Library CDs (mini reviews)

Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick: I don't like this, but don't really hate it either. It's interesting stuff. Generally speaking, I think hating on prog rock is somewhat wrongheaded in the context of 2005. It's such an integral part of the developement of rock music, that at worst you would come to the conclusion that someone had to try that kind of thing, just to see if it worked. Tull are a little more accessible to me due to the fact that they have some great heavy metal songs like "Locomotive Breath," but there's other things in their catalog I like as well (find their song "Fat Man"--it's awesome!). This is way on the prog end of the spectrum, though, and doesn't appeal to me beyond "hmm...interesting."

Kid Creole Redux: A career retrospective of Kid Creole, an 80's guy whose music incorporates calypso, swing and Cuban music. In some ways, alot like Fishbone, but coming from an entertainer mindset rather than a musician mindset. "Endicott" is the one song I'd heard before on this, an insanely catchy tune that ought to be on everyone's new wave mix. The song immediately following "Endicott" is almost equally great. "There's Something Wrong In Paradise" has a tropical Afrobeat sound, and tells the story of a bloody coup against a dictator in some tropical paradise. These are the two songs that stick out for me, but the whole disc is loaded with catchy, danceable, tropical tunes. This guy should really get a lot more love.

Annette Funicello - The Best of Annette: I have an Annette collection on LP (Annette's Scrapbook), but it doesn't have the theme to Beach Party, which is so fucking cool, and totally belongs on my All Time Greatest Summertime Hits mixtape. Also interesting to hear the original version of Jamaica Ska (which she redid with Fishbone as a backing band for the Back to the Beach soundtrack). It's the same tune, but with more of a traditional, laid-back, 60's ska sound--Fishbone really rocked it up in their hyperactive style.

Santana - Caravaniseri: According to the liner notes, this is the 4th Santana album, and took them in a different direction. No hits on here like "Black Magic Woman" or "Evil Ways." 7 of the 10 songs are instrumentals, and generally more mellow than the earlier stuff, this is like Santana's attempt at a jazz album. Most of it sounds pretty good. Good late-night mood music.

The Raymond Scott Orchestrette - Pushbutton Parfait: This is awesome. I feel no need to elaborate further.