Search - The Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra :: Fathom This

Not for everyone, but excellent music

Kevin Spiegel | Yakima, Washington United States | 07/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If I could sum up this CD in one word, it would be "wow." The group itself is one of the most interesting combos I have ever heard of: 6 people playing 7 different types of saxophones, from the tiny sopranino to the impressive contra-bass (about 6 feet 4 inches tall). As I said before, this CD isn't for everyone; liking the sound of the sax is a must, as that is what this entire album consists of. However, the songs are familiar ones, simply arranged for 6 saxes. All the arrangement was done by one of the members of the group, and he did an excellent job blending the sounds of the different saxes; in some cases, it's easy to forget that saxes are the only things playing. The CD starts with "Visitors from the Deep", which is recordings of different types of whales with the members of the band playing random sounds along with them. The interesting sound of this track is an attention grabber, and leads quickly into the second track, "It Don't Mean a Thing, So Sing Sing Sing." The Benny Goodman version of Sing Sing Sing is incredible, and I didn't think it would be easy to top, but the Nuclear Whales come VERY close. Later songs show incredible solo work and hilarious juxapositioning of sound. There's something about hearing the low rumble of a bass sax followed by the high squeaking of a sopranino that makes me laugh every time. I would recommend this album to anyone who enjoys jazz, swing, or any of the songs on this album in their original form. If nothing else, it gives you another version to listen to if that original recording gets dull. The only problem you'd probably have is actually getting the album. I spent almost a month trying to get a copy from the music stores in my town and various online businesses. I finally found a copy on eBay, and the wait for the auction to finish, followed by the wait for my check to clear, followed by the wait for is to ship was definitely worth it. This album is awesome."

An exaltation of the saxophone!

John Barelli | Gig Harbor, WA USA | 05/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, if you're certain that you absolutely hate the sound of a saxophone, quit reading now. This is not for you.



Ok, now that those two have gone, here it is for everyone else.



This group is having a great time, playing music that they love. It's infectious. You will have fun. Listen to this on the day you get fired, your house burns down and your dog runs away, and you will still find yourself smiling.



This is what music can be at it's best. It's sophisticated, but not pretentious. Music scholars will enjoy the amazing rhythms and harmonies, while their young children clap along with the beat. Teenagers can listen alongside their grandparents and both will end up with big smiles on their faces. This is music for anyone that likes music. While it's mostly saxes, they bring in some percussion and even steel drums on one piece. Some of the pieces are original; others range from jazz to classical. I'm not sure what Strauss would have thought of their rendition of Also Sprach Zarathustra, but I certainly liked it.



I should also point out that most of the album is not live, nor does it claim to be. It's a compilation of several earlier albums. This was perhaps the only disappointment about this album, as I happen to like live music.



A few pointers. While this will sound good on your portable CD player, you really want to listen on a good system that has a decent subwoofer, in order to get the full impact of that huge contrabass sax. (6' 8" tall, made of brass. I think this counts as "heavy metal".) Warn the neighbors (so they don't think it's an earthquake) and enjoy.

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