer Erik Satie's Trois Gymnopédies, which can be chalked up to easy-listening instrumental fluff that, at best, felt incongruent to the rest of the album. Which leaves the worst song being the "Blues - Part II" medley, and it was a chore to listen to, as it was the kind of mostly instrumental jam that mindlessly wandered without any sense of direction or build towards a meaningful conclusion. Only towards the end did the band feel the need to incorporate some blues melodies, as the horns blared out the riff to Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" without any subtlety, to headache-inducing results. David did come back to sing in the last minute or so, but by that point, the damage was done. Any momentum this record built up by the end of "You've Made Me So Very Happy" was effectively neutered. At the end of the day, I am content with the notion that Blood, Sweat & Tears may just be a singles act. I can enjoy the hits, maybe one or two other songs, and not much else after that.
so confusing. some of this was quite good and then some was just a flute making weird notes for like three minutes. why are like so many of these songs 12 minutes long and half of it is weird experimental jazz. perhaps they are the ones who revolutionized experimental jazz who knows. i did enjoy the song 'and when i die' though
What a weird album. Cool concept having a jazz-based rock band, and I preferred the more jazzy tracks. And they're certainly accomplished musicians. The singles I heard on the radio when I was a kid must have been radio edits... because I don't seem to recall a long-assed horn solo in the middle of them. But the slow jams are pure cheese. The kind of tunes that played behind a soft-focus sex scene from a 1970 move. Minus one star for triggering traumatizing memories of morning calisthenics in grade one. :-)
The better end of this sort of thing, but i struggled to get excited about it. The standard rock sound is upgraded by decent vocals and an application of jazz sensibility that lends variation and musicality without sounding like people taking the piss and going off in a self indulgent proggy direction. The flute book ends to the album were also weird.
3/5 O naipe de metais é ótimo, e há faixas realmente boas (Blues pt 2). O álbum, porém, é inconsistente e sofre de lapsos criativos.
The instrumental jazz sections and solo breaks sound great, but once the vocals kick in and the songs settle into a pop structure, it gets pretty cringey.
A little too much for me. I love the opening track until it takes off like a sharp sonic rocketship.
I enjoyed this. Still had the excessive length with no lyrics that is standard for the era.
ganzo per folonne sonore
I thought this album would sound dated and old, but its musicality actually aged well.
though this probably isn't really an album ill come back to much, i did enjoy how unique this album was. it was some cool parts, with a cover of God Bless the Child, and a interpolation of 'Sunshine of your Love' in the live track. maybe it will grow on me
Some great soulful classics here. "you've made me so very happy", "spinning wheel" and "and when I die" are popular classics that should be familiar to anyone who listed to classic rock stations. there's a reason for that, they're great songs. The album is heighed down a bit with some of the instrumentals, but they do flex the musical ability of the band. It's not a perfect recond, but its really good.
This album ran hot and cold, from great to not so great. I always liked the muscular vocals of David Clayton-Thomas and I'm kind of a sucker for a good brass section. The good outweighed the bad by a good margin and I enjoyed this.
+ songs are very good individually + unique with interesting composition + Jazz and Blues elements merge very well with the Rock style on some songs + crisp vocals - not very good as an album - entire album feels "disconnected" thematically and stylistically, like a random collection of songs
decent
This was actually pretty good. Some pretty forward thinking stuff for late sixties.
ALLT JAG SKREV FÖRSVANN HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, FUCK DEN HÄR SIDAN, WHATEVER. COOLT INTRO MED GYMNOPEDIE, BÅDE 1 OCH 2 MOVEMENT. HELT UNEXPECTED VAD JAG SKULLE FÖRVÄNTA MIG AV DETTA ALBUM.. MEN THE TRUMCHOPS, THE PIANO LICKS, THE CUPHEAD TRUMPETS, GILLAR VERKLIGEN DET HÄR SOUNDET. EN BLANDNING AV INSTRUMENTALA DELAR OCH BLUES JAMS PÅ 12 MINUTER MED HELT SJUKA SOLOS DÄREMELLAN, SMILING PHASES MED PIANOT COOLT. COOLT ALBUM, GILLAR SOUNDET DE LYCKAS ÅSTADKOMMA, INTE LIKT NÅGOT JAG RIKTIGT HAR LYSSNAT PÅ FÖRUT. UNIKT 6.7/10
Lot of familiar melodies
Fajny blues, ale bardziej klubowy, więc też nie porywający na słuchawkach tylko bardziej dla atmosfery.
Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Good - I like some of the tracks and instrumentally it is interesting but didn't do a whole lot for me. Just good.
This one caught me off guard. I didn't expect it to go so hard! Great jazz lines blending in with nicely written rock leaning tunes. I even recognized a few tunes. So I guess I have heard this band before. If I'm in the mood for jazziness I'm probably going to put on other records but I will certainly be revisiting And When I Die and maybe a few others.
Pretty cool
I wish these guys had a little more self-awareness of how grandiose they are, but I can't help but still find some of it catchy.
Energetic. Zippy. Good recording quality. Showtune-esque - feels in many places like you’re watching a Broadway show. I enjoyed the diversity - see God Bless the Child as an example. 3/5
Overall pretty good, but I actually expected it to be better. This was their more commercial album maybe I’d like their debut better
Interesting album Standout songs: And when I die Spinning wheel
It’s an okay album. I liked the horns, but no songs really stood out for me. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again
The album people thought they were buying when they accidentally bought a copy of 20 Jazz Funk Greats
Thanks to my history of rock and roll class in college (which was, holy shit, all the way back in the fall of 2005), I’m familiar with Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel,” and thanks to FM classic rock, I’m also familiar with “You Make Me So Very Happy.” I don’t really have strong feelings about either one of those songs, but if I had to make a prediction about this album, I think it’s going to be a bit cheesy, and that I’m not going to like it. However, with over 1050 albums on this list under my belt, I’ve been wrong countless times, so even though I only have about 25 albums left, that’s still plenty of room for me to be wrong again. As with a lot of the jazz rock albums on this list, I wasn’t a huge fan of Blood, Sweat & Tears, but it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Driven by some excellent horn playing and some funky bass grooves, the best tracks on this album were bright and fun. Conversely, my least favorite parts of this album were a bit boring and bland. Songs like “Smiling Phases,” “Spinning Wheel,” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” made me bob my head in time with the music, while songs like “More and More” and “And When I Die” felt like run-of-the-mill soft rock love songs. There’s nothing wrong with love songs, but I felt like the weakest parts of this album just didn’t have any unique qualities, and some of the songs on this album completely killed the pace, making this album a pretty uneven experience. Overall though, this album was nicely arranged and produced, and I enjoyed David Clayton-Thomas’s vocals. I’d have to choose “Smiling Phases” as my favorite song on the album. I really loved the bright horns and the groovy bass line, and I like the positive message of the lyrics as well. While I didn’t fall in love with this album, I thought BS&T was a pretty decent late sixties rock record.
This was all over the place sonically and it sounds like a band finding its footing. Music is good enough for it to be an enjoyable listen though.
The sixties are back and every song on this album is pure sixties. I never found anything to distinguish this band from so many other bands of that era. The music is good but it lapses so often into psychedelia and such that it just wafts away. Floyd did it so much better.
Sunshine of your love jumpscare
Wasn't expect it to open with Minecraft music. This is feeling like Steely Dan for people who don't like Steely Dan.
Not exactly to my taste but its enjoyable nonetheless. Mastered very well for a 1968 album.
From the jazz flute to an iconic bluesy bass riff to take-me-to-church vocal delivery and disco-era big band exuberance - this album is all over the place in the best way. Needs more cowbell, which I would happily provide. Some of the riffing get a tad long in the tooth and wears out its welcome.
These guys are immensely talented musicians who could play any genre they wanted. However, that has the unintended consequence of making this album very disjointed. It feels more like they're auditioning to be someone's backing band rather than making a product of their own. There are a few tracks here ("More and More", "God Bless the Child") that are absolutely incredible, but there are others that just plain don't work.
2.5 stars I really didn’t do much for me. It was OK recognized a few songs. Didn’t really have a favorite stand out track either.
I didn’t even know the band’s name before this. I’m not sure I’d call them a rock band, but the solid bass and the punchy brass section sound great. Some tracks even hint at a slightly progressive feel. The album can feel a bit scattered as a whole, but it was definitely an interesting listen. I’m glad I discovered them.
Very Sixties, very New York, but I liked it.
Not my favorite, but I did like it
i mean… it didn’t keep my attention for long. but it was good. just wasn’t into it.
das ist schwierig .. zu hören. jazz, improvisierter rock?
Schwankend zwischen 70er und guten Jazz Sessions.
Actually enjoyed this album more than I thought I would
The attempt to transition elements of classical music and jazz to a wider audience is, in principle, a respectable one. Blood, Sweat & Tears act as intermediaries, translating complex harmonic ideas into a language that could function on radio and in concert halls alike. In that sense, the album performs a cultural service.
Decent.
Light 3,5
Not at all what I was expecting which was nice, but the material was a little schmaltzy for me. Light 3.
Jazzy, big band rock. The horns are a big part of the sound. A couple of classic tracks here.
Wonderfully composed.
I'm behind by nearly a week, so I'm gonna try to knock a few of these out now at 1am :D Before Listening: I know I've heard at least one song by these guys. I recognize the cover. Years ago, in like 2018, I went through the billboard charts from the 50s-70s and made playlists of songs I liked. By the time I got to the 80s my little baby christian brain was quite scandalized. I had some growing up to do. I don't often go back to those playlists now, but I have a love for the time and energy I put into them. First Listen Notes: 1. That was really really pretty. Normally not an instrumental person, but that was an beautiful and fun introduction to the album 2. "Smiling Phases" - Am I crazy to say this is reminding me of Credence Clearwater Revival? If I'm wrong, I am quite tired at the moment, to be fair. I was vibing before the instramental break, but it kinda took me out of the song. Okay overall. 3. "Sometimes in Winter" - Now this voice is reminding me of Gordon Lightfoot lol. I really really really like this one! Lowkey and chill with the melancholy vibe i love so much. This is 1000% going on a playlist somewhere 4. "More and More" - This one is okay, I don't hate it but I don't love it. I really liked the lyric and flow of "If from my life ,You ever decided to go, It would destroy in a second, What took a lifetime to mold". Might not come back to it often, but it's fine. 5. "And When I Die" - Interesting song. The production is throwing me off a bit, I think I need to sit with this one a bit longer but I like the lyric "I can swear there ain't no Heaven, But I pray there ain't no Hell". Interesting song. 7. 'Spinning Wheel" - I love the horns. I wish more modern music had brass sections, I think it's coming back a little. This song was cool, not my fave but it was fun. 8. "You've Made me So Very Happy" - The song I've heard before! This was one of my faves on my 60s playlist. Beautiful production, super fun sound. Simple lyrics, but the vocals sell it. I love it. okay now to rate the album...well. The vibes overall were fine, I didn't love all of it. I don't know if this is an album I'd come back to in full. I think It's one that could grow on me if I let it. For now, I'm probably gonna give it a 3 tho. I'm trying to be realistic with my ratings. Faves: "Sometimes in Winter" and "You Make Me So Very Happy" My ratings (as of right now) explained 1 - Hate It. Possibly didn't even finish. Truly awful 2 - It's fine...I guess? I just really really didn't vibe with it for one reason or another 3 - I liked this well enough, I see it's merit for being on the list, but Idk if I'll come back 4 - I actually really enjoyed this. I might come back to the album as a whole, but maybe not too often 5 - OMG? This is amazing? I practically loved this. Subject to change :D
Kinda more fun than I expected; not a 4, but a high 3.
3.0 - Ok
decent album but just sounds way too old even for a 60s album
3/5
really different from what I'd have expected to
This album really is all over the place stylistically and for once I mean that as a compliment. Flute, organ, harmonica, brass, etc. all orbiting around a rock and roll center. Singer reminds me of Seger and I like that!
The first track is surprisingly good. When the singer comes in the album gets a little locked into a certain time frame and is ok but not my thing
There's better jazz from the 60s, there's better rock from the sixties, there's better jazz/rock from the 60s. This is OK, but I wouldn't go back to it. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
Totally fine and pretty good for the time.
Sometimes I wonder if this list takes some albums based on their big hit vs the work as a whole. This is one of those cases. The album is fine, Spinning Wheel is the highlight that most people will recognize, but the rest of it is kinda just there. The gymnopedie interpretations are pretty cool and the blues cover jam is interesting enough but not different than really any other big band/jazz combo couldn't do. I did appreciate the elements of jazz in this record but again, it's Spinning Wheel that really takes advantage of it. Good listen but not remarkable.
I hear the cultural significance of this album. handful of tracks were certainly in popular movies. this album paints soundscapes.
Started out (and ended) kind of uniterstesting and little all over on what it was, the middle was alright
For some reason, though I've listened to this album numerous times, only about 3 songs were memorable. And the rest, like listening for the 1st time...granted I'm an old guy. Yeah, let's just blame my brain. Upon this listen, I'll just say, neither high nor low. 3 not disappointed stars.
Good, but long
Well that was confused
3.5
Some enjoyable songs, sometimes boring.
This one took me back. Hit filled and a favorite of my father’s back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. This is a nostalgia vote.
Nothing special, heard a number of albums similar. Rock jazz.
Solid jazzy album, recommend it. 3.5
Bueno
An interesting album with a real blend of genres and influences. Enjoyed the first listen through, but I think this probably needs a few listens to be fully appreciated. Favourite tracks: Smiling Phases & Blues Pt. 2. Definitely worth another listen. 3/5
Nice
Not quite earth wind and fire
This one was kooky!
Best Song: Spinning Wheel. A song I've heard a bunch of times but never once considered to look up who made it. Really fun though. Worst Song: Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie. This didn't feel like an original interpretation of the work (as in "Blues, pt. 2"). It just felt like an unnecessary facsimile. Overall: An album that feels very genre-less. It seems to go in many directions, with a lot more big band sound than I anticipated. It mostly floats between fun and forgettable, but it certainly isn't bad.
Neutral on this one. Better jazz fusion out there and nothing seemed inspiring.
Good album
3.5
Lacks big singles. I love the instrumentation though. 3/5
Eclectic, strong voice, great singles. Entertaining throughout.
The stylistic shifts within stylistic shifts make this Jazz(?) Rock(?) Modern Classical(?) Blues(?) album unknowable. It’s variations on variations on variations and it’s also a lot of fun. My favourite bits are the instrumental sections, though I admit that vocals consistently contribute to the LP’s number one strength, which is surprise. The use of covers and interpolations are also mind boggling. It’s controlled chaos with every new element sounding perfectly out of place.
Another high 3 for me today, a bit all over the place but I enjoyed all of it!
Just ok
new and good
Not a group I know, but very familiar sounds - not bad, felt a bit of its time
Somewhat interesting interpretations of works by other songwriters (with the exception of the album's only true original, "Spinning Wheel"). David Clayton-Thomas' voice is strong and more than capable of handling the soulful tunes. The arrangements are tight and tasteful. Yet somehow, the whole thing seems kind of bland. Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Chicago, and Three Dog Night are all virtually interchangeable and the world of family-friendly Jazz-Pop.
My mom and dad used to play this album all the time, so there's quite a bit of nostalgia here, so it's difficult to separate bias and objectivity. Call it a 3.5, round it down.
3.5
What in the holy Baby Boomer Sam hell is this?? Not entirely objectionable but it feels like you took the late 60s and distilled it down to it's purest form. Kinda cheesy, kinda don't hate it. Not sure what to do with this or if I'll ever listen to it again.
3/5
later
Good tight rhythms but very 60’s
Fun, but not impeccable
The musicianship pushes this up to a 3* but honestly, pretty dull
Jazzy take on 60's rock. They're really into Satie's "3 Gymnopedies", using a guitar + flute arrangement of it as the bookend tracks of the record. Standout is "Spinning Wheel".
This one had the big hits and some other pretty good ones. I do love Satie and those arrangements are pretty nice. Overall decent stuff.
A few bangers and a lot of filler.
meh
Of the 150+ members listed on this bands Wikipedia page, perhaps my favorite is Bo Bice, of early American idol fame. Much like that list, this albums is massively extensive, with few cohesive elements, but is sometimes impressive all the same. Is there jazz? Yeah Is there rock? Yes. Blue-eyed-soul, yacht rock, big band, bayou, pop, gospel, prog? Sure. Pretty much anything is on this album. It feels a bit like the progenitor for Jacob Collier, who also digs his heels into whatever musical whim he finds himself on. I was unfamiliar with these guys being the “Spinning Wheel” guys. Strangely, it didn’t change my listening experience at all. Peculiar. 2/5 for my taste, but overall 3/5 for some good musicianship
i liked the organ. fun jazz rock. i could do without the cheesy callouts to other tracks. also the satie themes.
While listening to the opening track, I was incredibly confused as to what I just got myself into. It felt like I was listening to the score of a final battle in a sci-fi fantasy movie. Then, "Smiling Faces" comes on and slapped in the face for ever doubting this album. BS&T is truly an experimental sound. The vast orchestra of instruments bounce around from rock to funk to jazz spontaneously. At times it feels like there's a song within a song. You'd think an electric organ and a piano going at the same time would be a chaotic mess, but the two mesh so well in these songs. Sometimes, the changing of genres can feel a little disjointed but I appreciate the risks being taken. Albums like these are why I'm glad I'm taking this journey. I don't see any way I'd end up listening to something like this, but I'm glad I did. 3.5 Stars
Given that some of the songs are almost standards there was familiarity. Always found something in the voice of DCT which works across a mix of musical styles. A pretty good album that still sounds fine today.
S'il y a une musique qui s'appelle Blood Sweat & Tears l'album prend une étoile peu importe le contenu Mouais pas ouf mais vas y je mets 3 parce qu'ils ont eu la décence de ne pas être des mauvaises personnes niveau choix des titres (et puis petit diff sur l'intro quand même)
Rather enjoyed elements, even though it was in constant argument with itself. 3.5
it was kind of all over the place for me.
It's OK. Seems like it should be more up my alley, with the horn section and all. Lyrics are uninspiring, but the singer's good. Not sure what it is, but I'm pretty ambivalent about this album.
Pas mal
It’s a strange mix but it has some good songs
Impressive, but didn’t really engage me
Rock and Roll for a Musical that never happened
Very impressed by its innovation and creativity for its time—that being said, they did remake a worse and more famous version of a beatifiul song. But we are forgiving
Hovering somewhere between a two and three star for me, a bit generic and meandering in parts. The band don't seem to be able to decide what genre they want to play, which actually saved this from two stars, as my interest was slightly held simply wondering which genre they would pivot to next.
I'm not sure why exactly but this album was a lot more disappointing than I expected it to be. Much like the "Chicago Transit Authority" album, it felt like I was listening to some kind of oddball 60s/70s musical production, even with the very familiar (and rightfully popular) tracks like "And when I die" or "Spinning wheel" (or even "You've made me so very happy"); perhaps it was just the string refrains that seemed to permeate the album that created that effect. I do like David Clayton-Thomas's very distinctive voice, and occasionally the songs really shine, but the abrupt changes in tempo and style throughout created a fairly discordant experience that didn't really sound intentional, unless this really was a musical-revue soundtrack. Which I'm (pretty) sure it wasn't.
Really conflicted because I loved the intro and outro and “And When I Die”, but the rest was quite poor.
Was ok. 3.71
Decent
If progressive soul were a thing, mixed w/ jazz fusion and jazz-rock, I guess Blood, Sweat, & Tears would be the exponent of that genre. I don't really like progressive anything, unless it's politics (and even then that reeks of a neoliberal formulation), but this is honestly better than I expected. Unlike the other prog slogs, BS&T at least give the impression that they're having fun: the others, that they're completing a chore of intellectual drudgery. Loosed is even sweet sagacity (shout out to Laura Nyro): 'All I ask of living is to have no chains on me / And all I ask of dying is to go naturally.' It can't be that good tho, since, in the end, it's too pretentious and long-winded, it's not that original, and I'd actually never choose to listen to it. Okayish.
Was not expecting this. Also I think I always had these guys confused with Earth, Wind and Fire. Kinda jazzy, very eclectic. liked it ok.
this sure is a weird album!
3,5
This self-titled album shows off just how ambitious Blood, Sweat & Tears were in blending rock with jazz, soul, and pop. Tracks like “Spinning Wheel” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” are polished, catchy, and full of brass-driven energy that makes them stand out as the big hits they became. The playing is tight across the board, with the horn section giving everything a punchy, upbeat feel, and David Clayton-Thomas’s vocals bringing a smooth, commanding presence. At the same time, the record can feel a little too polished for its own good. Some of the deeper cuts stretch out but do not always stick, and the experimentation sometimes comes across more like showmanship than real substance. It is easy to admire the craft and the skill of the musicians, but as an album it does not always flow in a way that keeps you fully locked in. Blood, Sweat & Tears has some undeniable highlights, but as a whole it feels more like a collection of strong singles and filler than a fully satisfying album.
I was quite surprised how relaxing this was. Much better than elevator music!
Nice solid class rock. I feel like this band dares to have moments where they switch things up on the listener and it's fun because they do it often but it's contextually appropriate. It feels like I can hear a ballad and it won't just be a repetitive piano chord progression throughout; there will be pauses, drum breaks, shortened measures, and things like that that I appreciate. Nice 3/5!
growing on me as i’ve stuck with it. some very interesting jazzy bits
-this is fascinating and very hard to typify with one genre or sound. probably the earliest example of “jazz rock” i’ve ever heard -it definitely felt… aimless. like a collection of random singles, didn’t stand out much. still made for a pretty enjoyable listen at least, even though it was hard to pay attention -Favorites are Smiling Phases and Blues, Pt. 2
The album is very instrumental in a good way. However, the vocals and lyrics were not my favorite.
Cool album. Jazz rock gringo de los 70
Derivative! Well, that’s not completely fair. They sound like a copycat band but they borrow from so many sources (Chicago, The Moody Blues, Motown, Jethro Tull) that I can’t accuse them of straight ripping off of any one thing. They are fun to listen to when they’re not being horribly pretentious, and there are a few memorable tracks on this album.
Some good songs but not a game changer for me
The jazz-rock mix isn't my cup of tea, but they can certainly play well. The second half of the record was much better, with the best songs in it ("Spinning Wheel" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy"). I didn't like the singing much, and the best moments for me were the most "jazzy" ones, like the end of "God Bless the Child". I also found the Satie opener to be a bit gimicky and didn't like it much.
It is good album.
Itvwas an ok album but it felt a little bit all over the place. I like the jazz influence and it's obvious they are good musicians but,yeah, some of the songs are not for me.
The bluesey jazz rock thing doesn’t work for me. I know that a lot of people don’t love this new singer’s voice but I didn’t mind it. Some good tunes, more forgettable ones and as much as love Satie, the bookends on the album are weird and out of place.
This is one of the better old albums I’ve listened too. This is an amazing album seeming it came from 1968 having great vocals and interesting instrumental. Very before its time. But just like a lot of these albums it’s just not for me the musics enjoyable but nothing out of the ordinary. I see how people like this and why it’s on the list but there is just so much better. I’ll give Blood, Sweat & Tears their props for them doing all this in 1968 but it’s still just alright 6.9/10 3.4
Like it 3/5
Pleasant background rock album, rather tight, rather fun
Sympa à écouter, mais pas spécialement mémorable à mon sens.
I don’t remember any of these songs in Jesus Christ Superstar.
🎵 Day 37 / Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968) 🗯 Look, I get it — the chops are good, the horn arrangements are airtight, and for some listeners this is going to feel like stepping into a jazz-rock cathedral. But to me? It’s like getting trapped in the extended soundtrack to an old cowboy film that never ends. All hats, horses, and brass flourishes. That’s not to say it isn’t impressive. These guys could play well compared to most bands of the era, and the fusion of jazz, pop, and rock here was groundbreaking. ‘Spinning Wheel’ and ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’ were big hits for a reason. But personally, it’s a record I admire more than enjoy. Verdict: Not my jam For fans of: Chicago, Steely Dan, horn sections with something to prove
- Good for listening when journaling, etc. - Unique rock n roll type of take - Re-listen in order 3.5/5
Surprisingly good.
This album was fun enough. I like the lead singer’s voice. Favorite songs were Spinning Wheel and You’ve Made Me So Very Happy. Basically their songs that played on oldies radio that I listened to when I was a kid.
That was really expressive and reminded me of vivid memories
It was playing in the background the whole time, and to be honest, I barely noticed it. I don't know, this album is just kind of lifeless? It doesn't suck—I don't hate it—but there's also almost nothing to love. It has a couple of pretty good moments, but overall is pretty empty.
A band that I don't really know at all past recognizing their name. Don't think I can even name one song so I'm calling this one new to me. First impression - this is like if Creedence tried to play jazz. There are elements to this that I like but it does sound very Creedence-y which is not a good thing for me. I think I like the music but the vocals are where I'm thrown off. Just something about the vocal quality and characteristics and the way the vocal lines are formed puts me off. But there is some great musicianship on this record for sure. Drums in particular are really good. All in all it had some fun parts but wasn't quite my thing 2.5/5
I remember listening to several of these tracks with my parents. enjoyed the blend of sounds & instruments. bit of fusion of styles. I wouldn't seek it out again, but enjoyed it.
Kind of interesting, lots of variety anyway.
dawno nie bylo jazzowych akcentow na liscie, wiec jazzowe rokowanie to mila odmiana, krazek z 68 drugi i najlepiej przyjety komercyjnie album od blood, sweat & tears, wiekszosc utworow poza blues pt.2 trzymaja sie radiowych standardow 4 minut, refrenow i chwytliwosci, no i tematyki romantycznej milosci, co chyba najbardziej mi przeszkadzalo podczas sluchania, na nocne sluchowisko pod gwiazdami o wiele lepiej sprawdzilby sie ten album jako czysty intrumental, a troche tutaj grajkow bylo, bo orginalny sklad mial 8 czlonkow, tutaj z panem claytonem na wokalu, dopiero po tym albumie jakies potezne roszady byly w bandzie, ciekawe w ktora strone poszli muzycznie, bo pelny sklad jazzowy z smyczkami, klarnetami, trabami, tamburynami, a z drugiej strony kawalki na ktorych ciezko pomiescic taka muzyke, na plejke dodam and when i die, ktory ma klimat celebracji umierania na niebiesko
al inicio pensaba que seria un album de country pero me ha sorprendido. Mezcla distintos estilos, pasando por varios tipicos de la epoca pero a la vez me soreprende por donde salen algunas veces.
I swear there ain't no heaven, and I pray there ain't no hell
You've Made Me So Very Happy Is a great song to scream sing
Not my normal kind of thing, but I did like it. Saxophone and funky bass are always good things.
06/07/2025 It was okay. Long albums tend to put me off.
Very relaxing album with some unique sounds.
This was cool. I have heard of Blood, Sweat and Tears, but never really listened to them. Definitely have never listened to a full album. There was a lot to unpack here. Jazz, blues, etc... I liked it overall.
Pretty good album, some of it was real bad tho
To start, this is an exceptionally well recorded album. Fantastic production and audio quality. I appreciate the mix of brass and traditional rock instruments. Very cool fusion that reminds me of Chicago, who I also love. There's something about the lead singer's voice that really firmly anchors the music to the time period it's from. I'm not sure if that's because BS&T helped to set the tone of the era or it's just because of the way I think of and originally heard the music. Blues PT. 2 was sort of a non-sequitur and didn't feel especially relevant to the rest of the album. I enjoyed the song (especially the Cream reference). The vocals done in the style of Janis Joplin were fun too. 3.75
Good.
Alright I guess the best song was that Erik Satie shit
Fun but yeah
I didn't think I knew who this was, then I listened and realized I knew a few songs off this album. Not sure where I heard them. This album has some fun upbeat songs and some more slower almost ballads. It's a fun album overall. I'd suggest it to folks if they want a 60's album.
I can appreciate this albums variation in styles and genres with the different instruments, very jazzy in some places with sax and organ, very rick and roll in some, funky as well, especially in spinning wheel which basically showcased all of this. I did feel like it wasn’t very focussed as a result but i guess it’s messy in a good way. The variation on the theme from Erik Satie was really cool to both start and end the album with as well and actually one of my favourite parts of the album. I thought the lyrics overall weren’t really all great however as they were very surface level and generic but for 1968 this does feel musically ahead of its time at least. Sone of the eongs I wasn’t a fan of, mostly the slow love focussed ones like you’ve made me so very happy and god bless the child although i can appreciate the organ in both. Blues part 2 was quite decent and had a very clear reference to sunshine of your love which was cool i guess. Favourites: the two variations as mentioned, smiling phases and soinning wheel. Overall, 6/10.
Tung moderne blues -- fed!
Interesting. Lots of jazz but also vocals and stuff.
god jazzrock fusion. Vandt åbenbart over abbey road som album of the year? TEksterne handler om livets op og nedture.
Some mindless filler, some absolute bangers. A mixed bag. All over the shop in tone, often within the same song. At times sounds like a super theatrical late 60s jazz-rock musical. ‘Spinning Wheel’ is obviously the centrepiece here, but ‘More And More’, ‘And When I Die’, ‘God Bless The Child’ and ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’ are also highlights. Despite its unevenness, this is still a worthy addition to the 1,001.
Good
It's a bit of a mess. The changing of genres comes out of the blue and quickly. Bits of rock, funk, jazz, big band lounge, prog. It's all over the place and some genres sound better than others from the band. It's a mix that sometimes works and sometimes not. I quite like the little jazzy bits, some twinkling piano and quick light drumming which doesn't overstay it's welcome. The 60's rock is where they shine though. The bass player kills it on every track. 'And When I Die' has this slow almost oompa sounding start that picks up as it goes to an abrupt end to start back at the beginning again. 'You've Made Me So Very Happy' is easily the biggest earworm on the album. You'll be gleefully singing that chorus all day. It's a great, cheerful track that puts a smile on your face. The penultimate track 'Blues, Pt. 2' is a 12 minute proggy, jazzy, soul wank fest with long drum solo which let's it down overall in my opinion. Also the first and last track is a beautiful piece of classical music. I add this in case I come back to the review and forget how nice it is and want to listen again. It's a bit hit and miss, but quite a fun album that I wouldn't be mad if it came on randomly.
Were they a Jazz band trying to pass as a pop rock outfit, or were they a rock band with horns? The world may never know. Entertaining enough stuff though.
Teško je ocijeniti ovako nekonzistentan album. Na vrhuncu je izuzetan fusion, na dnu je yeeeehaaaaw. Doslovno ne znam šta da mislim o cjelokupnom paketu.
Too jazzy for me. But not bad.
Bluesy. Something different, probably wouldn’t listen to their other stuff but I’d imagine if I’d been brought up on it I’d like it more. Reminds me other music I like that’s known to me from a young age.
Hmm - I think I like this. After a couple of listens, I feel intrigued to put this on at other occasions in the future
The kind of album the best high school band director in the Midwest conference would make. My band has been working up Satie's Gymnopedies so the opening was a surprise. Not sure it's a great surprise, partic the goofy Zappa-via-Sousa 2nd part, but a surprise. I have read that this album is one of the first big pop albums recorded on a 16-track tape machine, giving them uncharted layering territory to explore, but they could have ranged farther. David Clayton-Thomas delivers the goods as the Husky Voice of the 70s To Come on the hits, but then the other vocalist only serves to make this album sound like well-crafted and anonymous easy listening. "And When I Die" is much jauntier than I remember, making me wonder if another version polluted the oldies radio of my upbringing.
The Erik Satie opener/closer is nice, “Smiling Phases” sounds like a musical number and “Sometimes in Winter” just sounds dated, like the guy serenading the coeds on the staircase in Animal House before John Belushi snatches his guitar and smashes it to bits. “Spinning Wheel” is a good song that brings the group’s jazz chops to the fore. There is some good stuff here but overall it sounds a little show tune-y, thanks in part to the singer, who sounds a little like Tom Jones.
I had already seen the recent doc about this band that suggested that the band agreeing to tour the communist bloc as a State department deal for allowing their Canadian lead singer to stay in the us was the thing that killed the band. Other than the hits that was all I knew of BST. I will say they are like a hipper better Chicago, but I'm still suspicious of an LP that only has 2 originals and bookends with Eric fucking satie.
An amazing album? No. But not a bad album. It's a perfectly nice listen. Not something I'd purposefully grab off the shelf, but not something I'd turn off if someone else put it on.
It's a shame you can't give a 2.5 to albums, cause this isn't a 3 but it is far from a 2. This is also like a B-list "Chicago" in my opinion, even though they released music before them. Regardless with the hits and seeing myself enjoy this album the more I listen to it. I'll say 3/5
+1 for horns. I liked the songs with horns, the non horn songs were pretty bad.
that was literally fine. i didn’t mind it at all. shout-out erik satie…
i just hated that for no reason 2.5
# Album Name: blood, sweat & tears # Artist: blood, sweat & tears # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Very weird. Lots of different styles with a sprinkle of a few good songs. # Top Tunes: Spinning wheel / So very happy / when i die / Variations # Would I listen to it again? Only the songs listed
I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting but this album wasn’t it. And I think that’s ok. It was a blend of a few different kinds of music. Definitely rock n roll but with very obvious jazz and blues elements.
Sounds like a serene, faraway land. Tinkering. Trumpets. Grand entrance. Jazz? Upbeat. Life is what you make it. Fun. Groovy. New York. Piano. Mr. Big. Cheeky. Very playful and charismatic. Instrumental. Montage. Trumpets! Chores, definitely. *Clapping*. Again, very enchanting. Warm voice. Storytelling supremacy. Blues. Little Big Planet soundtrack. Lively, again. Husky voice. Guns 'N' Roses inspiration. Travellers. ELECTRIC GUITAR! I can see how this album, especially the song More and More, has influenced 80s rock acts. We're going country. I love the switch-ups. Drawing influence from Walk the Line. And When I Die is probably my favourite. Added to my playlist. Reminding me of 500 Miles. Death thematised. Jazz bar. Reference to the Bible, religion thematised. Mama may have sounds like Mama Mayhem. Crescendo? OH. Instrumental break. Movielike. Is that the sax? Festin. Whiskey and BBQ sauce. Country. I appreciate the trumpets (?) framing the song. What goes up must come down - lesson for life. Spinning wheel analogy. Pony, highway, riverside. Allusions to the American dream? What does the latter mean for this album? Bridge Bar recommendation? Contrast between flutes and trumpets. Whistle vs. brass instrument. Cruise. Futuristic. Asserting. City! Love thematised. Adoring, idolising. Wedding song? Major New York vibes. What is that sound? Ugh. Proclaiming introduction. Baseball, yep. Gratitude. Longest song up next. Organ? Showing off. Halloween. Unsettling. Contrast to the warmth of the previous tracks. Theme park. Oh, hello. The instruments have really shined all throughout this album. Drums into jazz. YES. Wine and dinner. Washing the dishes. Music playing. Diversity and a playfulness. For the sake of music. Crime, detective. Tom & Jerry. Fright. You are every girl I've ever known. Torture. Desperate.
FINAL REVIEW A very jazzy rock album with strong songwriting, but after the initial listen, it started to lose some of its shine. The twelve-minute blues (mostly) instrumental probably didn't help either. 3/5. NOTES 11:12 pm - i've heard this name before, but i know absolutely nothing about them. the album cover is kind of funny, though, with the obviously pastedon heads. i expect this to either have typical seventies classic rock sound, or a folk one. 1:34 am - i'm having, uh, technical issues with the website, but fuck it, i want to listen to the album at least once before bed. anyways, this is waaaaaayyyyyy more prog than i was expecting, but i like it. 1:49 am - i really like this a lot!!! it jumps around genre a lot, but it doesn't feel disjointed at all. it has an overall very jazzy sound that i like. 2:00 am - there is a twelve minute blues/jazz instrumental at the end of this album. very very prog lmao. it's good, though, even though it isn't normally my thing. 2:06 am - okay this long ass track a) does have vocals about nine minutes in, and b) i can't do this. it's not like i'm anti-long songs, but this is a long song in a genre that i don't normally like, so it's not working for me. i still enjoy the rest of the album, though. 2:13 am - okay so aside from the second to last track, i really liked it!! the rest of the album moved at a good pace, had pretty melodies and interesting instrumentation. the last track was just meandering to me, though, like too much, though i can see how someone who likes this genre more would enjoy it. i'd give this a 3/5 after my first listen. 7/5 10:29 am - doing my second listen through rn 7/5 11:13 am - i feel like i liked it less the second listen through, though there were some good songs. i think it's one of those that i think is well-done, but its not a genre i am particularly interested in. still, i'm going to give it a 3/5
The thing about jazz rock is it's not as good as straight jazz or rock. This isn't too bad, as it seems to lean more on the jazzy soul side of jazz rock, but there are only a few songs I really would want to listen to again.
Great couple of hits!!
Quite an average listen, with nothing really capturing the attention nor really offending much. A middle-of-the-road 2.5/5 which will be bumped to 3 due to the lack of offence.
First thoughts were worry this would be instrumental. Thankfully not. Reviewing the tracks it's mostly covers/reinterpretations. Its fine, average rock with middling jazz. 2.5/5. Raising to 3. PS Abbey Road lost a Grammy to this. Wild.
Fine
Hyfsat fonkigt. Saknas lite blod, svett och tårar
Fav: God Bless The Child Least Fav: And When I Die Jazz rock was not what I expected, thought this would be a proper country rock album. Even with the classical music covers I think it’s alright in spite of it being all over the place
Not fussed
Det var et sjovt lyt fordi det er så meget i alle retninger, der var den ene sang som jeg kendte i forvejen, men har ingen anelse om hvorfor jeg har hørt jazz rock før. 🤷
Syret, jazzet, rocket og fed vokal. Til tider rammer det ret godt.
Lot more jazzy than I was expecting. It was fine. Surprised to see they won a Grammy for best album back in the day.
5/10 - kind of boring but not horrible
Nice soft jazzy album 7/10
There are a range of tracks here, from boring to very catchy. They are talented but put together a jumble of genres and types here that totally lack cohesion. Spinning Whell remains a favorite of mine and was a bright point. 3
A mixed bag of jazz rock, pop, country blues, gospel and hippy dippy nonsense. Spinning Wheel is the standout track.
It was fine I guess.
First song - where do I know this from? As an album this is a bit all over the place, but really enjoyed in places.
It’s fine. It’s a bit of a mess but it’s fine. Blues pt 2 was way too long
Enjoy the jazz elements, but then full on pop when the vocals are present and sounds like two different bands. Can feel really cheesy and bland in the pop elements, but then the instruments can bring such variation and skill. Enjoy the uptick in tempo and groove for songs like ‘More and More’. More of a rock/big band edge, rather than pop. More of the jazz, more of the upbeat tempo, more of the technicality and less of the pop and smooth, slow meh stuff please. Did not know this was the ‘Spinning Wheel’ band! AMAZING jam at the end (Blues Pt.2) too. Some amazing features on this album, some yawn. (3.5)
I feel like there's a time where I woulda focused this entire review around some incredulity at the fact that this record won Album Of The Year over The Beatles' ABBEY ROAD. "I mean, are you for real? These guys, who're absolute no names these days, got the win instead the **greatest Beatles album**? And my favorite one, too, not to mention!" And to be 100, it's not like after listening to this album I'm any less kinda "Huh?" at that fact, but, y'know, it's the GRAMMYs. They've been making dumb decisions for years, and this is far from being an egregious example of that. It's not even like this album's bad; it's just... Not what I woulda picked! And, yeah, about the album. To be honest, given how much their first album has been propped up by Rolling Stone on their 500 list, I didn't even know they had... Any other albums! But they do, it turns out! And it's... Fine. Fine stuff. It's perfectly good jazzy rock with summa that fine ol' 60's white soul. It's just, for a band whose first album is supposed to be **so great**, I think I may have expected more out of this second one? It's weird. There are some lively as hell tracks on here, and this band can sure as hell play like it ain't nobody's business. This is a tight group. "You've Made Me So Very Happy" is a monster of a blue-eyed soul track. And yet, despite itself, I just can't get myself too excited over any of it. I promise you, it's not the ABBEY ROAD thing getting at me. There's just some mental block I can't get past to enjoy this 100%. Maybe it's just that for as much praise as I can toss on the band performance wise, I'm not really wowed by any of the songs besides "You've Made Me So Very Happy". I guess there's also the opener and closer, for being these nice, peaceful little things, but as for the other songs... Not much doin' for me, I don't think. Especially not "Blues - Part II" — I mean, you call this **blues**? I'm no purist here, but besides a snippet of "Sunshine Of Your Love", I'd hardly recognize any of this as blues. Mostly it's just kinda spacey and boring. I'unno. I feel like it's all a pretty nice sound — again, I hardly think the album's bad — but what they **do** with it... Ehhh. Just wish I could be more into it, honestly. As it stands, though... Yeah, I really can't say why this won over ABBEY ROAD. Maybe it's something to do with "the deeper complexities in the music?" I'unno. Me, I'll just chalk it up to the GRAMMYs being the GRAMMYs again.
*Combination of typical Blood, Sweat, and Tears (which I like), and some weird horns. Horns were too much throughout. *Fave Songs: Smiling Phases (Track #2) and Sometimes in Winter (Track #3) *Started off loud, then some good songs, then alternated between loud and good. *You Make Me So Very Happy was track #7. *Tried to put this on in the background while I was working. Some was good and melodic, some was just too loud/shouty and not my cup of tea. Weird combo. RATING - 6/10 based on personal taste.
Points for variety and great bass lines, but I don't think I'll be returning to this often
Far too long but didn't mind it
Kind of in the middle of two genres, it's fine
2,5
it's pleasant, and I enjoyed Smiling Phases and Spinning Wheel. the jazz-rock fusion is cool
Weird but really interesting record, I think it's more something I find interesting for how the jazz parts play off the rock parts and how well recorded a lot of it is than the whole of the album. I'm not like wow'd by it but I found it more enjoyable than I would otherwise.
Das Album wurde überwiegend in den CBS Studios in New York City aufgenommen. Die Band stammt aus den Vereinigten Staaten und setzt sich aus Musikern zusammen, die verschiedene musikalische Hintergründe mitbringen, darunter Jazz, Rock und klassische Musik. Bekannte Titel wie „Spinning Wheel“, „You've Made Me So Very Happy“ und „And When I Die“ zeigen den charakteristischen Stil der Gruppe, der sich durch komplexe Bläser-Arrangements und eine Mischung aus Soul, Rock und Jazz-Elementen auszeichnet. Diese Stücke spiegeln das zentrale musikalische Konzept der Band wider: die Verbindung populärer Songstrukturen mit improvisatorischen und orchestralen Elementen. Das Album bewegt sich im Spannungsfeld zwischen Rock, Jazzrock und Popmusik und zählt zu den Werken, die diesen hybriden Stil Ende der 1960er Jahre einem breiteren Publikum zugänglich machten. Insgesamt handelt es sich um eine Produktion, die stilistisch zwischen eingängigen Songs und anspruchsvoll arrangierten Passagen vermittelt und die musikalischen Ambitionen der Band nachvollziehbar macht.
They go deeper than I thought from just hearing the hits over the years. I feel like this has to be the blueprint for Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.
Blood, Sweat & Tears came along at the right time, when the swirls of the Summer of Love gave way to the rustic realism of communal jazz inflected rock. With its bookending nods to impressionist classical, this is the kind of music that only could have come out at the denouement of the tumultuous decade that needed a soothing balm and Blood, Sweat & Tears (despite its name) gave the rub. Favorites: Smiling Phases, More and More, And When I Die, God Bless the Child, Spinning Wheel, Smiling Phases (live).
Bit of a mixed bag but what i enjoyed, i really enjoyed. Strange mix overall
Went on a bit long, but was actually quite good.
Very much all over the place, and wasn't expecting so much jazz. Kinda digged the lead singers voice. Can hear mom singing a few of these.
there are moments i like. but i dont know where those moments were. this is all over the place. they must be on cocaine.
I really enjoyed this album, sounded like a less electronic version of a Mike oldfield album. It would have been a 4 star review but I had to remove a star for an unnecessarily long drum solo in ‘Blues Pt2’
This one’s a bit of a mess to begin with but I got with the groove a few songs in. Probably not one I’ll revisit, but it was good for driving around in my van today.
3 Stars (8/15)
Pastoral, Classical, Folk, Jazz, Sixties Psychedelia, 60s Pop, 60s Soul, Stax, Northern English Brass Band, 60s Funk, 60s Blues Rock, Virtuosity, Diversity, Music Hall, Show Tunes, Wit, Quirkiness, Intelligence. Occasionally beautiful, occasionally grating. There's a lot going on here! I thought I'd never heard them before until it got to 'Spinning Wheel' which I recognised. Groovy! I enjoyed this, but probably not enough to listen again.
Ничего необычного
Funky fresh.
Ruining Satie wasn't necessary
Exquisitez, pero nada que ver a lo mío, la verdad. Esperaba otro rock genérico pero fue mucho más variado y virtuoso. Nota: 2.8
It's a high three. It sounds like it has the potential to be a really great movie soundtrack or something, but it doesn't stand great on its own for me. Like, the highs are really high, but there was kind of a lack of direction lyrically and the jams went on for a really long time. I did appreciate some of them, but I wasn't loving the album.
R & B 70’s
Classic rock with folk vibe
3/4
Heavy handed horns Blasting along a bold voice With flair for live shows
Not a bad listen, quite fun
It was fun, it sounded good - I wouldn’t listen again, however.
Very solid album with some easily recognizable songs.
3/5 Didn’t know what to expect but pleasantly surprised. Jazzy rock album, something I haven’t heard a lot before. Not a big fan of the long instrumental jazz parts. Overall a decent album. Favourite song: - God bless the child
funky
Sounds pretty much like standard old classic rock and then suddenly kicks into a Latin jazz interlude in the middle of God Bless the Child? You've Made Me So Very Happy sounds a lot like Chicago. I love the horns throughout this album. The horns going into Sunshine of Your Love in the middle of an instrumental break was very fun too. A little too "rote classic rock" during most of it to get a higher rating or enter regular rotation but it has some great moments I will revisit
Solid golden hour. So many samples from this album... 3rd Bass, sampled basically all of Spinning Wheel.
David Clayton-Thomas’ voice is rich and welcome, but on most of “Blood, Sweat, & Tears” it is alternatingly paired with too much horn, too much synthesizer, or too much woodwind. The album is also very cover-heavy, though “Spinning Wheel” is the major standout of original work.
Funky, groovy at points bizarre. But overall ok.
Imagine, a multiverse variant of Tom Jones is playing Kingdom Heart but has to pause the game to put on a killer show, but hops right back on the game when he's done. That's how this sounds
Something a bit different, something to lighten the mood. Tight and musical. Not one for the ages but not bad.
It starts with oooh variety and ends with... I'm kind of bored, we get it, you're good at musicking
way better than I expected. Funky, Jazzy and a lot of energy Also liked the intro and outro variations on Gymnopédie
Good vibe. Not something I would listen to all the time. But I added a couple of songs to my cooking in the evening playlist.
Interesting album, very unique sound, not the biggest fan of some of the songs, my favorite was "Spinning Wheel", liked the jazz inspiration throughout, but no other songs really stuck with me. 3/5
This is too heavy for one's taste and overdone from start to finish, even if some of the hooks are undeniably catchy and groovy. Twelve minutes of "Spinning Wheel" is probably eight too many. "You Made Me So Very Happy" is overwrought, but their hearts are all the way in it, clearly. The Billie Holiday cover they get away with, but only just. The singer has a great voice – distinctive, powerful – but when he's not using it as a bludgeon, he makes it a blunderbuss. And who cares what this ban makes of Erik Satie (definitely not a blunderbuss)? Will have to read the Kooper bio to get his sense of it. Coulda sorta be a 4, if one's feeling magnanimous with good weather, but this being such a big seller will have to be consolation enough.
3/5
With big steps in style, framing, and recording of the album, Blood, Sweat, and Tears deliver an interesting performance. I especially am fond of the classical variation bookends and genre switching
The instrumentalists are solid and the lyrics are well sung. The problem is this album doesn’t come together for me. The songs aren’t great, mediocre is probably the best description. It’s a fine album that I more than likely won’t revisit. 5.5/10
Sounds like “Whiplash” meets Tom Jones. Tight horns and drums.
3.5 This is an album you see in the discount bin at every record store, so I wasn’t expecting much. And I definitely thought I’ve never heard anything from this band, but then I was pleasantly surprised! I recognized a few songs, and I loved the singer’s raspy voice and the jazz influence. These dudes I guess turned out to be posers but the music is alright!! I enjoyed listening to this album.
I don't like jazz. But the rock is good here. I just wished there was more of the classical music-rock-jazz mix shown on the first track. Actually I wished the whole album was like that.
All I could think about is how someone I work with is the spitting image of one of the band members, but also how I didn't need the 11 minutes blues track.
6.5/10
Because David Clayton-Thomas and that big booming voice of his is Canadian, Blood Sweat & Tears was often on the radio growing up, particularly the big singles Spinning Wheel and You've Made Me So Very Happy. Although I don't recognize their other single And When I Die. It's an ok album. They fuse jazz and rock, a bit like Chicago and different than Steely Dan. Some of it lands well. Others? Shrug.
C'est presque bien, c'est souvent pas loin, mais c'est jamais vraiment ça. Ca oscille entre la soul, la folk et le jazz, résultat c'est le bordel.
Unfortunately, this is a largely unremarkable late 60s jazz-rock album. Fortunately, it still makes for great listening. Shorter songs like More and More help to prop up the cliché love-oriented lyrics on songs like You’ve Made Me So Very Happy. And with the near-ending track of Blues - Part II, there is refuge in escaping to an 11-minute interpretation of what seems to be the blues genre as a whole. Bookended by Satie’s Gymnopédies, there may be a manufactured air of cohesivity, but it’s an air nonetheless, and this is another album that you’d see in a record shop, say “this is quite good”, and put it back down again. Because you’d never have the need to buy it.
Fun to talk with Kevin Peaslee on this one. Good stuff.
A strong 3 - I've never really cared for the two big hits here, but hearing the whole album really brings out the strangeness of Spinning Wheel - made me like it a whole lot more. This could have really been indulgent garbage, but instead, whimsical weirdness. Not bad.
It’s cool, not sure if I’ll revisit it.
I didn't recognize any songs until "Spinning Wheel," and I also recognize the song after, "You've Made Me So Very Happy," and those are all good songs and speak to the particular time this album was released to in the late 60's to the US hippy culture. However, the rest of it felt just a product of its time and too meandering for me to feel that it really rises to a level of great composition or songwriting. I don't think it is bad, and, as I said, it does represent a time, but I don't think it carries as much value as it did then besides a couple of the singles.
This was surprising. We knew a few songs from this, probably stuff that made it into movies over the years?! The band is incredibly tight. But, it slots in a strange place that I don't see revisiting, not jazz, not rock. Erik Satie though? Wild.
I enjoy the earnestness with which the singer does his thing. The music is good. I can never tell if they're lampooning the Elvis/Vegas/Tony Bennett thing or if they're serious?
No private session used for Spotify. I have heard some of the songs on the radio throughout the decades, but have never listened to the album. Spotify had me listen to the expanded version, which seems for fans, not the casual listener as it got a bit to horny, as in spazzing out with the horn section, that I could have done without. If I do listen to this album again, it won't be the expanded version, though I probably won't be listening to this album again.
01) Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st and 2nd Movements) - 7,5 02) Smiling Phases - 7,5 03) Sometimes in Winter - 7,0 04) More and More - 7,0 05) And When I Die - 8,0 06) God Bless the Child - 7,0 07) Spinning Wheel - 9,0 08) You've Made Me So Very Happy - 8,0 09) Blues – Part II - 6,0 10) Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st Movement) - 8,0 TOTAL: 7,50 (75/100) Current ranking: 216/447
Some big songs from my preteen years, as this album spun on regular in my house. Was about the same time my dad went back to college and my mom burned her bra… and they let my hair grow long too! I also thought Tom Jones might sing vocals a few of these songs. Wrong. Oh well. The album is alright, but while i do enjoy an occasional stroll down memory lane, I won’t be humming these tunes along the way.
Nunca los había escuchado. Suenan muy bien. El arranque me ha encantado y también me he guardado su canción más escuchada "Spinning wheel". Interesante conocer este tipo de bandas gracias a esta web.
2.9 This album beat Abbey Road to the Grammy award for album of the year. Reading that beforehand was probably a mistake. Just a pretty average meander through some rock n blues. Nothing really worth keeping, nothing so bad it deserved skipping. I'll probably never remember even listening to it.
This is pretty fun. Instrumentation is tight all around, the bass player especially is a beast. I'm really fond of the use of Variation on a Theme as the intro Some parts are vaguely similar to early King Crimson, with the flutes and brass, though this came out before ITCOTCK, so maybe Robert Fripp heard this? Could also be because Steve Katz sounds ever so slightly like Greg Lake on Sometime In Winter It does occasionally feel a bit underwritten, like on And When I Die. There are nice ideas, but it gets a bit repetitive, like they hadn't finished figuring out how to fill out and construct the song and keep it interesting. Blues Part 2 interpolating Sunshine Of Your Love was a bit distracting as well, though that's quite a nitpick 3.5 Highlights: Sometimes In Winter, More and More
Not entirely my style, but the classic singles here are classic for a reason. The rest? A good bit of noodling that I could do without. I bet they were a fun band to see live though.
60s concerto
Lot of songs I knew- spinning wheel is great
Aloin miettii, että aika herätä. Eka biisi olikin mun herätyskello. Ei kuiteskaan varmaan orkkis. Aika vauhdikasta ja vekkulia kamaa, jazz rokkia. Parhaat: And When I Die, God Bless the Child
And when I die...freaked me out as a child...on the radio on a loop the week of my father's funeral in 69. Grew to realize album was a go to for weddings....funerals and celebrations in general.
variations on a theme- 7. i already like the song. its a good version though smiling phases- 5 sometimes in winter- 5 more and more- 5 and when i die- real. 5 or 6 god bless the child- 3 or 4 spinning wheel- 5 or 6 youve made me so very happy- 4 blues pt 2- 4 variation on a theme- 7
Jazzy R'n'B rock. Pleasant at times, like the all-time classic Spinning Wheels, but the rest is a bit much for me.
When did the Allman Brothers become big band?
Every track oscillates so wildly between rock, jazz, blues, and pop genres to the point where, if you're like me, you might just glance at your phone to ensure you're still listening to the right album.