BOB JAMES — Two (review)

BOB JAMES — Two album cover Album · 1975 · Pop/Art Song/Folk Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Sean Trane
Armed with a rather cute variant artwork of his previous solo album on its cover, Two is a fairly different animal, and it features the music genre BJ will become famous for: smooth jazz. Although it also contains elements of rock, soul, funk, the music is generally not very energetic, preferring to concentrate on finesse at the expense of excitement; and sometimes we’re not far away from muzak (also called fuzak) or elevator music. Ok, I’m overdoing it a tad, but it’s to make a point. Among BJ’s collabs on the present album are Gale, Gadd, Laws, Brecker, and a few more usual CTI label suspects, but an extended (almost 20) string section. In many ways, this is a typical mid-70’s Creed Taylor productions.

Opening on his famous Mardi Gras cover (Paul Simon, I believe), it sets the mood of the album, but it’s not one to excite a demanding music fan and the over-sweetish string arrangements makes it like a candy, mushy and sickeningly slick. Following up is the excellent I Feel A Song, an unstoppable soft funk piece with a superb catchy War-like chorus and Patti Austin’s superb vocals on the verses. You may actually know another version of this track, but probably not as good as this one. The Golden Apple is probably the album’s highlight, and maybe the only place really reminiscent of the previous One album, and Resnicoff’s excellent guitar solo brings even more substance, but the string section interventions overwhelm (and therefore under-whelms) the debates.

Another blatant shot at commercialism, the flipside opener Farandole gives a mildly exciting middle section with James’ excellent Rhodes solo (reminiscent of Brian Auger’s style), but the whole thing is a bit kitsch, especially the theme reprise with different instruments in the closing minutes, during which Farandole overstays its welcome. The whole thing is flawlessly played, but it lacks a dose of energy. Ditto for the following mid-tempo Right As Rain, but both tracks are still enjoyable and not quite as kitsch as the closing Dream Journey, which starts catastrophically bad, but again the middle section saves the day, before the strings ruin it again.

Although this album probably sold a lot more than its predecessor (and his Mardi Gras will be one of the most sampled tracks two decades later), it holds IMHO much less merits, partly because the commercial aspects are taking precedence over pure excitement and energy dispelled. It’s kind of album that your wife or girlfriend could appreciate to get comfy and snug, so you might want to consider the album, as it is cheaper than most aphrodisiacs, if you are able to forget on not be too hard-on its kitschness.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

The Vinny Golia Quintet 2024 : Almasty Avant-Garde Jazz
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anaconga RnB
CITRUS SUN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Shoot For The Moon Pop/Art Song/Folk
DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Timeless Post-Fusion Contemporary
DAVID BENOIT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Nothing Pop/Art Song/Folk
LOUIS COLE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Songs My Mom Liked EPK - Anthony Branker
ANTHONY BRANKER
js· 8 hours ago
“INFLUENCES” by Jared Hall, trumpeter & composer
JARED HALL
js· 8 hours ago
Jean-Pierre (feat. Darryl Jones)
BILL EVANS (SAX)
snobb· 19 hours ago
Magic Box
CHRISTOPHE MARGUET
snobb· 19 hours ago
The Peacocks
ANTOINE DRYE
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed