Mosaic

Track Listings

1. Physics

2. Solarsex

3. Winter on the Wind

4. Riverbend

5. Serum

6. '88

7. Ave Pladaello

8. Hill

9. Under Shaded Water

10. Lamento di Tristan

11. Ela-A (Theme No. 2)

Mosaic,Richard Burmer,American Gramaphone,Adult Alternative,Ambient,Electronic,Electronica,Jazz Music,New Age / Meditation,Progressive Electronic

Mosaic

Tracks:

When The Night Feels My Song
Shelter
Living In Jungles
Money Worries - (featuring Vernon Buckley)
Gyasi Went Home
Shadow Of A Man
Jeb Rand
Criminal
Murder On The Midnight Wire
Music My Rock
Rude Boy Don't Cry
Immigrant Workhorse
Nothing To Say
Money Worries - (E-Clair remix)
Rude Boy Abroad - (Lazare remix)

Album Description

Ontario's Bedouin Soundclash has emerged as a young group refusing to be classified, while blurring the lines of reggae and rock. Look for them on the Vans Warped Tour this summer.

Customer Reviews:

Reggae Folk Pop.......2007-01-11

What happens when you combine Folk, Pop and Reggae? You end up with Bedouin Soundclash. All of the songs have catchy hooks and choruses, so there is never really a "dead spot" on the CD.
If you are a fan of the old style Reggae, then this might just be a group for you.

rise against the chillis "bedouin soundclash is actually really good:".......2006-04-23

I think bedouin soundclash is areally good band compared to other bands. Any who doesn't agree sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AN ALBUM TO LISTEN TO AGAIN AND AGAIN.......2006-02-23

This is overall an amazing album. I purchased it a while ago after hearing When A Night Feels My Song on the radio. I was blown away by the consistency of the album. Every song is a hit single.

ALL RATINGS OUT OF 5

WANFMS - 5/5 what do you expect? Can never get tiresome
Shelter - 3/5 probably my least favourite song on the album
living in jungles - 3.5/5 solid song
money worries - 4/5 vernon buckley is a mad man
gyasi went home - 4/5 just go home gyasi
shadow of a man - 3.5/5 great rythym
jeb rand - 4.5/5 great vocals
criminal - 3.5/5 set up song for later
murder on the midnight wire 5/5 - my favourite song on the album
music my rock - 6/5 cancel that this is my favourite song
rude boy don't cry 4/5 - the album is almost over but don't cry
immigrant workforce - 4.5/5 good solid song
nothing to say - ending off strong

the rest of the songs are remixes so i wont review those. This is summer music at its best.
PEACE

Funky Kingston.......2005-09-16

Kingston, Jamaica? No, mon, that'd be Kingston Ontario. As in Canada. As in wind chill, blizzards, and block heaters. And trust me, when Toots Hibbert sang about a "Funky Kingston" there was nobody getting the two towns mixed up. Yet as unlikely as it may seem - especially given the fact that Bedouin Soundclash played among all the trendy screamo bands on this summer's Warped tour - these Canuck kids do the reggae like they stepped straight outta Trenchtown.

"Sounding A Mosaic" was produced by Darryl Jennifer (of DC hardcore legends the Bad Brains), and he does an ace job of maintaining that sense of lazy space featured in all great reggae. Everything bobs, slinks, and hops with an unhurried, heavy-lidded pace, perfect for power-lounging on a tropical beach (or, given their citizenship, maybe a particularly muggy kitchen). Singer Jay Malinowski's voice resembles Bob Marley, but the band lays down grooves more similar to the reggae-lite of Jimmy Cliff, with a few overtones of dub and an appropriately distant element of Two-Tone ska. For extra cred, they do a version of the Maytones' "Money Worries" that features Vernon Maytone himself on vocals. Not that they needed the help, as the lead-off single "When The Night Feels My Song" is so feel-good melodic that Johnny Nash probably would've eaten his own head just to have it as a followup to "I Can See Clearly Now."

So it's Funky Kingstons now. As in two of them. As in who'da thunk? I guess it was inevitable that there'd be some pleasant trickle-down effect of rampant globalization.

Just like a mosaic: Simple when you look close but beautiful and complex as a whole.......2005-06-22

It's as simple as this: one beautiful voice, one single guitar playing hypnotic reggae clean riffs, one inspired bass line (the album is produced by Bad Brains bass player Darryl Jennifer) and drums that you can't almost notice on some songs that almost seem like some acoustic roots reggae and have much more importance on drum and bass tracks giving a refreshing beat to this album.

BSC doesn't fall in the temptation of adding extra instruments or effects to make their album sound more eclectic, they stick to the ingredients above giving us the impression that they are talented and they don't need any cheap trick to make it more obvious.

They are great song writers: each song as its own story, the lyrics are wise, and as for the music, they manage to change the beat at the perfect moment, bring a catchy chorus so you don't get bored and find yourself listening to the whole CD begging for more.

I personnaly regret that the 2 remix songs don't bring much and somehow betray the global feeling of the album.

In addition to this album I would suggest Root Fire which is as solid as this one, not to be considered as a prequel to Sounding a Mosaic but as another beautiful "mosaïc" which confirms that these guys have their own style. If you don't know him, I would also suggest Patrice early albums :"Ancient Spirit" & "Lions EP"

Average customer rating:

Certified Gem for him or her
DE LA RETURNS
Doesn't get old!
Where to begin?
Better, Stronger, Faster...?

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump
De La Soul
Manufacturer: Rhino / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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AOI: Bionix
The Grind Date
The Love Movement
Beats, Rhymes and Life
Midnight Marauders

ASIN: B00004U45L
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

Intro/Say R.
U Can Do (Life)
My Writes - featuring Tash & J-Ro
Oooh - featuring Redman
Thru Ya City - featuring D.V. Alias Khrist
I.C. Y'All - featuring Busta Rhymes
View
Set The Mood - featuring Indeed
All Good? - featuring Chaka Khan
Declaration
Squat! - featuring Mike D and Ad Rock
Words From The Chief Rocker - featuring Busy Bee
With Me
Copa (Cabanga)
Foolin'
The Art Of Getting Jumped
U Don't Wanna B.D.S. - featuring Freddie Foxx

Amazon.com

The first of their three-album Art Official Intelligence series, Mosaic Thump is a likable album, full of inspired moments. It's also the closest thing De La Soul have ever come to making a less-than-stunning LP. Maybe it's the contemporary production style that weakens songs like "U Can Do" and "I C Ya'll." Maybe it's the (far too) many cameos by bigwigs like Busta Rhymes and Redman and not enough by dark-horse newcomers like Indeed (who comes off nice on "Set the Mood"). De La haven't muzzled their intellectual bite on songs like "Declaration" and "View," and they can still get that rear in rotation with groovers like "With Me," and the funkalistic "Thru Ya City." But where they once left no doubt as to their status as hip-hop's brightest and most innovative group, De La now seem less extraordinary and more merely mortal. --Oliver Wang

Album Description

Features guest appearances by Redman-'Oooh', Chaka Khan-'All Good', Beastie Boys-'Squat', Busta Rhymes-'I.C. Y' All', and Tash & J-Ro of the Alkaholiks and Xzibit on 'My Writes' and much more. Packaged in a Digipak. (Tommy Boy Records)

Customer Reviews:

Certified Gem for him or her.......2007-01-17

Apparently a lot of reviewers took a star away from their rating on this album due to guest appearances by Redman and Busta Rhymes. I guess they forgot that Busta was originally a native tonguer (remember "Scenario") and Redman's first album sparked an entirely new era of east coast hip hop. Not to mention the fact that both songs are certified head nodders (in a good way) especially "Ooooh". "It Ain't All Good" was another banger. My favorite song has to be the 'set the mood' with Indeed, her style is so vivid and effortless you feel like you were next to her when the altercation she described is happening waiting on her to puff and pass. I think other raters are penalizing De La bcuz this is probably their most commercial album as both 'Ooooh' and 'It ain't all good' got major airplay and this album has the most guest appearances from established artists than all of their other albums (busta, redman, black thought, phife, pharoah monch, chaka khan, 2/3 of the beastie boys, etc). I guess hardcore de la fans, many of which are not necessarily hip hop or rap fans, my find that I turn off. The album also seems to be a little more funk influenced than their other albums. Personally, I can replay this whole album 5 times in a row before I even begin to get tired of it. If that's not a classic I don't know what is.

DE LA RETURNS.......2005-09-27

after a hiatus from releasing albums De La Soul returned with this. and believe me it does not dissapoint. I dont understand why all of yall are talkin ---- on this joint its pretty dope there are really only a few tracks that I find myself skipping through and it is about equal with the BIONIX record. Prince paul didnt produce on this one but the beats still bump bear in mind this isnt the second coming of DE LA SOUL IS DEAD but it is still better than 90% of the attempted comebacks by most Hiphop artists today. My favorite song is SET IT OFF with INDEED it is the hottest track I have heard in a while. I think that if you are looking at this CD and you see some bad reviews dont listen to them this is not a classic but it is definetly worth your time. 4 mics

Doesn't get old!.......2005-08-23

I have been listening to this CD by de la for months and it still has not gotten old! My personal favorites are "Thru ya city" and "copa cabana" but there are a lot of other good ones. The trademark de la sideshow freestyles are also classic. Pick this one up for sure, ya won't be dissapointed.

Where to begin?.......2004-07-13

I'm kinda sick of readin all these reviews sayin how it's not as good as their old stuff or there are too many guests. If you like their old stuff you gotta be 30 years old. Thats not really a dis but it's true. If you like hip-hop from '89 your old. period. The beats from then are different from the mid to late 90's and i think you would have had to grow up then to like stuff from then. "Newer" hip-hop started around the time of The Chronic. Thats when the beats started changing to what the kids listen to today. As for the record. Good. Not great, not bad, but good. Like many said there are a handful of standout tracks but the others are still listenable. It's not like theres only 3 cuts and then i take the cd out. I can listen to almost the whole thing. Theres also only like 2 or 3 "skits" out of 17 tracks which is good (I can't stand albums where like half the material are skits). Overall it's got fresh beats and is a good listen and worth having in your collection.

Better, Stronger, Faster...?.......2003-06-16

The first installment of De La Soul's album Trilogy Art Official Intelligence is quite frankly not upto De La's usuall exceptional standards but does not fail to impress in parts.

Originality is not a major theme here, especially with a computer generated female narrator; identical to that used by A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders. Along with other recognisable Bass lines and samples.

However the album does "shine" with tracks like "Thru Ya City", "Set The Mood" feat. Indeed and "With Me".

However, these good efforts are overshadowed by tracks including the commercialised Redman, Busta Rhymes and even the likes of The Beastie Boys: which most definitely puts a slight downer on the album as a whole.

Tracks:

Breathing Bull
Winter Shaker
Swedish Purse
Twig
Whistling Girl
Elktooth
Bible And Bird
Dirty Blue
Slota Prow - Full Armor
Truly Golden
Deerskin Doll
Little Raven/Shun

Album Description

An enchanting and layered world of musical meditations. David Eugene Edwards' music is brooding and dark, yet somehow maintains a tight grip on hope. Dreamy instrumentals, jarring anthems, haunting melodies, hypnotic percussion. Whether the biblical references inspire heartfelt devotion or confused indifference, it's the power of the words and the passionate authority with which they're sung that bring Edwards' songs to another level.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2006-11-13

This album is absolutely gorgeous, and some of the best music I've heard in a long time. I also think this is Mr. Edwards' finest album yet. It's not different in style from his past works, just better. For me it's the first complete Woven Hand album, the first one without a single dull track. I've been a fan since 16 Horsepower, and I'm constantly impressed that he continues to deliver great music album after album, but he's outdone himself this time. I highly recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the music of 16 HP or Woven Hand.

Best album I've heard in a long time........2006-09-20

I have been running music stores for 11 years, so you know that I am very picky. This guy is brilliant. He has incorporated world music with melodic vocals that are just haunting. the images that he portrays in his songs with his obvious religious background in superb. There is nobody out there like this. if you like folk music, dark sounding gospel or just plain world music, this is for you. he uses many different instruments and as stated, his vocals are indescribably good.

Average customer rating:

Intimate Patti Austin
Patti Austin
Manufacturer: Mosaic Contemporary
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Avant Gershwin
for Ella
Street of Dreams
Love Is Gonna Getcha
The Very Best of Patti Austin

ASIN: B000OONPJK
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
Island
Baby, Come to Me - Patti Austin, James Ingram
If I Believed
Summer Is the Coldest Time of Year
Cry Me a River
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
Any Other Fool - Patti Austin, Sadao Watanabe
In My Life
Through the Test of Time
If This Is the Last Time
Love's Been Kind to Me Lately

Average customer rating:

Ultimate Alex Bugnon
Alex Bugnon
Manufacturer: Mosaic Contemporary
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

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Ultimate Earl Klugh
Stay with Me
White Sand
Born 2 Groove
Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000N3ST0M
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Around 12:15 A.M.
Piano In The Dark
Love Season
Dance Of The Ghosts
107 Degrees In The Shade
The Lone Crusader
This Time Around
Okra
Onward, Upward
Walking In Rhythm
Soul Purpose
Missing You Like Crazy

Average customer rating:

let's go,baby come on!
MOSAIC is definitely worth listening to...
I know it because I lived it.
Bought for 'Everybody have fun tonight', kept for the rest
Aptly named

Mosaic
Wang Chung
Manufacturer: Geffen Gold Line Sp.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Points on the Curve
The Warmer Side of Cool
To Live & Die In L.A.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Huang Chung
Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000000OYB
Release Date: 1996-03-19

Tracks:

Everybody Have Fun Tonight
Hypnotize Me
The Flat Horizon
Betrayal
Let's Go
Eyes Of The Girl
A Fool And His Money
The World In Which We Live

Customer Reviews:

let's go,baby come on!.......2007-07-31

wang chung had a huge hit with everybody have fun tonight in 1987. they had two more hits that year. let's go! and hypmotise me. other songs i like are betrayl,a fool and his money,eyes of the girl,and the world in which we live. i love mosaic by wang chung,because it has a good mix of pop,rock,and dance musc i think you will like. ed wilson

MOSAIC is definitely worth listening to..........2007-01-21

I was very fond of "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and "Let's Go!" before getting the Mosaic CD. I also heard of "Hypnotize Me", but everything else was a blur to me. Eventually, I got the CD, and realized the magic Wang Chung produced over 20 years ago. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" is, and will always be, their greatest hit on the Top 100. That wacky anthem of "Everybody Have Fun Tonight... Everybody Wang Chung Tonight" will live on as an unofficial song opener for party... even if they don't know what a Wang Chung is. "Hypnotize Me" is a pretty decent song, especially for people who are madly in love. "The Flat Horizon" is an artsy song, to say the least. Listen, and you'll know what I mean. I personally think both "Betrayal" and "A Fool and His Money" brought the album's notoriety down, but that's just me. "Let's Go!" is a sleeper that managed to break into the Top 10, somehow. But, don't get me wrong, I like it. Aside from EHFT, this has to be the best song on the album. "Eyes of the Girl" is mesmerizing, and has a catchy beat, too "The eyes of the girl are following me... now it's all over, they're raining on me". Last, but not least, "The World In Which We Live" still stands true to it's word, even in the 21st century. Albeit the F and S words through me off at first, the overall lyrics are good, and the only bad thing is that the song is 7 minutes long, and it gets VERY repetitive at the end. All in all, I like this album. I gave it 4 stars, only because tracks 4 & 7 killed "Mosiac". Everything else is dynamite...
-WFM II

I know it because I lived it........2006-08-17

Let me indulge readers in an alternative perspective of Wang Chung. The other reviews here seem to rubberband between worshipfulness and thrashing. How about a more reasonable, more objective view? I remember seeing the video for "Dance Hall Days" from their 1984 album "Points On The Curve" as my first exposure to Wang Chung. I was unaware at the time that they already had a previous album.

In 1985, I was aware of "To Live And Die In L.A." and saw the video for the title track (and later the film by William Friedkin--The Exorcist, The French Connection).

In October 1986, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" was inescapable, and to a 13 year old kid like myself the video was unique and the song was infectious. "Let's Go" was the second single/video, and I was sold. I saw Jack and Nick at an in store signing at Sound Warehouse in Aurora, Colorado in March 1987. The third single, "Hypnotize Me" was also good, and was used in the film "Innerspace" with Dennis Quaid and Martin Short.

All eight songs on Mosaic are well produced and arranged. If you didn't like the New Wave sound of the 1980s, then you probably won't like "Mosaic". I thoroughly enjoy the punk/New Wave sound, so 20 years later, I still enjoy "Mosaic". "A Fool And His Money" I think of as being the weakest track. Otherwise, "The Flat Horizon, "The World In Which We Live", "Betrayal" and "The Eyes Of The Girl" are all solid numbers. Unfortunately, "Mosaic" would prove to be the pinnacle of Wang Chung's career.

In 1989, I was quick to buy their next album "The Warmer Side Of Cool", which may surpass "Mosaic" artistically. However, by 1989, many popular artists of the 1980s were being snubbed by radio and MTV/VH1, and so Wang Chung disappeared from view.

I have "Strictly, Inc." with Jack Hues and Tony Banks (of Genesis) from 1995 which received no recognition. Then their Greatest Hits was released in 1997 with a new track "Space Junk" which I felt showed great promise, but there was to be no new album.

In June 2005, after I thought they'd vanished into the annals of pop music history, Jack and Nick showed the world once more that they are trained experts at their craft when they performed on the television show "Hit Me Baby One More Time" covering Nelly's "Hot In Herre" with the precision of a surgeon. There was talk of a new Wang Chung album (which I'd snap up in a minute), but alas, a year has come and gone and no new album.

And so those of us who appreciate Jack and Nick's vision have to deal with derision from anti-80's music snobs who are in no position to judge music they weren't old enough to experience the first time around or who were old enough, but preferred hair bands or the fledgling, underproduced rap music of the day.

I give "Mosaic" four stars because I never felt Wang Chung were allowed to reach their true potential, but what they did leave behind is pure melodic New Wave/romanticism that no one seems capable of duplicating 20 years later. It was another time and another place 20 years ago, and while there is a new Neo-New Wave music crowd burgeoning, I haven't heard anything remotely similar to what Wang Chung were able to devise.

Bought for 'Everybody have fun tonight', kept for the rest.......2005-07-06

As quite often happens with me, I bought MOSAIC for a single song - "Everybody Have Fun Tonight", the only one I recall ever hearing before buying the album and the most famous of the lot - and ended up liking a couple of the other songs even better than the original raison d'etre of the album. Out of the eight songs, I'm very fond of four, which is a pretty good hit rate by my standards.

Jack Hues (the lead vocalist on "Everybody Have Fun Tonight") is lead vocalist throughout, and most of the songs have approximately the same mix of vocals, give or take throwaway lines.

"Everybody Have Fun Tonight" Original 1986 recording (ouch, that it's been that long), hasn't been given any new ill-advised "musically superior" arrangement.

"Hypnotize Me" Forgettable. "Just shine the light in my eyes/And hypnotize me love."

"The Flat Horizon" I'm fond of this one, though I have to say I had to read the lyrics before I had a good grasp of all that was being said. "Oh this line is the flat horizon/and you are the shape on the left/Oh this line is the flat horizon/And this is the sun in the sky/Oh this line is the flat horizon/and makes the great divide/between heaven and angels/and earth and man."

"Betrayal" Minor key as sax dominates the accompaniment, very sad while being a good song.

"Let's Go" - One of my three favourite songs on here; surprising that it isn't played more often on weekday mornings. Very cheerful and upbeat. "I wish you'd drop what you're doing/And get on the case/We could blow this existence/Right out into space..."

"Eyes of the Girl" - Fast 4/4 tempo, dominated by snare and guitar."Tears fall from the eyes of the girl/and the girl is watching me."

"A Fool and His Money" - "Just like a fool and his money/Just like a fool, I let it slip away". Slower tempo, but with guitar rather than keyboards dominating the instrumental accompaniment, and with a different mix of supporting vocalists. "Betrayal" is much more effective at conveying heartbreak; Jack Hues doesn't sound like he really cares about the subject of the song here.

"The World in Which We Live" - The longest song on the album at over 7 minutes (the others average about 4 minutes 45 seconds), arguably the most obscure (the unexpurgated lyrics aren't a help there), and yet the song that gives the album its name. While the tempo seems much faster than that of the other songs due to the driving percussion, it's actually about the same beat as "Let's Go" with a lot more energy. "The world in which we live/the world in which we all are depends/whoever would forgive/the way we treat the world in which we live/Chorus: The world is a mosaic upon a golden floor/Moving silently, darkly through space/and our lives are the fragments and all that's gone before..."

Aptly named.......2005-05-20

Wang Chung never was that great a success, even within 80's dancepop, but they had some memorable hits. This is a great representative sample of what they were capable of, including the incredibly catchy Everybody Have Fun Tonight (one of the best song titles ever). Only the mediocre A Fool And His Money and Betrayal hold it back.

Average customer rating:

The Real George Benson!

Beyond the Blue Horizon
George Benson
Manufacturer: Mosaic Contemporary
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000OONPJU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

So What
Gentle Rain [From the Gentle Rain]
All Clear
Ode to a Kudu
Somewhere in the East
All Clear [Alternate Take][*]
Ode to a Kudu [Alternate Take][*]
Somewhere in the East [Alternate Take][*]

Customer Reviews:

The Real George Benson!.......2007-06-14

I've been a George Benson fan for almost three decades now (though not so much in recent years) but for most of that time I was also a pretty ignorant one in that I used to believe his career began with 1976's Breezin'. I know better now of course. Fine an album as that one was (and still is) though, a few albums preceded it that were far superior, especially in terms of his jazz guitar playing. I'm thinking about White Rabbit, (also released in 1971), 1973's Body Talk and 1974's Bad Benson, and even after all this time, these are still some of my favourites.

This one I missed though. Recorded in 1971, I recently learned that it's considered by many to be one of his best. The sticker label on the front of the CD proclaims it as "the legendary musician's most brilliant guitar recording. A breathtakingly burning finger-bursting jazz guitar classic!" and after just one listen I have to say I totally agree. There are no vocals at all on this one, not even Benson's trademark background scatting, which alone marks it out. The guitar playing is mesmerisingly interesting.

There were five tracks on the original album, produced by Creed Taylor and it features other legends like Ron Carter on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums, with Clarence Palmer on organ, and Michael Cameron & Albert Nicholson on percussion. This (probably remastered) reissue has three extra tracks; alternate takes of "All Clear", "Ode To A Kudu" and "Somewhere In The East". These alternate takes are not quite as tight are the original versions and lean towards the smoother jazz Benson was to later become renowned for. No surprise there, I suppose.

I've always loved Benson's guitar improvisations but some of the stuff he does here - on the Bonfa/Duble tune "The Gentle Rain" and the exotic, worldly "Somewhere In The East" especially - is just crazy. The percussion on the tune is almost worth the price of the CD all on its own. "All Clear" has been one of my favourite tracks by Benson for the longest time ever since a friend put it in a compilation tape for me back in the old days. It's only recently I decided to find the album the song came from. I may have left it rather late but better late than never, no?

If you ever wanted to have an idea of how George Benson might have turned out if he hadn't tried to be a jazz guitarist AND a pop singer at the same time, this CD is definitely worth checking out. Personally, I love every minute of it.

Average customer rating:

Benson's Last Purely Funky Jazz Release
The Good King is Bad...
Not typical CTI-era Benson...

Good King Bad
George Benson
Manufacturer: Mosaic Contemporary
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Funk | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music
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Beyond the Blue Horizon
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The New Boss Guitar
Stay with Me
Born 2 Groove

ASIN: B000N3ST0C
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Theme from Good King Bad
One Rock Don't Make No Boulder
Em
Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Siberian Workout
Shell of a Man
Hold on I'm Coming

Customer Reviews:

Benson's Last Purely Funky Jazz Release.......2007-07-03

I admit to being a Johnny-come-lately when it comes to the music of George Benson. I hadn't even heard of him until Breezin' burst on the scene. Though I did not care much for his vocals at the time, his guitar wizardry mesmerized me. So when I soon found out he'd been around for awhile, I started exploring his back catalogue and was stunned upon discovering Good King Bad.
GKB is so good, it is an album I still own on vinyl, cassette, and now on CD. I even once owned it on 8-track. There are very few recordings I own in so many formats so that should testify to how vital I think this is.
Since I rarely listen to my albums anymore, I have been watching this site for years for Good King Bad to be reissued on CD. As soon as I discovered it had been, I ordered it immediately and received it within days. Imagine my joy as I put it on and cranked it up!
The best songs here are definitely the Dave Matthews compositions. Theme From Good King Bad is great, One Rock Don't Make No Boulder is better, but Benson really scores a knockout with Siberian Workout. Not only is George Benson spectacular on this tune, its relentless driving rhythm has even a non-dancer like myself wanting to get up and get down. In addition to the Matthews cuts, I also highly enjoy Em.
Where Good King Bad differs from some of Benson's earlier instrumental albums is in the way he plays. While his virtuosity shines thoughout, Benson's play is far more controlled and deliberate than in the pre-GKB past.
Those reading this review may wonder why I give the CD only four stars after praising it so highly. Well, its because of the addition of the vocal Hold On I'm Coming which was not on the original album and which is very much out of place here. Mosaic Records would have done listeners a much bigger favor adding some CTI out-takes or alternate versions of the other songs rather than sticking us with a vocal which is evocative of Benson's rather lame mid-80s and 90s soul crooner output. Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the original recording is admittedly short but the last song would have been better off omitted. This song is probably the source of the first reviewer's somewhat negative evaluation of the quality of the album.
Good King Bad is George Benson's last purely funky jazz release before he started to slouch toward the pop/smooth jazz mix that made him famous in the wider world. If you are one of those who love George Benson best when he uses his guitar to sing, then forget about the last song and get this CD anyway. You won't regret it.

The Good King is Bad..........2007-06-26

We all have our tastes, but if you have trouble with Benson's effort on this set, then ours obviously run counter. George is in fine form and plays with the confidence that comes from not having to show off to impress anyone. The respect he shows to Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, 'Brother' Jack McDuff and Tal Farlow are obvious to me, but hey I'm from the Miles Davis school of less (well-placed) is more. His time, ability to swing and touch are all quite tasty...anyone that can't get into 'Good King Bad' has truly missed the boat.

I've been looking for this one since 1977 and almost fell over when I saw that it was being released on cd. Finally...while he doesn't dominate the set with his flawless technique, there's no doubt who the Alpha is, the Good King is indeed Bad...

Not typical CTI-era Benson..........2007-06-19

While the vast majority of George Benson's CTI-era releases are at least worthy - if not outright burnin' - "Good King Bad" isn't one of his better efforts for the label.

While I don't have so much of a problem with attempts at pop crossover, I was disappointed in Benson's playing, which sounds bored, stilted and surprisingly conservative considering his playing on other CTI barnburners, including "Bad Benson," "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and even "Body Talk," which also is obviously aimed at more of a pop audience but is a much better record.

Benson's pop crossover was most successful on "Breezin,'" where he managed to show his considerable jazz guitar chops, get his "pop" vocals on the record and sell a gazillion copies for the effort. It was a record that left both pop and jazz audiences satisfied.

While I've been approving of Mosaic Contemporary's choices so far for its releases of the more "modern" stuff, particularly its reissuing of Benson's "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and Freddie Hubbard's outstanding "Super Blue," I can't quite figure out why Mosaic - a label with unusually pristine judgement - chose to reissue "Good King Bad." It's a pretty mediocre effort for a Mosaic release, and a failure at Benson trying to please two audiences at once. It's neither a good jazz or pop effort.

While I didn't believe the record deserves a two-star review, it doesn't quite reach a three star, either. I would call it a two and one-half.

If you are a fan of Benson's finger-busting guitar chops you will be disappointed with "Good King Bad." I would definitely go for "Beyond the Blue Horizon" or even "George Benson In Concert at Carnegie Hall," also recently reissued by Mosaic and a pleasing effort for fans of Benson's astonishing guitar prowess.

jazzbojesus has spoken.