The Beat (of the Brass) Goes On...
Joseph B. Huber | DFW | 08/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""The Beat of the Brass" is tied with "South of the Border" as my favorite TJB albums. This one is a typical TJB formula album (covers of classics and pop tunes mixed in with originals), but the diversity is nice, and the tunes are all done well, although I could do without "Talk to the Animals".
I do agree with a previous reviewer that the music on this album diverges some from the TJB albums that came before it, but I think it's a welcome change. One such tune is "Slick", which has been a favorite of mine for years. Simple enough for me to figure out how to play it on the trumpet without music, but the little chromatic midsection is elegant with nice dissonant harmony. I love the vibraphone plonking away, and the driving rhythm section, which is also going stong on "Monday, Monday". "Panama" is another favorite of mine, as the rhythm section steals the show in that tune. The slower tunes are nice too, good for de-stressing.
The remastering is decent, although for some reason the CD sounds somewhat hollow and a bit muffled in the car, but better on the home stereo. I have a NM LP which I pulled out and plopped on the digital turntable to do a comparison. I was somewhat disappointed with the packaging. The LP has closeup cameo pictures of the band members, which are missing on the CD insert. It would have been nice to have those, and perhaps a name with each picture.
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Herb Alpert and TJB in their prime
Barry J. Blanchard | Baton Rouge, LA | 04/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was raised listening to the TJB so I am prejudiced toward their playing. That said, this is an excellent example of the "old" TJB type of playing--simple, bouncy, uplifting. The TJB have a style that is unique and I never tire of hearing them. I have been listening to this album since it was an LP, back in 1968, and I still pull it out every spring to listen to it again. Long live Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass!"
PASS THE TEQUILA! AND LISTEN TO THE BRASS! ONE OF MY FAVORIT
! MR. KNOW IT ALL ;-b | TRI STATE AREA | 07/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am repeating this story you are about to read as it gives an explanation of why I love this music so much! "The Beat of the Brass" has many of the songs on it used on the ride you are about to read about. It is one of my favorite Herb albums for that reason. That being said....Please read on.....I have fond memories of the music of Herb Alpert! I was introduced to him at an early age as my parents were fans of his records. I didn't hear much of him again until I was coming of age in Wildwood N.J. at the age of 15 when I used to party under the boardwalk with my friends and our girlfriends underneath Hunt's Pier's "El Scrambler" ride. The ride played Herb Alpert tunes non stop! I guess you could say I became a "Man" underneath that pier with my first love listening to the Tijuana Brass. Later in life in my 30's I was taking a break from playing in a band in the local bars,I became a DJ and I would mix Herb Alpert in my mixes and buy shots of Tequila for my fans! To this day when I play these songs at parties we all look for the Tequila bottle! This is a one of a kind sound and if I were stranded on a desert island with only a few albums, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass would be included in that collection! This is one of his best albums and the last great album in my opinion. I no longer own the original records so, I can not say if the new cd's are true to the originals. They sound fantastic to my ear!"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1