Ellington Suites, The - Duke Ellington

Advantages: Superb playing and well-written music, cliche free
Disadvantages: Nothing

...I've been reluctant to write about this CD, since I generally can't string together two words about it. However, it is hands down my favourite Duke Ellington CD, so I thought I'd share my thoughts with you all! 'Such Sweet Thunder' is dedicated to the Stratford, Ontario Shakespearean Festival, and all the pieces are based on Shakepeare characters or sonnets. This has absolutely no reflection in the music though, so it's best just to sit back and enjoy the ride. Track Listing (HUGE, bear with me) 1. Such Sweet Thunder, 2. Sonnet for Caesar, 3. Sonnet to Hank Cinq, 4. Lady Mac, 5. Sonnet in Search of a Moor, 6. The Telecasters, 7. Up And Down, 8. Sonnet for Sister Kate, 9. The Star-Crossed Lovers, 10. Madness in Great Ones, 11. Half the Fun, 12. Circle of Fourths, BONUS TRACKS: 13. The Star-Crossed Lovers, 14. Circle of Fourths, 15... Read review

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Advantages: Duchess is one of the best Genesis tracks.
Disadvantages: Some nasty synth-pop and bland tracks

...The three remaining members of Genesis hit the 1980s by starting to write synth-pop songs. Their prog-rock roots hadn't entirely disappeared though. leaving some of the material on this album neither pop nor prog and suffering as a result. Initially they created a suite of songs about "Duke", and then split up the suite and added other tracks, keeping the title for the entire album. Opening with a joyful fanfare, "Behind The Lines" sounds like it is going to be another good Genesis instrumental, however after a couple of minutes it decends into a rather mundane song with only an occasional glimpse of how it started. Luckily the Genesis magic hasn't completely gone just yet as "Duchess" is a glorious track. I love those drum machine sounds and swirling synths. The whole track has a raising-hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck energy. This is... Read review

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Advantages: Clear talent, beautiful music, gorgeous guitar lines
Disadvantages: Nothing too out of line, not "exciting"

..., Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Black Sabbath) Jazz, (Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk) and Funk (Ohio Players, Funkadelic, Parliament, The Meters, many of whom they have covered songs of). More recently, John Frusciante has also shown an interest in vocal harmonies, used in bands such as The Beach Boys, noticeable both in his solo material and Red Hot Chili Peppers' works, and in electronic arrangements (Kraftwerk, Squarepusher) It is clear from Frusciante's way of playing that he is both highly talented, yet determined to keep improving and learning new ways to approach pieces. Rarely will he be found playing songs note for note live, where he sounds even more passionate than on disc. Those who come from having listened solely to John's works with Red Hot Chili Peppers might be a bit surprised by this album. This music is... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful