Word: basses
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...latest electronic gadgets he has formulated an album of, not rock ballads, but cosmic tone poems. Unlike his earlier albums, the focus in Low is on environment rather than melody, on synthesized effects rather than traditional rock arrangements. The recording is impressive: textures are clear and sharply defined, bass tones are rich and highs are scintillating. Sound loses itself in the infinity of space. A leap of imagination and one could be transported past the Pleiades, meditating on some barren asteroid and watching the comets streak by. The synthetic mode lends itself, as Bowie has proven in the past...
...crown prince of electronic rock plays on 7 of the 11 tracks, and collaborates with Bowie on the most successful of the instrumental pieces, "Warszawa." Using piano, mini-Moog, Chamberlain and E.M.I. (don't even ask), Eno creates a work of majesty and spirituality. Medieval in feeling, with a bass drone borrowed from Russian liturgy, it is punctuated by Bowie's decent imitation of the sharp, nasal song style of Eastern Europe. You have the sense of sunlight glowing through the windows of a cathedral; gloomy, but at the same time gloriously transcendant and essentially redemptive...
...CONTRAST, "Sound and Vision" is punctuated by a sizzle reminiscent of Bowie's disco years. Bass line, mellotron and the choral vocals are all classic components of a disco arrangement, though the sounds and inspirations seem to originate elsewhere. Bowie's mellow but beautifully articulated baritone contrasts with his high sharp "rock" voice. The cut has brief moments when the musical concept seems to jell, but ultimately there is little sense of build or progression...
...most under-rated pianists in his smooth accompaniement. The album is fortunate to have "Hub Cap", a long unavailable cut featuring Hubbard, Heath, and Philly Joe Jones, among others. And, for those who are collecting them, there is a dandy "Body and Soul" with Hubbard, Shorter, Reggie Workman (on bass) Philly Joe and Walton. Easy listening...
Then the "County Jail Blues" begin, with first slowed-down, next revved-up-to-speed-at-the-end-of-the-phrase guitar riffs, with a tight and consistent bass backing that provide the steadiness needed. It is easily the most unsettling and so the most successful track on the record. It repeats itself methodically but never to the point of monotony. There's a feeling behind it that is generally conspicuous by its absence on the rest of the album. Called almost-blues...