JAN HAMMER — Escape From Television (review)

JAN HAMMER — Escape From Television album cover Album · 1987 · Jazz Related Improv/Composition Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
js
There are a lot of things working against this album before it even gets out of the gate; the music on here was made in the 80s, a lot of 80s sounding early digital keyboards were used in it's making and the songs on this album were created to serve as background music for some cheezy 80s TV shows. The big suprise is that this album sounds pretty good, especially if you take it for what it is; background music. This isn't a true soundtrack album, instead what we have on here are twelve seperate semi-pop instumental songs that contain great original sounding, and often melancholy, melodies wrapped up in excellent innovative arrangements. Usually 80s keyboards are annoying, but occaisonally they seem to fit 80s music better than classic 70s analog keyboards would. For instance, artists such as Prince and Devo were often able to enhance their music through cheezy 80s sounds in ways that more classic sounds would not have been able to. It is all part of a weird principal in which if something that is usually bad actually works, than it works better than something that is usually good.

Not all of the songs on here are pop oriented, some get into world music territory and others sound like prog-rock lite, sometimes even sounding like an easy listening version of Hammer's old Mahavishnu Orchestra. This album isn't for everyone, but Hammer makes this odd mix of 80s art-pop, easy listening, world beat and progressive rock/fusion work because he took the time to write strong melodies supported by masterful arrangements.
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