Reviews (page 6 of 7)
didn't get on with the guy's voice, that kind of boomy 60s soulful singing just doesn't do it for me
Take a bunch of songs that are good and then making them shit
Finally another album where I know some of the songs! I figured this would be "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and the rest filler. Nope, I'm very surprised how solid this was besides the first couple of boring minutes and the last couple. Really jazzy, I loved the drumming especially. The one song where the other guy sang wasn't as good as the rest. The main singer has a Tom Jones quality to his voice, so it might sound a bit lounge singer-like, but I like it. The three songs I knew all made me feel all warm and nostalgic, and that's surely going to bring my rating up. This album made me so very happy.
Wow this really is a mish-mash of a lot of genres and I can't decide just what it is or where it's going. I guess the main thing is that I don't DISlike any of the tracks. They hop from Jazzy to folky , Theatrical rock-opera and Lounge Vegas and back again. It's totally deserving of being here.
This album was fun at the beginning but it got stale later on. The jazz parts aren't good and don't help with my listening experience. I think the vocals are too sparse and overwhelmed by the solos. "Smiling Phases" was alright and the saving grace of the album. The final track "Blues Pt. 2" is like an ELP song that's been bogged down. 2 stars for "Self Titled".
This album has a little bit of everything that was hokey about the late 60s.
Some good solid sixties soul, ultimately let down a bit by some filler tracks and too much organ/flute
Never heard these guys. It's been okay. I like the blues sounds mixed in with jazz. Besides the religious themes throughout it's been okay. Oh just kidding I have heard Spinning Wheel. I think 3 stars for this one.
good start - everything else was there i suppose !
I like aspects of songs, but there are sections that, for me, ruin the vibes in every song. I think it’s really interesting, not something I’ve heard much of, but misses the mark for me when it comes to what I’m looking for in an album/song. Also everything sounds slightly the same... 2/5 for me.
it's fine but boring i don't have a lot to say, much like this album spinning wheel is by far the best track but even that didn't really grab me 2/5 perhaps a 1.5/5
Starting off with a song that could easily be played by a Gelfling from The Dark Crystal isn’t what I’d call a “hot start” to an album. This really doesn’t get better in my opinion. Again, as I’ve stated before, I can’t give this a 1 star because it is musically far better than that Grimes album I heard. It’s a 1 star as far as real artists go. Though I did like the musical breakdown of More and More. Choice Cut: More and More
Hell, I'm so burnt out on indistinguishable 4-piece rock groups from this era that even if this album was just an hour of some guy playing a mildly-impressive kazoo, I'd still be looking up vinyl prices right now.
The drums on Smiling Phases is very energetic. And then you get Sometimes in Winter. This album does not age.
I think this is my krytponite. Its dated, has organ noodling and then some jazzy percussion that is supposed to be compelling. I won't deny that spinning wheel has a hook but all the other tracks are lost. Nothing i want to listen to again here.
Giving it a higher mark because the album contains a few old classic tunes BUT too much low energy unfocused tracks. Barely listenable because of that…
Technically excellent, but fairly uninspiring. Good though, just a bit meh
### Blood, Sweat & Tears: An In-Depth Review **Blood, Sweat & Tears**, the self-titled album by the American jazz-rock band, released in 1968, stands as a significant work in the fusion genre. This analysis will cover its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. #### Lyrics The lyrics of "Blood, Sweat & Tears" offer a tapestry of introspective and socially conscious themes, balancing personal introspection with broader societal observations. - **"You've Made Me So Very Happy"** - This track, originally by Brenda Holloway, expresses profound gratitude and joy in love. The lyrics are straightforward but effective in conveying deep emotional appreciation. - **"Spinning Wheel"** - Written by band member David Clayton-Thomas, this song features metaphorical lyrics about the cyclical nature of life. The refrain "What goes up, must come down" suggests a philosophical reflection on the inevitable ups and downs of existence. - **"And When I Die"** - A Laura Nyro composition, it confronts mortality with a mix of optimism and acceptance, encapsulating the human condition with lines like "I'm not scared of dying and I don't really care." The album's lyrical content, while sometimes leaning towards simplicity, resonates with its directness and emotional clarity. #### Music Musically, the album is a rich blend of jazz, rock, and blues, featuring complex arrangements and a wide array of instruments. - **Brass Section** - The prominent brass section, including trumpet, trombone, and saxophone, is a defining characteristic, adding a powerful and dynamic layer to the music. - **Versatility** - Tracks like "Blues - Part II" showcase the band's ability to traverse different musical landscapes, moving from rock to jazz effortlessly. - **Instrumentation** - The use of unconventional rock instruments like the organ and flugelhorn, along with traditional rock setups, creates a distinctive and textured sound. The intricate musicianship and inventive arrangements are key strengths, making each track a rich auditory experience. #### Production Produced by James William Guercio, the album's production is polished and sophisticated, highlighting the band's technical prowess and versatility. - **Sound Quality** - The production quality is excellent, ensuring that each instrument is clearly heard and well-balanced within the mix. - **Arrangement** - Guercio's arrangements make full use of the band's large ensemble, creating a full-bodied sound that retains clarity and detail. - **Studio Techniques** - Innovative studio techniques, such as the use of reverb and multi-tracking, enhance the album's sonic depth. While the production is largely effective, some might argue that the high level of polish occasionally detracts from the raw energy of the performances. #### Themes The themes explored in "Blood, Sweat & Tears" are varied, yet they often return to fundamental human experiences and social commentary. - **Love and Relationships** - Songs like "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and "God Bless the Child" delve into personal relationships, exploring themes of gratitude and resilience. - **Life and Mortality** - Tracks such as "And When I Die" and "Spinning Wheel" reflect on life, death, and the transient nature of existence. - **Social Commentary** - "Smiling Phases" touches on the theme of self-deception and societal pressures, offering a critique of superficiality. These themes, while diverse, are united by a common thread of introspection and reflection, providing the album with a cohesive narrative. #### Influence "Blood, Sweat & Tears" had a profound impact on the music industry, particularly in the development of jazz-rock fusion. - **Jazz-Rock Fusion** - The album is often cited as a pioneering work in this genre, blending rock's energy with jazz's complexity and sophistication. - **Commercial Success** - Its commercial success, including winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1970, helped to legitimize and popularize the fusion genre. - **Legacy** - The band's approach to genre-blending influenced countless artists and paved the way for future explorations in fusion music. Despite its influence, some critics argue that the album's eclecticism can feel disjointed, as it attempts to bridge multiple musical styles and influences. #### Pros and Cons **Pros:** 1. **Musical Complexity** - The album's intricate arrangements and skilled musicianship are standout features, offering a rich and rewarding listening experience. 2. **Production Quality** - High production values ensure that the album sounds polished and professional, with clear and balanced sound. 3. **Diverse Themes** - The lyrical content covers a wide range of themes, from personal introspection to social commentary, adding depth to the album. 4. **Innovation** - As a pioneering work in jazz-rock fusion, the album broke new ground and influenced future generations of musicians. **Cons:** 1. **Eclecticism** - The album's blend of styles, while innovative, can sometimes feel uneven or disjointed, lacking a cohesive musical direction. 2. **Overproduction** - The high level of polish in the production may detract from the raw energy and spontaneity that can make live performances so compelling. 3. **Simplicity of Some Lyrics** - While effective, some lyrics are relatively straightforward, which might not appeal to listeners seeking more complex or poetic expressions. #### Conclusion "Blood, Sweat & Tears" by Blood, Sweat & Tears remains a landmark album in the history of jazz-rock fusion, celebrated for its musical sophistication, production quality, and thematic depth. The album's strengths in musicianship and innovation are slightly tempered by occasional overproduction and eclecticism, but its influence and legacy are undeniable. It stands as a testament to the band's ability to merge diverse musical elements into a compelling and impactful whole, offering listeners a rich and multifaceted auditory experience.
Took me blood sweat and tears to finish this album. I just dont see their “greatness”.
Broadway jazz rock is not my bag, but I hope it enriches others here. The chunk of “Sunshine of Your Love” indicates how big a deal that riff was to that generation - Hendrix kept throwing it into sets, Skip Spence savaged it for his terrifying outro to “War On Peace”, and I’m pretty sure most guitarists coming after that generation learned that riff first. There’s also the amazing funk cover. Requiscat Jack Bruce.
This was quite familiar, although not in a particularly good way. Almost as if someone decided to make a record satirizing the hoariest blues, jazz and '60s musical cliches all together at once. Not bad really in a technical sense, but not very enjoyable either. ELP without a sense of humor, in some parts
Interesting listen, as they incorporated a good amount of jazz into their bluesy rock. I was only previously familiar with Spinning Wheel which is great. There was a bit of drag but I did enjoy the lengthy Blues-Part II which sampled Cream. Good stuff 4 stars
Ugh! Pop jazz. BS&T and Chicago - hated the sound and the instrumentation then, still sucks pond water today. Not sure there was a good reason for me to listen to this - again. But I did.
HOLY SMOKES. I had extremely low expectations for this album. The band doesn't have many monthly listeners, which has previously meant that the album really isn't worth it. BUT!! WE ARE FOOLS!! This album is SO good. I loved every minute of it.
YES
What a weird mish mash
It was okay. Tight bass playing. Some good jazz jams. Some utterly pretentious shite.
Actually pretty great, and it's amazing that they've continued to exist until today with SO MANY members. They were completely off my radar.
Blues part 2
Sometimes an album comes along that is just so much of so many things that I can’t help but admire it a little. Case in point with today’s record. Blood, Sweat & Tears seems like a band that has sort of been lost to time. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard someone say, “Man I remember how cool Blood, Sweat & Tears was. I wonder if they still do shows”. The bands that could definitely be considered their contemporaries, like Chicago, seem to have just been luckier and struck the iron when it was hotter. Maybe it was too early for a band like this. But these groups also came up around the same time, so maybe BS&T just didn’t have the appeal they needed to get big. I can sort of understand that. This album is a mess. A bit overwhelming and really all over the place. Is it jazz? Is it blues? Is it funk or soul? Is it pop rock? Are they an orchestral group? Who really knows. You can’t even attribute any one band or artist to being the inspiration for this, because this sounds like the precursor to a lot of music. That appears to be where a lot of listeners issue lie. It’s just a lot all at once. But I dig it. And I can fully get behind this. Because even if the band themselves don’t know what they want to be, they sound pretty solid in whatever it is here. This group is tight as fuck. Especially on the bass and those horn sections. Good shit that I’ll always enjoy listening to no matter who it comes from. I’ve definitely heard music from this time period that isn’t even remotely as engaging or interesting as this. I’ll give them credit for that at least. If your stuff is cool enough to make me smile, you’ve got something going for you. Rating: 6/10
Alright
Fantastic mix of rock and jazz 4.5
It is a nice, and standard 1960's album. 7/10.
Some nice tunes, and a pretty standout sound for that era, but not something super appealing to my ears.
Wow I feel like I heard 10 different genres in this. Someone said broadway jazz rock and that’s quite accurate for me. I def appreciate pt 1 and 2 of the Satie variations, Satie is awesome. Other than that it def sounds like they were havin fun with this and I’m sure they do great live shows.
un bel rock anni 68. molto piacevole, contro ogni aspettativa di ritrovarmi l'ennesimo album di una band di Beatles wannabe.
Forse dovrei smetterla di ascoltare album di prima mattina perché poi non mi ricordo niente. Non so se questo non ricordarsi dimostra la mia distrazione o il fatto che l’album fosse poco interessante, in realtà durante l’ascolto ricordo mi fosse apparso piacevole… Comunque sia è l’ennesimo album Rock, qualsiasi voto io dia non stravolgerà la media, dunque 3 sia
Not bad, but all over the place.
This is like being a jam band before being a jam band was cool. Just long playing of piano, blues and rocking out mixed with lyrics when they feel like it. This album wasn’t bad but could’ve been a lot better with some direction. Felt like some songs were just being recorded to fill the album. Overall it’s good but nothing amazing. Plenty of talent in this album. 6.2/10
2/5. There are a lot of influences from other bands here but doesn't feel like a fully practiced sound. Like, the song arrangements are not very well made despite a lot of loud sounds to seem like it. It kind of feels like B-side Chicago songs. To be fair, I do enjoy some of these songs but not an album I would vibe with. Best Song: Spinning Wheel, God Bless The Child, Blues Part 2
The instrumentals on this album were phenomenal, but I couldn't stand the vocals. Probably just a product of the time, the lyrics were astoundingly stupid, unfocused, and meandering. The last two, mostly instrumental tracks were my favorite.
I love the concept of a big band, and this album proves this is wonderful. I would love to see them playing in a live concert. However, this album also proves that even the most enjoyable songs need to have some time limit. 1 hour of a big band (not in a live show that should be great) is too much.
There are some great tracks here, namely Spinning Wheel and God Bless the Child, but they are surrounded by mediocrity. Also, some of the vocals on these tracks are really ill fitting.
Very unusual album. So many genres in one. It doesn't fully work, but it's interesting.
Probably one of the best bands that you've never heard of
SO JAZZY
Ohh, soft rock, this is pretty beige. I did enjoy some of the musicianship, bass playing in particular but the content was bland.
An interesting album. 3.5 stars
Smokey rock and sultry jazz, these guys blend even more elements in mix of great songs sure to set your toes tapping. Singer reminds me of Tom Jones
Truly magnificent. This was a mixture of like 5 genres?? Folk, jazz, rock, bluegrass, soul? I LOVED IT
But must it really?
It was long but ok, kinda jazzy not what we expected but still too long. Didn't really stick with us.
Very catchy album and loved how each song had its own sound. Not bad at all
I love the jazz aspects mixed in here. The parts that push that forward are the most interesting to me. The vocals don't do a lot for me but thankfully it's instrumental for a large portion. Not sure I'd listen to it super frequently but it's fun and different especially for a 60s album.
Publicaron su excelente debut Child is father to the man, mejor aún que este estupendo segundo disco (4 millones de copias vendidas certifican el buen gusto en aquella época), el mismo año 68. Para este tuvo lugar el abandono de Al Kooper (líder y fundador de la banda además del genio detrás del teclado en Like a rolling stone y muchas más cosas...). Fue sustituido en la voz principal por David Clayton-Thomas y le dieron aún mayor protagonismo de los metales, santo y seña de esta banda que, junto a Chicago, fueron los promotores del Jazz Rock o R&R Big Bands. Publicaron 4 excelentes discos, el primero con Al Kooper y los otros con Cayton, antes de perder fuelle hasta la irrelevancia. En España tuvimos algo similar, con Los Canarios. Su mayor éxito fue con Spinning wheel, aquí incluida. También tuvieron muy buena acogida los otros singles de este disco: And when I die y You've made me so very happy. Las intro y outro, ambas la Variation on a theme de Erik Satie, son delicadas piezas instrumentales perfectamente ejecutadas. Smiling phases presenta el estilo de la banda, en un tema firmado por Capaldi y Winwood que había sido un single de su banda Traffic. More and more introduce una punzante guitarra. And when I die fue publicada por su compositora, Laura Nylo y un éxito con Peter, Paul and Mary. Con BS&T fue este aún mayor. Tiene varios cambios de ritmo y una harmónica que permite combinar el blues con el jazz y el pop. You've made me so very happy es una versión un tema menor de Brenda Holloway para Motown. Esta versión fue un éxito aún mayor. God bless the child es otra excelente versión , esta vez del clásico de Billy Holyday, que en su mitad final se da un festín de metales y percusión. Blue part II, la más floja del álbum, es una jam que se extiende por casi 12 minutos, aunque tarda en arrancar más de 2, casi 5 en meter metales y más de 9 en sonar la voz. El disco acaba, casi como empezó con las Gymnopedies. Pese a la jam sessión, se hace corto y es un placer escucharlo más de una vez. Como curiosidades: Este disco le ganó al Grammy al mejor disco del año, nada menos que al Abbey Road. Para sustituir a Al Kooper se valoraron otros cantantes antes que Clayton: Stevie Wonder, Laura Nylo o Stephen Stills. Fueron una de las estrellas de Woodstock aunque no salen en la película ni en el disco, debido a que no se les pagó antes de la actuación y no permitieron que esta se grabara.. También fueron la primera banda estadounidense en tocar al otro lado del telón de acero, lo que acabó injustamente con su reputación y con la propia banda. Más discos excelentes de 1968: THE BEATLES- White Album , THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Electric ladyland, Odessey and Oracle de The Zombies, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - White light, white heat, THE KINKS - The Village Green Preservation Society, VAN MORRISON - Astral weeks, THE ROLLING STONES - Beggars banquet, CREAM - Wheels of fire, THE BYRDS - Sweetheart of the rodeo, THE SMALL FACES - Ogden's nut gone flake, THE PRETTY THINGS - S.F. Sorrow, OTIS REDDING - The dock of the bay, BLOOMFIELD , KOOPER & STILLS - Super Session, JAMES CARR - A Man needs a Woman, Dance To The Music de Sly & The Family Stone, Safe As Milk del Capt. Beefhart, Surrealistic Pillow de Jefferson Airplane, Lady Soul y Now de Aretha Franklin, The Notorious Byrd Brothers y Sweetheart of the rodeo de The Byrds, We're Only in It for the Money de Zappa, Idea y Horizontal de los Bee Gees, For Once in My Life de Stevie Wonder , A Saucerful Of Secrets de Pink Floyd, Spirit de Spirit, Bookends de Simon and Garfunkel, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida de Iron Butterfly, el Soundtrack to 1968 TV special de Elvis, Nuff Said! de Nina Simone... Debuts de JEFF BECK GROUP, NEIL YOUNG, THE BAND, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, OS MUTANTES, SILVER APPLES...
The instrumentation was spot on, however, i wasn’t so keen on lyrical content as well the singers vocals, but it’s growing on me!
This felt like an album I should enjoy - I liked the jazzy elements, the bass, and the organ - but it just didn’t connect. It seemed too scattered and inconsistent.
Le musicianship de cet album est vraiment bon et on voit qu'ils essayaient de sortir des sentiers battus. Mais pour moi ça sonne un peu trop éparpillé. Les chansons n'arrêtent pas de changer de style abruptement. Loin d'être le pire album, je comprends parfaitement pourquoi certains s'extasieraient là-dessus. 6/10
That coy little take on Satie effectively drew me into the atmosphere. Afterwards there's a seamless blending of genres. Flutes, horns and organ all weave in and out nicely. As soon as a motif is getting stale, they change the energy level and go somewhere else musically. The rhythm section truly shines throughout the album. I don't know the first thing about jazz, but I found the drums and the bass very engaging. The vocalist is nothing special. He didn't do much for me. And the album started to really drag on the 11 minute blues jam. It felt out of place and got a bit grating. I wasn't exactly looking for their take on Sunshine of Your Love. A weak-sauce ending on a solid album, I'll say. 07. 06. 2024
Surprisingly good, had no idea what I was in for. Liked that.
Wtf is this shit
Variations on a Theme Pt 1 is really pretty. Pt 2 sucks. This is very much from the Groovy portion of the 60s. It’s okay overall. Clearly good musicians, clearly trying to do something. It’s a bit heavy handed for casual listening. Feels better suited to movie soundtracks. It’s kind of all over the place. It’s okay, but I don’t see what makes this worthy of this list. Not necessary. You Made Me So Very Happy is still pretty good.
Oh, that's what BS&T is all about. The symphonic and jazz elements are interesting and I appreciate the effort to arrange it all. Seems this album is actually a toned down version of the experimental rock-jazz that was their earlier releases. More and More is the most listenable after the You've Made Me So Very Happy and Spinning Wheel staples. God Bless the Child is straight up Blues and the rest are hokey and schizophrenic in the \"are we a rock band with horns?\" or a \"jazz band with hippie hair styles?\" sense.
Hopefully my life reaches the level where these tunes could be the soundtrack
2.5
Early rock sound, heavy on instrumentals.
This is a VERY confusing album. I absolutely love about 60% of it, am distracted by the jumping of genres for about 30% of it then really dislike the last 10%.
It's like more fun Steely Dan - but not quite enough to earn 4 stars
Great horn section
Much better than I expected. Surprised on how jazzy it was, but it really worked for the album. 3.5/5
Has some iconic tunes but didn't really grab me.
Strong jazz elements in many of these tracks. Some huge bangers, with an outstanding voice. I’d listen again! Low 4
Humourous, light hearted, ok . The sort of album you skip past time and again but when a friend picks it out, you quite enjoy it
It’s a band like BST that helped pave the way for not only Prog. Rock to become a huge subset of rock music, but for bands nowadays who are a part of, in a way, “post prog. rock”, such as Black Midi or Black Country, New Road. While the compositions here are often pop-centric, the arrangements are so densely constructed that it makes every song feel like a truly unique experience. I would imagine this album sounds just as fresh as it did back in 1968, as all eight of the full length songs on here evoke a kind of creative spirit that not many bands from their era had.
The lead singer has a great voice, but just left me a bit cold
It was ok but none that I knew. A bit samey all the way through. Can’t say why it’s a ‘must listen to’ album.
Strange album, wanders between jazz, rock, psychedelic etc. Instrumental pieces are distracting. Couple surprise (to me) 70s classics show up late that almost pulled this up a star. High 2.
Did I really need to hear this before I die?
I liked the instruments used, better than average but not something I'll listen to much more in the future.
Blood, Sweat & Tears' self-titled album is a blend of jazz, rock, and blues that epitomizes the late 1960s musical landscape. Released in 1968, the album features intricate arrangements and virtuosic instrumentation, showcasing the band's versatility and skill. While the album is technically impressive and features some iconic tracks like "Spinning Wheel" and "And When I Die," it can feel somewhat dated and overproduced by today's standards. Some listeners may find the fusion of genres and styles on the album to be too ambitious, leading to a somewhat disjointed listening experience. Overall, Blood, Sweat & Tears' self-titled album is a product of its time, reflecting the experimentation and eclecticism of late 1960s music. While it has its moments of brilliance, its overblown production and occasional lack of cohesion warrants a 3 out of 5 rating.
Small town bar house band takes requests and invites locals up to sing
god the drums on this one
3.5
Its wildly all over the place and sometimes it's really bad, but I think when it hits its actually really good. The intro song also really reminds me of the legend of zelda video game. I think it hits as much as it missed so its a 3
Lovely. A little bit of everything. We love the blood, sweat, and tears.
Ayo this slapped. The first track had me like the pointing Leo meme, that’s straight up the Ocarina of time title, finding these connections is what I love about music. Another example is the bit of Cream thrown into Blues Pt. 2. The music was a really fun mix of jazz and rock and kept me entertained the entire listen
Uh, yeah, I don't know who came first but this has such strong Chicago vibes that I feel like there was a wave that both of these groups had to be simultaneously riding at some point. That said, I actually have a Chicago album and even that is enough for me. I don't think my heart has enough room for a lot of this horns-rock from decades past. It's just not my thing and so if Blood, Sweat & Tears was actually the forerunner of this movement I'm sorry. That all said, what they are intending to do is done well so they're going to get more stars than something whose quality I can't even discern.
For this list, probably a 3.5. Some classic songs but a very dated feel.
uhhh what did I just listen to?
Decent recording, but not really my kind of music
Cool bit of musical history. I don't know if any other album references Cream and Satie in a way that works this well. I enjoyed the instrumentation and variety. It's probably a 3.5 for me. I liked it, but I don't see it going into my regular listing rotation.
I really liked the musicality of this one. The jazz + rock was a really interesting vibe. It was also intriguing to read about the band and why I've never heard of them before. This album won a grammy for "Album of the Year" over albums like Abbey Road, but the band faced huge backlash after doing a tour behind the Iron Curtain. Glad that the 1001 project helped me discover them!
They put their blood sweat and tears into this Best song: And When I Die
I like the jazzy and classical bits. My favorite tracks are the Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie and the first 8 minutes of Blues, pt.2. Although I don’t like the brass player hits.
This is awful.
Unfocused, but clearly made by talented musicians.
Jazz, Soul and rock. Some really great songs like Smiling Phases, More and More and Spinning Wheel and few not so good. It's an album I should love more but some how I don't.
While there is some quality musicianship and more than a few good tracks it also feels kind of like a soundtrack to a musical.
This was described as Jazz Rock. Maybe too much Jazz for me.
Not a fan. It was just weird, and not in a way that I appreciated at all.
This was good, nothing that sticks out to me though.
Not perfect, but really good. I'd rate it 4.5-stars if I could. Jazzy. I love the horns. Grew up playing trumpet, so makes sense.
Excellent
A bit all over the place. Some good tunes throughout, but lacking cohesion. Great bass work.
interesting sound of rock and jazz, not as good as I thought it might be, but would like to listen some more.
Ahh yes, my favorite genre: Miscellaneous. I liked the extravagant instrumentation throughout the album -- lots of brass, some organ, and a surprising amount of flute. The Satie references were good too. That said, I did start to get annoyed by this album, especially during the 12-minute "Blues, Pt. 2."
When I Die, Spinning Wheel &’You Made Me So Very Happy are favorites of mine- going way back.
So I have commented numerous times, that most bands have their good tracks spread out over a number of albums, so it is much rarer when you come across one that is loaded up with goodness… The “Blood Sweat & Tears” album is just one of those, as it seems like their most well-known tracks are on this album… First off, the quality of the recording for 1968 is exceptional, as I have listened a number of albums from the late 60’s – and many of them just don’t have a solid audio quality to them at all – but this one was excellent… As for the songs themselves – not sure what the purpose was for the opening and closing “Variations” tracks, but they kinda felt out of place to be honest… Best songs on the album IMO were the run of – “And When I Die “ – 6-stars out of 7 “God Bless The Child” – 5-stars out of 7 “Spinning Wheel” – 5-stars out of 7 “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” – 5-stars out of 7 “Blues – Part II” is also a very interesting track with multiple sections – 0:00-3:00 – The organ intro section reminded me of early ELP (i.e. maybe something off of Tarkus?) 3:00-4:30 – The obligatory bass and drum solos – ugh… 4:30-8:00 – Was a great sax-led jam, and the best part of the song… 8:00-8:50 – Was a reprise of Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” – not sure why that was on here… 8:50- End – Was the only blues singing on this track – which was fine, but suddenly ends – very odd… Wish this had been more of a 6-8 minute song of that great sax-led instrumental – or perhaps the organ opening, followed by the sax-led jam – but the rest really didn’t fit – but that’s just me… This is better than a 3, but not quite a 4 – but if I could, I’d give it a 3.50 for sure - but I can't, so it's a 3…
OK boomer. And I mean that, by the way: It's "*OK*". I also say this as a huge fan of the sixties and the seventies. The thing is, this stylistically topsy-turvy album does not always manage to avoid a few self-indulgent and/or derivative moments, as tight as the "jams" on the record are, and as stellar as its performers are as well. One time the music is groovy, another time it's bluesy, then it's jazzy, then classic rock, then folk, then afro-cuban, then flute-enhanced psychedelia, then organ-laden prog, then post-classical (and not only during those admittedly sweet "versions" of Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopédies"). It's a sort of mix (minus the jazz and classical/prog parts, and adding C&W) that Stephen Stills managed to do at least twice better for his "Manassas" project a few years after the release of this eponymous LP. The latter admittedly offers great musicianship, and it's often interesting. But it doesn't always "gel" well. Besides, the horn section makes Blood Sweat And Tears sound like a second-rate version of early Chicago. Which can't be a *total* compliment, you know... In other words, there's nothing utterly bad per se in this LP. But I doubt its supposed "essential" nature is easily translatable for today's ears. And the fact that covers take up more than half of the tracklist don't help mitigating this derivative nature I touched upon earlier--covers going from Billie Holiday to Laura Nyro, or from Cream and Willie Dixon to a Tamla Motown hit. The first proper song is an adaptation of an *outtake* from Traffic's debut album, for chrissake! Are we supposed to think it's the sort of material that can yield a transcendent artistic breakthrough? A couple of highlights still shine, I'm gonna admit it: Steve Katz's touching ballad "Smiling Phases", or the (at the time new) lead singer David Clayton-Thomas' timeless hit " Spinning Wheel". Too bad the vocal interpolation at the end, supposedly recording David's reaction to the band's recording of flutes ("that was(n't too?) good"), plus the fake laughs following said reaction sound quite cringey, actually summarizing how "artificial" the artistry comes off at times. Long jam "Blues part 1" has some great moments as well (that bass player is surely impressive on it!). But can those assets redeem the flaws found much elsewhere in this record? Like the layers of cheese on "You've Made Me So Happy?", or the unneccessary complications on that version of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child", or the lack of clear stakes on *More And More*, and on Laura Nyro"s "And When I Die". The jury's still out on this one. Wikipedia points out this is one of the first rock LPs recorded through a 16-track console. That sure explains the layering of sounds in the album, quite pristine for those times. Obviously, what we have here is a breaktrough on a technical viewpoint. The question I have in my mind now is this: does this LP represent a breakthrough on a more *artistic* level? 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. Which translates to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3). Number of albums left to review: 229 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 332 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 197 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 249
I did like more and more and when I die a lot. The rest was ok.
Solid 4 this, very good
No tenía muy claro que clase de álbum escuchaba, porque no los conocía y encima tocan como un poco de todo, no me ha convencido pero le doy 3 estrellas porque no sonaban mal.
It made me happy to hear this album. I was intrigued from the moment the opener hit my ears, the idea to bookend with Satie was fantastic. I loved the incorporation of jazz throughout, it's a step above your standard 60's rock record. The production is first-class. I struggled to believe it was a product of 1968, it sounds well beyond its years. I was vaguely familiar with Spinning Wheel and You've Made Me So Very Happy, which I would say are the two standouts, but there wasn't a track on this record I didn't enjoy. A worthwhile discovery.
Lovely 4 stars.
Swell throughout. The closing Variations of a Theme sounded like The Legend of Zelda, which I enjoyed.
listened 2x to expanded version (1h 9m). decent. 2.4/5
That first track is just the tip of the iceberg. Great album.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: More and more, And when I die, Spinning wheel, You’ve made me so very happy
brilliant.
Love his voice. Don't love the elevator music
A mess. An enjoyable one, though, that never feels too indulgent or meandering, like lots of their contemporaries did.
This album was a wild ride, and I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I feel like this band doesn’t know what it wants to be. It’s one part Burt Bacharach lounge music, one part Elvis in Vegas, one part James Brown, one part free jazz, one part psychedelic rock, and one part prog rock. There’s just a lot going on. And then, for some reason, they made When I Die, a weird ragtime song that could’ve been an outtake from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack. I knew I recognized the name of this band but could not for the life of me remember why. And then Spinning Wheel came on, followed immediately by You Make Me Very Happy, and then it clicked. The former is a great song, the latter is ok…a cute, cheesy, late 60s love song. But I realized that as an older Millennial, this is sort of the definition of dad rock to me — this is the kind of stuff my Boomer dad jammed to when the Beatles got too experimental and scary for him. I appreciate what they were going for, but I’m not sure it’s really for me. The lyrics are decent, the musicianship is good, the willingness to experiment is interesting (though feels more like imitation a lot of the time) … but it’s just too much at once. It feels like a Hollywood soundtrack created by committee. 3/5
This was so interesting in the best way possible. I love jazz and rock so to hear them mixed was amazing
Ugh. Leave this music in 1968.
This album confused me lol, not really sure what it's trying to be. It's great in some parts and forgettable in others, very odd choices
Not bad but none of the songs were too enjoyable. Middle 2.
Really good! Enjoyed it a lot. You really need to get involved in it, then it's a lot of fun. The bassist definitely carries this album.
The opening set quite an interesting tone, and I didn't know what to expect afterwards. This seems like the kind of album you have to listen to several times, because there is too much going on to recognise on the first listen
4.5. Need to relisten
Some classics on here but kind of all over the place
Not my jam, but not terrible.
Überraschend nett
Inoffensove
Pretty ok
Great album
Not for me
A band I seem to always have known of, but never listened to. It wasn't quite what I expected, and quite stranger mix of different music - blues, soul jazz etc Spinning Wheel is pretty good
I wasn’t quite sure what to think at first, but this album really finds a groove with the phenomenal brass backing band. The album is unfocused and there’s clearly a pull in multiple musical directions especially in the late 60s. There are tinges of folk, psychedelic, R&B, and a huge dose of big band jazz. The backing band is super tight and the jazz rock blend is seamless. The bassist is also clearly one of the hardest working members.
3.4 - The whole thing reminds me of a variety show on a cruise ship — it’s certainly entertaining (especially after you’ve had a couple daiquiris). But it’s schmaltzy and pointlessly eclectic. You’re relieved when it’s finally over and you can get back to the casino and then to the all-you-can-eat French fry bar.
Abwechslungsreiches Album. Macht wirklich Spaß zu hören.
4.2 - never heard of them before, pretty interesting and musically very cool. Would like to re listen to get more appreciation
Loved it, loved it all. Great blend of rock and jazz elements. The Satie bookends are beautiful, can’t go wrong there. 4.8/5
Ok
Funky!
All over the place. I don’t think I’ve knowingly listened to Blood, sweat and tears before and I’m not likely to do so based on this album.
Its very much of its time. Was B-List back then and now also very dated
I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't this. This was amazing.
Unique and not in a good way.
Good
this is all over the place but it's mostly ok won't listen again though
One of the greatest brass sections in music. Solid vocals
Poditiivinen yllätys! Tässä oli enemmän jazzia ja funkkista kun osasin arvata! 3/5
Hyvää jazzrockia, mutta ei mitään erityisen muistettavia biisejä.
Joitain kiinnostavia jazz-elementtejä tässäkin, hieman keskimääräistä parempi. 3/5
Decent enough background music? I knew “Spinning Wheel” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy.” Funny to be listening to something and then be like “Oh! That’s why this is on the list.”
El disco arranca con una version de un tema de Satie! Completamente innovador y vanguardista. Mucho swing.
Surpisingly great, was a lot jazzier than I expected. They even throw in a full 12 minutes jam at the end that goes super hard, I heard them bust out the lick from 'Sunshine of your Love' in there somewhere. For 1968 it's pretty crazy, will have to come back to this one.
# Playlist track - Spinning Wheel. # Notes - Great album! It's all over the place, but it the coolest way possible. - Made me jump out of my chair when I recognized "Spinning Wheel" from Jason Forrest's incredible animation "War Photographer." - Do yourself a favor and go check it out if you haven't watched it yet. - Taking one star off due to the annoying tracks at the end.
Enjoyed the album, surprised the genre is rock. Had a lot of soul and jazz elements the musicianship was very high quality, and the voice was great
Actually really enjoyed it, fun Rock/Jazz type and one of the bands who made the Woodstock 69 lineup. I don't feel it caught my attention enough though and is probably another 7/10. There are lots of covers/songs written by other artists which although not bad does dock some points. I don't know much about the genre though so whether I find better albums I am not sure but I feel 3/5 is fair. Stand out songs: Smiling Phases Spinning Wheel You've Made Me So Very Happy
Groovy. The Erik Satie cover is cool
Amazing! 4.5
Genre: Rock, jazz rock 1968 What a sound! Standouts: And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, You've Made Me So Very Happy, God Bless the Child, Smiling Phases, Blues Part II 4.5/5
Vintage. OK.
Nicht gefunden
Gott klassískt rokk, spinning wheel er það sem maður þekki best.
Opening and closing with a weird Gymnopedies arrangement is a… bold choice. I like a lot of what this is trying to do, fusing jazz and some classical with a Creedence-esque bluesy rock sound, but it quickly ran out of ideas and some of the instrumentals were just quite weak, particularly the awful 10-minute track towards the end
Un album qui fait le pont entre le jazz et le funk Motown, l'orgue sixties, en passant par la ballade et le country. J'ai adoré la voix des chanteurs.
Litt røff overgang mellom Eric Satie og da storband-rockegreiene som kom etterpå. Ellers decent, sette pris på blåserekkene, men litt for raspete vokal
What do you get when you combine a proto rock band with a jazz quintet full of band kids? Apparently every 70’s sitcom theme song. +1 star for the jazzy bits.
I always think that Blood, Sweat & Tears are a folk rock band - like The Byrds or The Band - and then am always reminded that in fact they're actually more of a pop rock mainstay. My 16YO's show choir band played "Spinning Wheel" last year and she got to handle the bass line, so I kind of love the two singles on this album a lot now, but the rest is very of its time.
Did not enjoy
Somethings up with me because I really did like this. I thought it was really nicely put together and just good music overall. I think if it were a little shorter so less for me to commit to I’d consider voting even higher but I definitely liked this a lot more than I thought I would’ve.
Them boys could play! Top musicianship on this album. It's a really weird one though - I think even now most everyone knows "Spinning Wheel" and probably "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and the rest is...? Broadway? Orchestral? Jazz? Jazz*y* for sure. Half of it sounds like it could be a soundtrack for questionable musical theater. A wild variety trip of what in the late 60s was actually hugely popular - I respect the crazy diversity even if I don't necessarily love it all, but they had a real sound, very unique. Also this album *sounds* so good even now - just makes it more frustrating when you hear other albums from this period that sound like garbage. Best songs are all-timers, although the album isn't all gold - e.g. "Sometimes In Winter" is probably too complex a composition for me to put it down and sure it sounds fantastic but I'm not keen on the vocals (the only one Steve Katz sings .... should've left it to DCT). Throw up the jazz hands - it's still worth a few listens and the combo of classic songs and musicianship push it to a 4 for me. 7/10 4 stars.
Not bad. I liked some of the songs
Fun band. 6.5
Loved the record. But it sill wouldve been a low for if it wasnt for Blues pt2. Insane track and beautiful drumming
This one really hit the spot for me. I love this era of music. I love how passionate each song sounds. I love the structure of the album, with the instrumental intro and outro, really giving it a sense of completeness.
Too jazzy at times. But their hits are recognized and respected.
naja
This came out in the late 60s, but you could be forgiven for assuming it was from the mid-70s. It’s a mix of roots rock and jazz that doesn’t really gel, with a vocalist that sounds like James Brown and John Fogerty had a love child. An unfortunate amount of soft rock feels.
Weird but alright
Never heard of them but knew a couple songs. Wouldn't listen again. 1/5
No, gracias
Sexo el album
Really good
Enjoyed this, mostly.
Formados a finales de los 60 BS&T comenzaron realizando el prototipo de música que triunfaría en el tránsito entre décadas, mezclando musicalmente elementos clásicos, jazz y rock. En este su segundo disco continúan ofreciendo una sobresaliente colaboración sonora entre instrumentos de viento y teclados. A destacar también la voz quebrada de David Clayton-Thomas. Me gustan especialmente "More and More", "Spinning Wheel" y "You've Made Me So Very Happy".
This album was confusing as hell. Found myself absolutely hating parts of it and other times really enjoying it. The common theme for me was that I HATE the vocals. He doesn't have a bad voice, it's just cartoonishly 60's lounge singer. All I could think of was Will Ferrell from Anchorman singing all the songs.
Version of Smiling Faces too long but other than that it is a great album
I've never thought of myself as a jazz rock person, but I can dig this. It's fun and a bit campy, almost dramatic in moments. Some of it reminded me of musical theatre. And the horns sound great. I'm honestly a little surprised by how much I like this album. Highlights: Smiling Phases, Sometimes in Winter, More and More, And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, You've Made Me So Very Happy
Zat er aan het begin lekker in. Maar het werd steeds zenuwachtiger. En dan nog blues pt2 en smiling phases. Die 2 nummers waren bij mekander al een half uur. Dacht dat dit album nooit meer zou stoppen...
Makes me think of CCR. Seems to be the source of at least one well known song that I have heard of.
I love Blood, Sweat and Tears and I love this album. To me they get the rock part of jazz-rock better than just about anybody. Such tightness in the band, amazing musicianship in each instrumentalist, and David Clayton-Thomas’s gruff vocals are so powerful and earthy. And I think the melodic bass lines had a profound impact on me as a songwriter. The opening track was my introduction to Erik Satie, who I consider to be one of my all time favorite composers. “And When I Die” and “Spinning Wheel” are amazing songs that just go so hard. It’s not a perfect album, but it’s a damn good one!
Clownish af at times, and it struggles quite a lot in the middle but those two final songs are worth it… and then there is the final track lol
Sort of good, sort of bad
Just alright
It was ok. Definitely outdated
Thanks for reminding me about this great album
Good performances by talented musicians of songs I do not want to listen to again
3.5, loved the jazz influence~~
Interesting to hear sings from this group other than When I Die & Spinning Wheel. The other stuff isn't too bad. I never was big fan and this won't convert me, but it improved my impression of this group.
Love Blood Sweat & Tears
Great combo of jazz and rock. Innovative. Good lead vocals and guitar. Too bad they fell apart.
De här digga ja! Skönt album
This was super interesting compared to what I've heard so far. It combines elements of Jazz, Big Band, Rock, and so much more into a weird mish-mash of excellent songs. I do agree with another review I read here that said it was more of a back and forth than a true mash up, but it still makes for some great music. The instruments way outclass the performance of the singer and the mixing really lets each instrument shine which made those drum solos or blasting horns hit that much harder. Huge fan of More and More, Blues, Pt. 2 and most of the higher tempo songs on this thing.
Brilliant
This is great. Love the tone of the lead singer's voice. A lot of famous songs in here, and they also all happen to be good and still worth listening to, too. Some tracks are a bit noodle-y for me (Blues, Pt. 2) in particular, but I am very glad to have listened to this.
I found the opening track really confusing as much as I love Satie. Smiling Phases picks up the pace and sets the scene nicely with More and More, And When I Die keeping the interest high. Spinning Wheel tops it all off.
Oh, this is great fun! I wouldn't have been able to name any BS&T tracks, but I've definitely heard "Spinning Wheel" a bunch. I am a sucker for Satie, so opening and closing the album with versions of the Gymnopédies made me happy. Really enjoyed all the twists and turns this album took as it progressed - kept me entertained! Fave tracks - "More and More" and "When I Die" work really well together, and I liked the absurdity of "Blues - Part II", too!
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an interesting band - it's a jazz band, or perhaps an R&B band, playing rock/pop songs, and occasional classical pieces. The band was immensely talented, very well received, and very successful. Unfortunately, for a series of missteps and considerable turn-over in the lineup, the band did not have a very long career. This album includes a few staples of 60's classic rock, like "You Make Me So Very Happy" and "And When I Die." The combination of R&B sounds, soulful singing, and support from the horn section made BS&T's rich sound so very interesting.
3.4/5 Best Track: Sometimes in Winter
Another interesting, eclectic album. I quite enjoyed this mix, both the music that was new to me and the wonderful classic hits.
Excellent!! No question that I will listen to this one again.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one even though I was sometimes flummoxed by unexpected changes in tone. (A salsa break in the middle of God Bless the Child? OK...) BS&T has a unique sound and interesting takes on other folks' stuff.
Blood, Sweat & Tears isn’t a group I know outside of the hits, but I always love their groovy intensity. This album is no exception. I dig the horns and organ, and those deeply urgent vocals. And When I Die, Spinning Wheel and You’ve Made Me So Very Happy deserve their hit status and are brilliant! But I also loved songs like Sometimes In Winter, More and More that showed some other sides to this band. Great stuff!
Some songs are a little too jazzy but I like the others
Variations on a theme by Erik Satie - wow i had no idea this song was that old, it is an incredible song that just hits in pit of your stomach, but I can’t explain what emotion it is that I am hit with it’s a strange mix of happiness and sad. Smiling Phases - this is some swinging jazzz. I don’t have much to say about this except that I dig it and it is jamming. This band sound sounds similar to CCR, maybe CCR was inspired by this band’s sound? Sometimes in Winter - this one sounds like a whole bunch of different popular bands mixing together. This is a really good song. Just overall a great piece, and is extremely different from the one before. more and more - we are back to the CCR sound, and to the swing jazz. Very fun to listen to, and another big hit. I don’t understand why this band isn’t more well known they are so good. And when i die - with the first second I already know that this is a good song. Country can’t go wrong! This is another great song. God Bless the child - this one is a soulfully slow song, very nice a calming. This is my favorite kinda Jazz/Rock where the kinda march along the beat (dun-dun-DUN, dun-dun-DUN). I don’t know exactly what the song is about, I sound very sweet at the end. Spinning wheel - yo that song is popping man. I especially love when the singer harmonizes his voice with the horn. You made be so very happy - i finally released that this singer reminds me if the band America. I really love these love ballads, good jazz is unexplainable. It is just good, and I groove with it. OOOH, and then it switches from the love ballad to that rocking jazz that hits you in the soul, it makes you feel alive. Blues Pt. 2 - this almost like a jazzy orchestral arrangement, both in style and in length. It starts with this haunting organ almost like a haunted house, but then the organ breaks into a jazzy rhythm in the second movement. Reminds me of the bit tunes they would use in the boss levels in videogames. And then there hs a slight pause before moving into the third movement which just sounds like a different rhythm than the second, but then it fires out with all these other jazz instruments. And then settles into this nice Electric Bass groove until it lets up, and then the drums that were just whispering in the background just fly out and now it’s their turn to show their stuff. Then it get into the funky groove, and all the instruments so far come together in this exciting funk paving the way for the explosion of the brass. And then they settle down letting the sax do its thing With the bass and drum as their rhythm. Then eventually it all shifts to a slower beat and quieter dynamic. And it sounds a little bit more romantic and an electric guitar is whispering in. I feel a little bit of a tension in the way that they staccato all the notes with big spaces and hard accent, and then sometimes very familiar starts. First quiet then it blasts in your ear. And then it settles into the blues, and here the lyrics start. Oh man is this a good blues song, with incredible opening. Variations on a theme pt 2: this fades in from the previous song and closes out the album. This one have fuller sound that the first one since it has more instruments. I very nice way to end out the album. More and More (live) - this one rocks a little bit harder than the recording, I like it. Smiling Phases (live) - they made this one a really grand piece. It starts put classical then shift into a slow jazz, that eventually transitions into this battle rhythm with the drum, and then it brakes out into the main song. Then they just really expand on the instrumental interludes of the original. It gets really crazy in the middle because they start taring the song down to a slow pulse a then builds it back up in a matter of seconds. To clarify the taring down is really long and then they build it up fast. It was incredibly good. Even the audience had to applaud them when they built it up so fast. I really love this album, it switches between very different styles of music rock, classic, jazz, folk, country, and the do it incredibly well. I love it when they step back from the lyrics and just let the instrument shine with blazing glory!!! This gets a very strong 4 stars.
Horn stabbed to death.
First four albums: Child Is Father to the Man Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 B, S & T 4 I mean at least commit to the bit
Solid stuff. Typical music that you hear sitting in a diner and go "Oh yeah, this is a cool song." And then you move on with your life.
Búin að hlusta þrisvar í gegn í dag og var farin að skæla af fullkomnuninni í lokin. Þetta ættu öll að hlusta á, og virkilega *hlusta á*. Ég meina það.
2 - I honestly expected folk stuff when I went into this album, but that isn't really what we have here. Despite surprising me with its contents, I still remember almost nothing from this listen. Perhaps I see potential for something I could quite like, but as it is, I don't really care.
More familiar with this band and album than I initially thought. It's great, it's got that big chaotic big band jazz and rock fusion thing from the 70s going on and shares a lot of the same space as the music from Jesus Christ Superstar which I absolutely love. Had a great time listening to this.
I don't know why, but not at all what I expected. I had the wrong idea about Blood, Sweat & Tears. Oh wait, maybe I was thinking of Earth, Wind & Fire. Anyway, good stuff. Great voice. Weird, good, stuff.
This trout fishing for bland Americana sound is what people who like Kerouac ramblings listen to. Stand out songs Spinning Wheel and You Made Me So Very Happy can be enjoyed by older woman who will claim Pierre Trudeau once gave them a rose. And tell their teenage sons cooler friend they had a crush on Jim Morrison. Despite not having heard about The Doors until after Jim Morrison was dead. ⭐️
70s pop / blues / jazz mix … Some good songs were included …
No idea where this was going one minute to the next. Constantly surprising
Fantastic
Jazz isn't my thing. There were some cool moments on this but I mostly couldn't get past the jazziness
Oldy man singing style, I like it. Some songs got samples from this album which makes it fun to listen to. Reminds me of Frank Sinatra 3/4****
Spinning wheel is really the only highlight, and that’s just ok. Generic jam band stuff otherwise.
I really can't be doing with jazz fusion.
Hell yeah, this record is FUN. It’s absolutely all over the place, but the energy pulsing through the veins is electric. Have to knock a star for how jarring all of these songs sound together on one record but there are some bangers in the mix. Jazz rock absolutely bangs. Solid 4
Habs gut in Erinnerung, muss es aber noch mal anhören
So that's where those lyrics come from. I've heard Spinning Wheel before but didn't know where it came from. Otherwise this was an interesting album. Kinda disjointed overall though.
Good album. Both sound and lyrics. Combines a wide range of insturments genres. Rock, jazz, blues, country etc. It doesn't feel formulaic and has its own charm.
It changes genres a lot, but it's nice overall
Wat onrustig, maar eigenlijk toch toffer dan ik had verwacht.
Lekkere seventies vibe.
Beetje vreemde mix van stijlen. Ik hoor wat meer rock-achtige dingen, zoetsappig spul, maar ook Jesus Christ Superstar. Al met al best interessant.
It's perfectly fine just ain't my cuppa 2.5/5
Very much Not Music I Like©️ but there are idiosyncrasies in the lyrics and delivery here that pull it out of the gutter for me. Two and a half. Fave track: And When I Die
Some interesting instrumentation and vocal work, but pretty lame in the end. Some tracks could probably lend themselves to some fun soundtracks set in the 70s, but overall as a record I’m not sure this hits the mark completely. Two and a half. Fave track: And When I Die
Some good some weird
Balances between genres beautifully. It’s a little blues, a little rock n roll, and an altogether tightly wound package. Much to much of the vocals are cringe but the instrumentation is without any doubt fantastic.
A few big classics on there but not every song was great,
Identity crisis
Sounded like a Christmas album
Except for track 1 this is a great album of funk rock
The 60’s & 70’s were a hell of a time to be a horn player. Some fluff here but overall a great album. 4/5
Not the sound expected from the name Blood, Sweat & Tears. This is a rocking jazz album with a phat brass section. Most of the album sounds like it could be from a movie soundtrack. The most popular song on this album is surprisingly Cream's Sunshine of Your Love.
Pretty enjoyable, older sounding but well composed in bigger band style
Le directeur artistique était mort depuis combien de temps ? On peut savoir Robert ??
Que faisait Manzarek en tant qu'infiltré sur cet album? Comment a t'il réussi à passer le dispositif de sécurité extrêmement serré de Blood, Sweat & Tears, pour venir user de son orgue de merde sur la dernière piste de l'album ? Le mystère reste entier
Enjoyed the B side far more than A!
Just some typical late '60s rock but with lots of horns.
I had heard maybe three or four of their songs in the past and I remember liking them ("And When I Die" comes to mind -- always liked that song), but I never explored their music any further or owned any of their albums, so I'm glad this project served up this one for me today. They are more interesting to my ear than I knew, and there is a lot of talent in this group as composers and performers. Love that the album kicks off with a beautiful Satie piece! Some of the numbers have a lot of soul, too.
melange de rock et jazz. quelques chansons plus plates au milieu but overall pas mauvais 7/10
Groovy and fun. Really loved this listen!
Those horns! This is fantastic! Great example of how well Jazz and Rock go together so well! Standouts: And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, You've Made Me So Very Happy, Smiling Phases, God Bless The Child, Blues Part II, 4.5
I'm sure they are a talented group of guys, but I just don't like it, never have. Their sound almost comes off as creepy to me for some reason. 2 stars.
I'n not a big fan of this style of jazz-rock-blues, but you can hear echoes of ELP and other 70s prog-rock bands. Contains their hits "Spinning Wheel" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" (a cover of a Brenda Holloway song). I liked their "Variations on a Theme" (an adaptation from Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopédies") before the first version went into a weird big-band jazz style. I also quite liked their cover of Traffic's "Smiling Phases". The track "Blues – Part II" interpolates "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Spoonful".
though a bit early to be classically 'prog' this is proto-prog - very talented musicians demonstrating how talented they are at length. I think I like prog for prog's sake - so Rush, Yes, even early Genesis - rather than the 'progging up' other genres like classical, blues or jazz - both of which are on offer here to lengthy and tedious effect. Spinning Wheel is an absolute tune though so drags the whole thing up to a two.
Out of the gate I hated this album. Jazz-rock? WTF? But it really picked up steam. Some soulful (for a white guy) vocals, funky brass section. Kind of a Tom Jones vibe at times. Enjoyed it more than I didn't.
A little bit bonkers and incoherent but in a fun way. It's jazzy, and rocky, and bluesy, and folks and everything inbetween. Pretty impressive for the 60s but I'm not sure I'd revisit it often, and it seems to have been slightly forgotten by time. A diamond in the rough overall. 21/11/23
The first track took me back to my drama classes at middle school. They’d put it on for us to “relax” and I HATED it. The rest of the album was quite a revelation!
местами очень хороший, местами слишком авангард, надо привыкать)
This is the first album that we've been listening to that I skipped a song half way through. I'm familiar with a few of the tunes on this album and they are definitely classics. This jazzy style of music isn't something I enjoy, most of the time. I've heard enough forms of jazz music to last me a lifetime working for a Jazz festival. 🤣 It's good, but also just meh for me and occasionally it was nails on a chalk board. Coincidentally, that's exactly how I feel about jazz music. We have a complicated relationship. 😂😂😜
Me arrulló machín.
Great
I felt like this album should have worked better than it did for me because it was fun jazz mixed with a little rock but it felt like something was missing. It picked up a little bit with god bless the child but everything else was just mediocre to me. Maybe if it was made like a half decade later and there was more of an Issac Hayes influence I'd have liked it more idk. Side note: it was weird to hear the sunshine of your love chord come out of nowhere at the end of an 11-minute song.
Rollicking bass and organ with jazzy horns, the perfect friend to David Clayton-Thomas’ incredible voice. This is my favourite iteration of BS&T and this one is a perfect album, simple as that.
Nice mix of classic and funky music
This album is quite interesting. Sort of a jazzy feel mixed with 70s. Instrumentals include horns, which is a big plus for me. Some of the instrumentals even give me the feels of Christmas instrumentals, but that might just be because of the jazz sound in it 😁 They even got a jazz flute!! 😃 Hey what do you know?! I know some of their songs (Spinning Wheel & You've Made Me So Very Happy) 🥰
Not their best album and doesn't help they mostly a one hit wonder band.
Albums from the 1960s are weird for me. Sometimes they feel timeless. I feel that way listening to a lot of the Beatles songs or even Jefferson Starship. It's too bad that this album just feels old. While there are decent songs, I don't see myself listening to this at all outside of this list. What really makes me sad is that their album, "Child is Father to The Man" has some insane highlights, while this album is all around okay. Best Songs: Spinning Wheel Worst Songs: Sometimes in Winter
Didn't grab me
When the album started with a nice Satie cover I thought “hey maybe my preconceived notions about this band were wrong” then Galway through that song they did a dramatic style shift to absolutely confirm my preconceived notions. Every good song is derailed by some dumb jam. Spinning Wheel does slap (even though it would be a lot better without the jam and the dumb flute (?) part).
I get Rotary Connection vibes from this odd set of covers and jams. But done in a completely different style of course. Or styles, rather. I'm confused, but I think I'm having a better time than the last album this all over the place, by Peter Gabriel. Oh! I recognise this version of Spinning Wheel. You Made me so very happy is a song with a lot of versions, many of them absolutely fantastic, Lou Rawls probably my favourite. This one is so so. The culmination of Blues is very good. Yeah I'm going down the middle.
It’s fine. Not really doing much for me personally. I’d rather listen to the Animals or Box Tops for something similar but harder hitting. The Chicago-ness of it all is off putting at best. Tom Jones + Byrds is a combination that doesn’t age well.
wow, that was unexpectedly fun!
This is a tough one. A couple of famous songs in the middle. And interesting open (that I probably liked the most of anything). Spinning Wheel and You Make Me So are memorable songs but... man, I just don't like 'em. I just don't like 'em! There I said it! Do the lyrics and orchestration come off too cheesy for me? Yeah, something like that. But whatever it is, they make me feel embarrassed. Very strange. Maybe a childhood trauma. God Bless The Child is a great song, but not on this album it isn't. I don't know. This was very close to working for me without working for me.
Peculiar one, this. Underwhelming rock music married with uninspired jazz. I suppose in its own time this was quite forward thinking stuff, but here in 2023 it sounds a bit frayed, a bit moth-eaten and altogether pedestrian.
Can I agree with you both at the same time? Love how this record songs, but don't love the record. Guy sounds like Tom Jones (or maybe vice versa, I dunno) and I can't quite make out what direction this record is headed. It's like trying to walk a dog on a leash and expecting it to go in a straight line; just not happening. My arm/ear is getting yanked all over the place and we're basically walking in a circle. Still. It does sound good! And I kinda like that they sneak in the riff from "Sunshine of Your Love" in a song. But also kinda hate that. Again, dog yanking the arm.
I thoroughly enjoy "Spinning Wheel," and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" isn't bad, but the rest of the album wasn't for me.
I absolutely love the classics on here, but what was up with the rest? It was like folksy music you'd hear at a play? So weird. Their soulful music is top notch, though.
I knew a few of these songs, and they were nice to revisit. But as for the rest of the album? Hard no.
It's fine. It doesn't really interest me.
This was pretty enjoyable, but it was a bit much for me.
well this is a new all-time favorite too good to rate
Ganska kul. Jazz.
Riktigt jävla långtråkigt
The hits - Spinning Wheel and Happy are outstanding. And When I Die is weird. The rest is okay or just meandering.
Not a fan.
This was an alright listen. 3*
Well this was odd. Jumped around all over the place and didn't quite settle into a rhythm. Admired the hutzpah but it didn't make me want to listen again...
2.25
Some good 60s jazz rock
Novel experience to hear a band figuring it out as they go. Definitely a scattershot listening experience that drags in places, but the core of the LP’s songwriting and the skilled instrumentation carry this wild ride over the finish line.