Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Fuck rating albums. Just let me listen.
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).
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
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.
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.
Unique blend of instrumentals. Neat to hear the brass. Not really for me.
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)
8.5/10
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.
NO IDEA why I know the opening track but I do?? Must’ve been used in some Film or TV that I have seen. Sadly it is easily the best part of the album, and by Blues Pt. 2 the pretty flutes from the opener have turned to ugly farts.
Didn’t know what to expect with this but it was great. Jazzy in the right way, great drumming, great singing. Enjoyed listening.
Day492 - i was surprised of the range of this album. i really enjoyed listening
Ничего необычного
Funky fresh.
Excellent. Eclectic and intriguing. I very much enjoyed my time with it having never heard of them before.
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
Bit jazzy
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.
Too much blues. Good recording, though.
This album just feels chaotic. What the fuck are they doing? What the fuck are they talking about? How did this beat out Abbey Road for album of the year in 1970? Especially considering the majority of it wasn’t written by them. Vocals aren’t particularly attractive either. Instrumentation is good if that’s the type of thing you’re in to, but classic rock jazz gets on my nerves unless Chicago is doing and, by the fucking way, there isn’t a single thing they do on this album that Chicago hasn’t done better. The only bit I really enjoyed was the part of “Spinning Wheel” when he says “and show you the colors that are real” and his voice gets all weird on the word ‘real’. On the whole, though, it all feels self-congratulatory. If this is the best they have to offer, I’ll go elsewhere. 2/5
Peak
this is fucking incredible 😭 + sometimes in the winter
R & B 70’s
Classic rock with folk vibe
3/4
Absolutely no idea what to expect so this will be exciting! From what I can see, most of the songs appear to be covers? Not sure how much content is theirs, but I'll see! Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie: Starts pretty boring but gets pretty exciting. Remind me of Star Wars actually haha 3/5 Smiling Phases: I'm glad this isn't an instrumental album as I don't love them (unless it's videogame soundtracks). Honestly I quite like this, more than I expected 4/5 Sometimes In Winter: Slow. Nice. A little boring but I do like it. 3/5 More and More: OOOO jazzy I like this the vocals are cool too. 4/5 And When I Die: relaxing after the more upbeat last song. And it gets jazzier oh this is nice 5/5 God Bless the Child: Don't love this. Least favourite along with the first song so far. 4/5 Spinning Wheel: I think I know this song... but I don't know if I do. Anyway, I like it. I found the last section really boring though. 4/5 You've Made Me So Very Happy: Slow. Pretty nice. Don't love it but don't hate it. 3/5 Blues, Pt 2: Found it very boring 2/5 Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie: Same as the first song. 3/5 I really liked the drums on this album. Jazz drums are so interesting. One of the better albums I've had so far which I'm happy about. Overall Score: 4/5
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
For some reason I had it in my head that I was about to start listening to "Earth, Wind & Fire." Boy was I wrong. In any event, very enjoyable late 60's pop w/ undertones of psychedlia and blues?? Random, but enjoyable.
Some truly amazing and tightly orchestrated songs. Classics in their own right. The album tails off at the end but the first 8 songs are all keepers.
First time hearing of this album, but was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While not perfect, with its weak opening track and occasional long uninteresting instrumental sections, I had a good time listening to this.
Heavy handed horns Blasting along a bold voice With flair for live shows
I hated all the tempo changes in every song. What is this record even trying to achieve? It was incredibly obnoxious - constant tempo shifts, pseudo-religious lyrics, and what sounded like some weird Western music influence. Every song tried so hard to be everything at once and just ended up feeling messy and all over the place. I didn’t enjoy the singer’s performance either, and the organ (an instrument I particularly despise) on Blues, Pt. 2 almost killed me - the song felt like it would never end. I did appreciate the long break from the singer, but unfortunately he eventually started croaking again. The voice cracks were painful.
Ooh... I really like this. This is another one of those interesting albums that's self-titled but not the debut. Is it my favorite of these? No. Albums like the Beatles White Album and Metallica Black Album have it beat. But there's a lot for me to love about the self-titled second album from Blood, Sweat & Tears. The music is just so cool! This sound is amazing. It's clearly still rock, but there's brass and stuff! In some ways, this is almost comparable to prog rock. It's definitely more jazz rock though. I love jazz and I love rock, so I'm always happy to see those combined. The singing is interesting, but I like it. The band may not have written a ton of the songs that they performed in this album, but one of the songs they did write was "Spinning Wheel" so does it even really matter? What a song, man. I love it. The 11 minute blues medley near the end surprisingly doesn't overstay its welcome. So yeah, I really like this album. It's got a fun and cool style that's utilized well throughout a number of strong tunes. What more could you ask of an album? Strong 4/5.
Sehr vel Jazz aber mängisch eifach chli Rockigi teil. Esch no loschtig als Hendergrond.
I was very familiar with several songs on here.
Not a bad listen, quite fun
★★½
Heck Yes.
not for me at all
Phenomenal. One of the best sounding 60s albums and such a good collection of covers. The arrangements are pristine
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.
It was fun, it sounded good - I wouldn’t listen again, however.
For the time, this might have been fine. Although looking at the history on this site, I'm seeing albums from 1967 from Jimi Hendrix and The Byrds and The Doors, so maybe this isn't old enough to get a pass. I don't quite think it's objectively bad, but I had to start skipping around after a few tracks as this was hard to get through. I feel like a 1 is probably too harsh for this album but that's what I'm going with since I couldn't force myself to finish it. 1.4
Sometimes you don't know that you have just found what you have been looking for. Such unexpected joy.
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.
Very solid album with some easily recognizable songs.
How gross!
Not uninteresting but it's mostly aimless, all over the place without much cohesion.
Blood, Sweat and Tears combine blues rock with jazz into a pretty impressive collection, albeit a bit eclectic. The playing across the different genres is effortless. "More and More" is an absolutely perfect track, seemingly mixing the showman energy of James Brown with the best of psychedelic rock. "Spinning Wheel" is extremely catchy. "When I Do" is so full of peaks and troughs that it's hard to pin down but it works. It's a pretty interesting mix of covers as well, featuring everyone from Traffic and Cream to Billie Holiday and Erik Satie. The album certainly has a lot of highlights but it's also got a few misses. The 12 minute long "Blues Part II" kind of overstays it's welcome. The two separate covers of "Trois Gymnopedies" is kind of overkill too. But despite this, there's a lot to enjoy here.
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
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.
2.25
> The Beatles Dig this more then expected
funky
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.
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.
A wholly underrated folk-pop-rock-jazz group. Hmm, with all of those hyphens, that may be the problem. But they have a wonderfully original sound and some really great songs. They were a fave of mine on the radio in my youth and have always wished they got more play today.
Jazzier than I expected. Sometimes beautiful yet sometimes rambling on like jazz.
Funky, groovy at points bizarre. But overall ok.
8/10 This is what the list is made for - a very good album by an act I’ve never heard of. Extremely good, no idea why this isn’t a well-known album, maybe even a semi classic. On paper it’s jazzy rock but they just went for it and explored so many genres. Psychedelic, soul, country, Latin, lounge, classical. A wild ride. Lots of James Brown and Hendrix in here. Really tight band, played well with wonderful brass. Vocals are outstanding. Doesn’t get the perfect score because some of the jazz is very jazz. Best: More and More
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
This is wonderful!
Nah
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.
I did not enjoy
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
had a blast with this one, catchy
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.
This is like jazz rock crossed with 60's psychedelic rock. Quite interesting. Not bad at all. Favorite songs: More and More, Spinning Wheel, And When I Die, Smiling Phases Least favorite songs: Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie, "Blues, Pt. 2" 4/5
69s Prog jazz rock blues. Cheesy at times but I bloody loved it.
It’s like the high school jazz band won nationals and got to be guest performers at a Vegas show. The best song is an original, but so is the worst. The rest of this record— literally every other song— is just meaningless covers. Sure, they’re covers by extremely talented musicians, but they’re still covers. On principle alone, this isn’t essential because it’s a cover album. In practice, it’s not essential because it’s boring and forgettable.
3/5
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.
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.
I fell asleep twice.
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.
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.
This has always been a masterpiece. I have always enjoyed this album.
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.
Cool aber hab ne psychose bekommen
6.5/10
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.
Really liked the brass. Of course it reminds me of Chicago, but they were aiming for that. So there you go. "Smilin' Phases..." don't listen to the bonus track with the 16 minute version. WAY too long. I found "And When I Die" a bit too depressing for the album. It didn't feel like it fit. The improv, a lot of time you had to be there to get it. But this one works. I would have thought I would have listened to more of this band, knowing how much I like early Chicago. Another one I have to delve into. Top tracks: "Smilin' Phases," "More and More," "Spinning Wheel," "You've Made Me So Very Happy," "Blues (Part II)"
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.
So...many...cheesy 60s cliches. The word cheesy kept coming to mind with almost every song. Particularly cheesy: Sometimes in Winter (cheesy music, cheesy lyrics), And When I Die (sounds like a cheesy Broadway track), You've Made Me So Very Happy (oh, so cheesy), and the cheesy horns in Blues Part II during Sunshine of Your Love. Rare exceptions: Spinning Wheel (except for the cheesy last minute, but the verses have a cool funky groove), God Bless the Child (good because the song is good, but there are much better versions out there). More and More was borderline...it has potential, but I think I was just too cheesed out. I hoped the album would get better as I listened a few times, but nope.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
If you start your album by messing with Gymnopédie, the album bloody better impress me - and this, for the most part, did not. It's fine jazz funk pop rock... Stuff... But nothing stellar outside of And When I Die, and mostly it just feels like a slightly more pretentious version of Chicago. Meh, not coming back here I don't think.
I remember hearing a lot of this when I was a little kid. Fun trip back in time.
Fun to talk with Kevin Peaslee on this one. Good stuff.
Really like this one! RnB/soul
I don't love this music but I do appreciate the artistry
Remember hearing a bunch of these songs in the past, so it was cool to hear the source album and rediscovering from forgotten memories.
This is the first artist generated here that I have seen perform live: Park 96, Calgary, 2007, about 1.5km as the crow flies from where I'm sitting writing this. I was 11. I remember feeling like something cool was happening! This won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1970, notably beating The Beatles' Abbey Road. The album's highly proficient and deeply inessential. I'm a sucker for Satie's Gymnopédie — maybe the most beautiful melody ever composed — but, come on.
nice enough but i just dont get it
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.
Smiling phases reminded me of whiplash and I really like that movie, all in all I really like the album and the type of style they have. Very Beautiful instruments and sound splendid
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?
surprisingly enjoyable
Great memories of this from my childhood. Booming voice that sang of life and happiness and humanity. Thank you, BS&T.
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.
What a ride! Nice surprise I knew nothing about.
Great early rock album
This is cool. Funky and jazzy and weird. I don’t love the vocals though and the horns can get a little shrill on my ears. Nice easy 4 stars.
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
Pretty cool, a little rambly, but not bad.
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.
Decent 60s album, great bass work, some nostalgic songs
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.
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.
Just a fun listen.
White guys playing funky soul blues in the late 60s wasn't a thing until BS&T came around. This proggy, jazzy, funky, bluesy is such a timeless classic that it still sounds relevant with all the layering of instruments. Through in a nearly 12 minute bluesy meander through different genres and you got a great album. 4.5/5
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.
Very cool mix of funk, jazz, blues and rock. A little weird at times, but mostly cool. Some well known songs I didn't realise these guys had done. My favourite is probably You've Made Me So Very Happy.
Kept me on my toes for sure. I've never listened to anything like this. Fun!
So far it's decently mid across both days. Can't say I was too impressed with this album. Maybe it just hasn't aged well over the last 50 years but it wasn't hitting.
uhhh okay. yeah. yeah this was okay. i’m probably never gonna listen to this again. this is what i imagine every other song sung by the “don’t you forget about me” guy sounds like. like. yeah. okay. debating bw 2 and 3 but i think we’re going w 2 because of how bored i was
Pre-listening thoughts: this is the third day in a row we’ve gotten an album from 1968, and the seventh album from the 1960s in 9 days. What is going on. Post/during listening thoughts: ok so this literally just started but the Erik Satie intro is really beautiful. In terms of the rest of the album, it is… quite all over the place. I don’t know that I’d call this genre fusion; more like genre warfare. What is going on. 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (both of em), Sometimes in Winter Least fav tracks: Smiling Phases, And When I Die, Blues Pt 2
Incredible vocals
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
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.
happily surprised by this one
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.
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.
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.
60s concerto
Lot of songs I knew- spinning wheel is great
'You've Made Me So Very Happy' was kind of good, but that's about it.
Got Chicago’s first album AND this, all in the same week! So many horns! So many flashbacks the summer I worked at the mall and the same music played on a three hour loop! (I don’t care for this.)
That voice, David Clayton-Thomas! It shows a bit of wear for it’s time, but it’s still great.
Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie // Smiling Faces // God Bless The Child // Spinning Wheel // You’ve Made Me So Very Happy // Blues, Pt. 2
I’m a sucker for a good horn section. The level of talent shown on this album is impressive. I love how many different instruments are featured here. Almost perfect, could have gotten rid of “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” but everything else including the 8 minute song “Blues, pt. 2” is excellent. I listened to the deluxe edition which also featured two live tracks which were a bop. First album of the year I’m saving in my library AND put songs in the playlist.
very good like it
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
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.
Lite för jazzigt.
Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. Really amazing sound, crazy jazz with some rock mixed in. High quality sound, excellent musicians, it gave me like late 70s vibes but then I saw it was from 1968 and was more impressed.
From the artwork I was expecting a pretty dour roots/blues album, so it was a welcome surprise to hear some sprightly brass and jazz mixed in too. Even so, I lost interest during the more meandering sections. Plus it’s mostly covers (although the best track, Spinning Wheel, is a notable exception), so I don’t feel it deserves more than 2.5 stars.
Never liked this - even when I was eight.The 'big band' blues style - on the surface it's authentic looking, but underneath it's just schmaltzy & showbiz. Similar to Chicago.
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.
Standout Track: And When I Die
This feels like a variety album and I adore it. I loved the way it started with Variations on a Theme and did it's own thing with it to make it sound totally new and interesting. Blues, Pt. 2 gave me so much whiplash I thought I was *listening* to Whiplash's soundtrack. Really great Great mixing on the different instruments as well. Jazz Rock at its finest, my favorites were Blues Pt 2, And When I Die, and Spinning Wheel.
This one does a great job conveying that jazz-rock sound with the brass instrumentation. Much like Chicago but a little more Bluesy than I expect from them. The vocalist is entertaining too. The intro and outro are an interesting choice that I quite like. Favorites were More And More, Spinning Wheel, You’ve Made Me So Happy, and Blues, Pt. 2.
It was interesting to pick out a couple bits that I've heard sampled, but there's not much of actually want to listen to here.
pretty thin - a hippy take on the idea of a soulful big band, but there is not much more here than a couple of nice arrangements by Al Kooper
It was okay
All over the place at times, but eclectic and interesting. Not game changing, but it makes me so, very happy.
Blood, Sweat and Tears is a lovely little 60s groove, moving between bouncy little numbers that sound like they've been lifted from an Austin Powers soundtrack and onto heartfelt soulful rock grooves that really last. The one-two punch of Spinning Wheel and You've Made Me So Very Happy are brilliant, And When I Die is almost motown at times, there's a bit too much filler in there but this surprised me and made me smile, dude has an incredibly listenable voice, easy high 3 that might sneak a 4 and I'd listen to again.
Exactly the sort of thing I'd want to get from this project, something I've never heard of, would never have come across, but really like. Crazy variety between everything you might think is 60s, don't think that any of it is particularly groundbreaking individually but the way they blend it together puts it ahead of a lot that comes from that time. Definitely prefer it more when it hits the Cream/CCR type sounds rather than the pure jazz stuff, but it's well worth a listen. 4/5.
This was damn good
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
Jazz rock. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Nope. I see the historical relevance but nah, not my vibe. I’ll round waaaaaaaaay up cuz I didn’t hate it
GUT
Jazzy R'n'B rock. Pleasant at times, like the all-time classic Spinning Wheels, but the rest is a bit much for me.
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.
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.
Talented musicians but not my style
Older rock, with a heavy jazz lean. Cool combo
Really good! Took me on a journey!
Funky proto prog. I dig it.
Lost me a little at time
A great opening track, and a great closing track (even though it's just a reprise of the opening track). But everything in the middle is boring as hell.
I've come to accept that there'll be stuff on this list that's unusual and that I'm not a massive fan of. That's OK. I'm starting a new job in January with a longer commute everyday, so I'll be able to listen even to the longer albums quite comfortably. It'll teach me things. I knew Spinning Wheel, obviously, but had no idea who had produced it. It's catchy, certainly. And it's nice to hear Gymnopédies I guess, which I know. These sections almost reminded me of the B side of Autobahn with the flute and everything. And the rest of the album is a bit of a mess of styles and ideas. Which is OK I guess – and it's interesting that on Cornershop's When I Was Born for the 7th Time album I love that mess, whereas here I'm all a bit meh about it. Probably a little too jazzy for me. It's OK, but I wouldn't listen again quickly.
Didn't connect with this one. Thought it was going to be promising from the first half of the Satie, but then it was mostly half big band jazz, half rock singing, didn't meld for me, felt like a pub band.
I'm not overly sure what this is! Never dull though, unlike the albums either side of this one.
OMG what a lovely surprise - this band is known mostly for Spinning Wheel - and I had no idea how diverse, interesting, fun and fantastic this album was! Yeah Blood Sweat and Tears! What a talent. What a cranking jazzy bridge version of God Bless the Child. Time to read more about them
Spinning Wheels is a good listen. Otherwise, this one isn’t for me.
Can't say this isn't a fun listen. It's schlocky - I kept thinking is this Tom Jones or Engelbert Humperdinck. But there are at least three songs I knew most of the words to without any memory of hearing much less actively listening. They're just in the ether. There are moments of great musicianship but I there are too many Vegas inspired horn flourishes.
Somehow, I expected them to be closer to Janice Joplin than to Tom Jones (nope, that one song aside (and I didn’t know it was them anyway) never consciously listened to to them…)
What a forceful output, especially considering it was released in 1968. At times downright funky.
Crazy that this was released in ‘68 prior to the debuts of both Chicago and King Crimson. I am definitely adding this to my vinyl collection.
This is a weird one. I expected to like it, but found it was more of a slog. I like jazz, and I like pop, but this felt too 70's to me.
Bit boring really.
Proto-Prog Rock, lots of weirdly familiar riffs that you can't quite put your finger on. The Hammond organ and jazzy bass are the real stars here.
This album blends jazz and rock in a way that feels like a summer street parade with careful choreography. The brass carries everything forward, even when the vocals stay calm and grounded. Think of the mix of grit and polish you’d get from a Steely Dan record, but with a dash more brass. It’s playful but a bit predictable.
Very nice jazzy rock album
I hated this. It would’ve been better without vocals
A bit all over the place, but a good listen overall.
Expectations were very low after reading the dreaded Jazz word in the Wiki article but I rather liked it. Knew Spinningwheel and You Made Me So Very Happy but not in the versions on this album. The Wiki article also seems to suggest that it wasn't all that well recieved by critics at the time something that should have raised my expectations. It seems the more critics like an album the more I hate it. Blues, Pt. 2 is a bit too jazzy for my taste but all in all worth 4 stars.
Ein bisschen Blues, Jazz, Big-Band und Rock im Stil der späten 60er. Also würde man „The Who“ & „Simon & Garfunkel“ mischen. Vieles von den Stücken überzeugt nicht. Interssant klingt „And When I Die“, ein typischer Song ist „Spinning Wheel“ und fast unhörbar ist „Blues Prt.2“. Ingesamt halte finde ich das Album schlecht.
I really enjoyed some of these songs. The first half of the album was on a roll, loved the upbeat catchy songs. The 2nd half bored me and it was a bit all over the place 3 ⭐️
I don't think I've even been so into jazz fusion. The whole thing was wonderful top to bottom
more jazz bandy than i thought.
Groovy listening with so much brass almost overtaking the organ. My favorite song has to be God Bless The Child.
Cool musical arrangements, similar to Chicago. But, I don't much like this sound and the religious stuff bugs me.
Favorite Track: Spinning Wheel
i can't fault something for being cornball Muppet Show pop five years before it even aired, but i can say that, if handed a nondescript studio psychedelic record from the late 60's/early 70's, i would expect it to sound like this and have something like "Spinning Wheel" on it. i completely forgot that song existed -- i thought it was something like a childhood nursery rhyme or something. still, there are parts of this record that feel very tender rather than simply corny. it's definitely a November or February feel; you can hear the leaves or slush piling on the ground on each song. it's got the same avuncular quality to it as The Guess Who or Three Dog Night -- soul to be sung from under the blondest, curliest mustache your barber will allow. there's at least a LITTLE charm to that. maybe it shouldn't have won the Grammy, but it's a nice look back at the era of dying psychedelia and a gateway to the coming era of Bubblegum and Violence.
This album was kind of disjointed as a whole, but I liked almost all the individual songs.
I really enjoyed this album. It had a great mix of blues, jazz, and maybe pop? I liked the vocalist's voice as well. Spinning Wheel, And When I Die, and Blues Pt. 2 were the highlights for me. A 4.5, a high score earned in part for adding variety to this list.
Jazz Rock, (a little bit country moods)
Good musicians, but most of the time boring tunes
This album is great. I am so tempted to give it a 5, but I just haven’t had enough time with it to know for sure. It is at least a 4.5 in my book.
Very much like Chicago. Almost TOO much like Chicago. Jazz Rock fusion.. interesting arrangements, odd time signatures. Love the main vocalist's voice.
Dpinning wheel go hard
Not bad
Bit of a mess, and there's a drum solo.
Blood, Sweat & Tears is the second album by Blood, Sweat & Tears, originally released in 1968. I never heard their debut, but I imagine losing someone like Al Kooper would be a huge detriment to their sound. Apparently the impact could be felt by the fans cause this did not get great reviews upon release. They're definitely trying to reach for a more radio-friendly sound on here. That should've been evident upon the hire of Chicago's producer to produce this record. Overall the instrumentation is pretty cool, but nothing really stands out as great. Their reach for a hit kinda held this record back.
Memories of years ago. While they are a great band something about them just never resonated with me.
This was a bit of a mess. It seems to be more about showing off than trying to nail a consistent sound or style. Some bits work, some don't, but I found it so all over the place that my attention drifted pretty fast.
Too much noodling. Too much genre jumping. Too much flute.
This is an okay album, but nothing special.
Not bad but painfully inoffensive. Sometimes it seems that the singer is trying to channel James Brown and CCR at the same time but while singing melodies that could pass for children music.
I never really got how popular these guys are, but it's still a good listen.
The best thing about this band is its name. Damn, that's a great band name... Anyway, nice and pleasant album overall, it won't kill anybody to listen to it, but by the standards of 1969, it's also very common music and nothing really stands out.
an erik satie gymnopedie remix ??? yes pls!! I'm kind of shocked I neve heard about this album or band, it was all pleasantly fun and enjoyable. Not necessarily a great album but had a bit of rock, jazz, and experimental concepts. 'You've made me so happy' is wonderful. People won't like this for how off shoot it can be and I get it but musically this is quite brilliant and i'm shocked they didn't go on to have further success.
A bit pointless, a colllection of unrelated tracks. Nothing bad, nothing special but doesn't hang together as a collection
Very nice. Did not know the album or the band although I know "Spinning Wheel" quite well from hearing it regularly over the years on the radio. So it was a nice surprise!
Enjoyed it. Good Rock Jazz album.
Þetta var plata með... allskonar. Mér fannst ég stundum vera að hlusta á misheppnaðan söngleik og stundum komst ég í góðan fíling. Ég væri til í að hlusta oftar á þessa plötu ef það væri ekki fyrir misheppnaða söngleikinn
Ok
This record sucks. Even this version of smiling phases sucks. This record really sucks.
#370. This one definitely doesn't do it for me. It could be fine otherwise if not for the trumpet. That trumpet, or whatever it is, is terrible. It's more annoying than Bob Dylan's harmonicas. I really hate that bit. I would be willing to listen to a remastered version without the trumpet to see if I change my mind, but for now I hate it. 1/5: painful. Song added to playlist: You've Made Me So Very Happy I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
This was actually really fun, I'm surprised I'd never heard of them before this
A little weird at times but overall a lovely album.
Weird album. 2 very good songs, the rest are meh.
Good stuff but idk how much I’ll go back to it
Really nicely produced for such an old record, although the horn/trumpet (or whatever that was) sections were sometimes too long and loud. 3.5 stars
Well this was a pleasant surprise Not heard of them before but this is really very good (the brass band in particular really elevates a lot of the songs) A bit too jazzy in places but very strong
This album is too many things all at once. I can't say I could ever get into it because it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Full disclosure, I detest Spinning Wheel. Always have my whole life. So that took me out of any cohesion as well. All in all, I don't really like any of these songs and I'm not convinced it's not just a collection of leftovers from various albums or sessions.
dude’s got a great voice and i dig the horns &tc, it’s a very specific proto 70s vibe
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.
Wow, where the hell have they been hiding albums like this? The first few tracks I was just staring at my phone with my mouth agape, this stuff is huge. Really wild fusion of genres, especially jazz mixed in with the rock. I love that, it works really well. Had no expectations going into this (except maybe some typical psych-rock) and was genuinely blown away. Bravo, gang. This one's fantastic. Favorite tracks: Variations on a Theme, Smiling Phases, Sometimes in Winter, More and More, God Bless the Child, You've MAde Me So Very Happy, Blues Pt. II. Album art: At first thought it was just some guys outstanding in their field. Now it looks to be ghosts? Very old pictures of ancestors or something. Pretty cool effect, but overall an unassuming cover, not unlike the Band cover we had recently. 4.5/5
Really, really solid. High 4 I actually have this one on vinyl but never listened to it before, so that was fun
Love the blues tracks, specifically “Blues, Pt. 2.” Really enjoyed the harmonic solos in “And When I Die.” Album ranges from jazz to blues to instrumental at time. Overall enjoyed it but it was just okay for me.
I like the horn section here more than I do for, say, Chicago. Occasionally goes left with it, and dips into baroque and jazz. Mostly solid, but nothing I'm crazy about. Favorite tracks: "Sometimes In Winter"
A cool piece but I am not captivated by it
Decent album, but forgettable with the exception of one track (Spinning Wheel). Good production, but the instruments are all over the place and the lyrics aren't profound or anything. 3/5
I don’t know. I kinda liked all of this. Is some of it just kooky to be kooky? Probably. But the music is good and I never got bored. 4/5
Song good songs and probably incredibly influential on all the different genres it covers, but is a bit of a mess
I only heard Spinning Wheel before. It's not one of the highlights of the album for me. The album blends all kinds of styles together. Played very well. Great singer. Production sounds timeless. The music sounds of that time, or maybe 5 years later. But that's not a problem, in the way that it's not a problem with Strauss or Beethoven either. Favorite song: Smiling Phases.
Loved this! What treat tripping down memory lane with BST! Spinning wheel, You Make Me So Very Happy. Love the vocals and the brass. Reinforces my love for jazz.
Not my style.
Great sounding album. A couple of great tunes, even enjoyed Spinning Wheel that I've heard a million times on the radio. But a confusing listen esp the bookended Satie pieces.
Classic rock is classic even if it leans a bit too much into interminable jazz solos.
Certainly talented in their fusion of rock and jazz, and a few standout songs embodies how well these genres can be mixed. Unfortunately, not much else stands out on Blood, Sweat & Tears by Blood, Sweat & Tears. At least it was worth it for hearing Spinning Wheel and And When I Die.
Came into this one blind, really surprised me, loving it. Great mix of jazz and 70s rock
Album's a bit all over the place, and feels almost novelty at times. But there's some good tracks in amongst it!
Love the horns
Wow, j’aurais pas cru être accueilli par du Minecraft en commençant cet album là, qui d’ailleurs encapsule du rock de qualité
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!
"Blood, Sweat & Tears" is the second album by American band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Rock and jazz rock. Yep. Al Kooper, Randy Becker and Jerry Weiss left the band after the first album leaving Bobby Colomby (drummer) and Steve Katz (guitar, harmonica, vocals) to find a lead singer and they did in David Clayton-Thomas. The band rounds out with seven other members on the piano, organ, horns and bass. The album is more pop-oriented than the first album along with more cover songs. It did incredibly well commercially, hitting #1 in the US and staying there for seven weeks. It also won the 1970 Grammy for album of the year. Critically, it had mixed reviews. The first song with vocals is a cover of the Traffic song "Smiling Phases." Horns, a drum roll and an organ open the song as vocals and a bass enter. Very distinct vocals by Clayton-Thomas. There's a jazzy interlude, a piano solo and very impressive drumming and changes in time. A solo harmonica, very Western movie sounding, begins the Laura Nero cover "And When I Die." Lots of pace changes. A bouncey, Bo Diddley beat. A great outre with horns exploding. Why not cover Billie Holliday and they do with "God Bless the Child." This is very melancholy with horns st the start and end reminding me of a New Orleans funeral. They actually try a bossa nova beat for awhile. The second side has their two big hits. A loud horn intro, the cowbell and the famous Clayton-Thomas vocal "what goes up, must come down" opens "Spinning Wheel." Lots of instruments, a jazzy interlude and ends with flute/recorder fade. The vocals and lyrics are why I remember this song. The Berry Gordy Jr. song "You Make Me So Every Happy" starts slow with an organ and then we get the horns jammin.' A great vocal chorus: the highlight of the song and Clayton-Thomas's best high point on the album. It's the one song I think of when I hear Blood, Sweat & Tears mentioned. The album really reminded me of Chicago's first album. The music is jazzy, pop and rock with lots of beat changes, instruments used and various solos. Very impressive drumming by Colomby. With all the changes within a song, you almost need a flowchart to follow. I've heard that style in a lot of jazz. Overall, I enjoyed this album. Some memorable songs yet some excess, similar to early Chicago. Most everyone knows their hits, and, if you're in to 60's/early 70's jazz rock or early Chicago, you'll surely enjoy the rest of this as well.
Enjoyed the vibes, not crazy about it. Like the bluesy energy more than the jazzy parts
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.
This was not at all what I expected, in a positive way. I was expecting a country\folk\rock album, but although there are elements of that it was primarily a jazz sound that I heard. Some tracks were a little weaker, but as a whole it was very good. A particular highlight is Spinning Wheel, which was sampled with great effect by 3rd Bass on the Sons of 3rd Bass track (a favourite of mine). I give it an unexpected 4 stars!
The album opens with a Theme and Variation from one of my favorite piano pieces from one of my favorite composers, and then immediately goes into some rocking full band music. I've never been so turned on by an album before. They're a little like an off-brand Chicago, just a little more classical-influenced and honky-tonk(?) and not quite as good. Still a great listen, but they fall just short of great for me. Favorite Song(s): Variation..., Smiling Phases
Really cheesy, but some great sample ideas
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.
Not my thing
I like when BS&T get jazzy, but their more soulful songs I just really can't stand. I prefer the album Child is the Father to the Man to this S/T album because of that; this album overall just really seems tedious. I've heard Spinning Wheel and You Make Me So Very Happy enough times in my life that it's not one I'm ever going to choose to listen to.
Didn't care for this at all. I get the appeal back in the 60s, but jazz rock is pretty bad. 1.5/5
I know many hate that this beat Abbey Road for AOTY at the Grammys, but sorry, it’s nearly as good and probably deserved. Sounds as smooth as ever. B+
Too jazzy
I listened to this this morning but that’s basically a whole day ago…. However… I really liked it back then. A fun journey through genre and music history with some especially stellar drums! Love the Erik Satie bookends too!
I really enjoyed this! Cool blend of different genres and fun covers of classical songs
shockingly great jazz rock instincts on these boys! almost convinced me they were the real deal for a second there
Aside from the fact I didn't expect renditions of classical music to bookend this album, the rest of it was just passive music that I could barely muster any attention to. Nothing remarkable or entertaining, but nothing horrible.
There were a few good songs on it, but a lot of it just didn't connect with me.
This was a really cool album. It’s a great combination of jazz, rock, and blues, with some of the psychedelic influences and sounds of its time mixed in. I really enjoyed how seamlessly they blended all these elements and how upbeat and energetic the album is. I’m definitely going to check out more from these guys.
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.
2.6
Automatic classic for any band kid in the past half century. Great songwriting and musicianship, if a little corny.
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
solid
Cool name. Thats about it.
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.
Faaark, opening with Variations on a Theme gave the wrong impression. Then Tom Jones Vegas set kicked off. We are all over the place. Album of the year, eh? Was there strong competition in 1970? Gather round kids, when I was a child there was no internet, we drank out of the garden hose, and Blood, Sweat & Tears was album of the Year. P.s. if the next band is from the 60s and features major flute action, I'm gonna pop a vein. Anyway, you might know the hits from AM radio or retirement villages, but I'd be so very happy if I didn't hear them again. One spinning star.
An above average jazz band decides to, for some inexplicable reason, to infuse low effort pop into their music. 2 wasted potentials out of 5
Loved some parts, hated some.
Good but not for me
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
Weird and worth
Juustoa taas, muttei liikaa, uskalletaan revitellä. Melkein uskallan sanoa että kuin rockimpi Stevie Wonder. Kannen perusteella odotin kantriviboja, oisivatko voineet sotkea niitä tänne mielenkiintoa herättämään? En aivan tiedä, kuinka paljon sanoituksissa on huumoria, mutta olen kuulevinani sopivasti. Vitsikkään kuuloiset hammond-soolot sen sijaan eivät olleet kovin hauskoja. Ei voi sanoa kuin monipuoliseksi.
He turmelevat itseään jazzahtavalla jammailulla, mutta heidän rootsahtavampaa hupailuaan on paikoin oikeastikin hauska kuunnella. You've Made Me So Very Happy on kelpo sävellys.
I didn't know if I was going to like this album at first, but the music is good overall, and I really like this dude's voice. My brain tends to confuse Blood, Sweat, and Tears with Earth, Wind, and Fire, which required a bit of adjustment from me once I started listening to the album, but its fun if not spectacular, and it's got some hits on it 4/5
Some of it was ok but other bits were too jazzy