Label: Cuneiform
Category: Music
Average customer rating:
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
UPC: 045775016122
EAN: 0045775016122
ASIN: B000065UO1
Release Date: 2002-05-07
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Artist: Muffins
Label: Cuneiform Category: Music Average customer rating:
Media: Audio CD Number Of Discs: 1 UPC: 045775016122 EAN: 0045775016122 ASIN: B000065UO1 Release Date: 2002-05-07 |
Bandwidth
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Tracks:
Amazon.com
The Muffins' heyday was in the early 1970s, when they put an American twist to the rock fusion sound of the seminal art-rock band Henry Cow. Saxophonists Dave Newhouse and Thomas Frasier Scott wrote brainy compositions, played them with verve over tricky time signatures, and attempted to elevate rock to more advanced musical territory without straying into jazz terrain. Like Henry Cow, Soft Machine, and early King Crimson, they incorporated horns into their arrangements. <I>Bandwidth</I>, the first recording from the band after a 20-year break, should hearten old fans and find new ones. The 13 compositions by Newhouse are intelligent and succinct as they weave multiple themes through myriad permutations and elaborations. On the seven-minute opus "Out of the Boot," they sound like a small orchestra as they change dynamics and tone colors dramatically. A section of "East of Diamond," on the other hand, explores extreme sound textures and recalls progressive rock's radical foundation. <I>--Wally Shoup</I>Customer Reviews:
NEW AND FAMILIAR ALL AT ONCE.......2002-06-20
The Muffins, like Soft Machine and Henry Cow, find themselves on the more jazz-influenced end of the spectrum of progressive music, and some of the compositions here are much more conservative than their earlier work, or that of their forebears.
In fact, there are moments on "Bandwidth" that are overtly and strikingly familiar: reference points to the importance of Henry Cow and Soft Machine to their work. More than anything, Henry Cow's "Leg End" is brought to mind, with the crucial difference being that the musicians that comprise The Muffins are not quite as inventive as Lindsay Cooper, Fred Frith, John Greaves, Tim Hodgkinson and Chris Cutler. Usually, you'd have to complain about a lack of originality and comparison is tough to avoid since much of "Bandwidth" and The Muffins' style is so heavily indebted to Henry Cow. But then, together and individually the Henry Cow alma mater accounts for some of the most innovative and impressive music of the past twenty + years. I think that The Muffins just want to keep good company.
"Bandwidth" forsakes innovation and offers solid ideas, writing and playing. It's kinda like finding a misplaced Henry Cow effort, outtakes for an unreleased album that would fall somewhere between "Leg End" and "Unrest". Unlike Henry Cow, The Muffins do not get political. Instead, there is a pervasive and gentle humor in titles and pieces like "Walking the Duck". In fact, I'd be curious to know what the title "Bandwidth" really refers to -- no clue exists on the meaninglessly liquid / terra-firma cover art. The only thing that comes to my mind is the cover of "The Polite Force" by Egg or "Hergest Ridge" by Mike Oldfield, and that's no connection at all.
In any case, Prog has produced some great ideas, talents and music. "Bandwidth" is further proof that The Muffins deserve to be included with all the luminaries of that genre.
Music Album:
Music
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Boogaloo Brasileiro ~ Freddie Bryant
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Broadway's Gone Hawaii ~ Dorothy Lamour, Woody Herman, Frances Langford
Oswaldir & Carlos Magrão ~ Oswaldir & Carlos Magrao
La Musica from Italy ~ Various Artists