February 5, 2009

The Bad Plus One Awful Vocalist

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FOR ALL I CARE The Bad Plus (with Wendy Lewis)

D- and A For Awful









I never thought I will ever write a negative review of a music cd by my favorite jazz band the bad plus. I own almost all of their albums and I love them all. Not this new release of covers of songs by Nirvana, Stravinsky, The Flaming Lips, Heart, etc. which I absolutely hate! The songs lack imagination and they sound lifeless, uninspired, and utterly boring. It is so puzzling to me that they allowed this crap to be published, as if they have a career death wish or something.

I was skeptical when I heard they will be joined by a vocalist but I am a die hard fan and bought the cd anyway. HUGE.DISAPPOINTMENT. She is awful, awful, awful. She can't sing, period!! I don't care if she is a friend of David King, the drummer, but they should have chosen someone with good pipes and style if they really want to add vocals. The reason I love them is because of the absence of vocals and I would probably have forgiven them if she has a decent voice and a singing style that suits their wild, unpredictable, and sometimes passionate interpretations of covers.

Out of 12 songs only 4 tracks are okay because I get a headache when she comes on and recites, yes, she doesn't sing, she mouths or mumbles lazily the lyrics. Her emo-wannabe style doesn't fit her age and the music of The Bad Plus at all. She single-handedly ruined the whole CD but hopefully not TBP's future.

Tracks with Wendy Lewis
1. Lithium - has the opposite effect, she drives me into depression
2. Comfortably Numb - uncomfortably numbing
4. Radio Cure - iPod curse
5. Long Distance Runaround - give her the runaround
7. How Deep Is Your Love - how mediocre is her voice
8. Barracuda - more like a fry or pupfish
9. Lock, Stock And Teardrops - I can cry a river
10. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate - feeling myself break down and pull my hair out


I am mad as hell for all I care. Oh, well.


8 comments:

sam handwich said...

Do you listen to music much without blinders on? You sound a little moody and nostalgic. Move on, dude .... this album is full of reality; maybe you should give it a shot? I mean, no bad vibes intended, but did you listen to this with no ulterior BS going into it? These are the clearest, un-presumptuous vocals I've heard in quite a while. This record is clearly a naked foray into a wide interpretation of any kind of music - I dare you to try it. It's amazing. Open your mind.

Sidney said...

Wow... you are really angry !

Oggi said...

Sidney, I was when I wrote this post.

I got over it though, deleted the eight tracks from my iPod, and buried the CD in the "mistakes" bin, heheh.

SMP said...

I found a great article on the new Bad Plus album with sound clips and video interviews at http://www.flypmedia.com/issues/23/#11/1

Anonymous said...

WOW. you must be deaf! that is the only explanation for the crap review you wrote.

Anonymous said...

turn up your hearing aid and listen again.

Oggi said...

Anonymous, you SHOULD turn up your hearing aid and listen to her over and over for all I care. In MY opinion YOU are the one who is deaf.

One more thing, this is a free country and I will listen to what I like. Any fool can come here and tell me Kenny G and Celine Dion are great performers and I should "open" my mind but I will beg to differ, and along the same vein I would not shove Beethoven's Appassionata down anyone's throat just because I love it, if you get my drift...it's all a matter of preference, different strokes for different folks.

Wendy has become to me the Yoko Ono of The Bad Plus because the more people leave dissenting disrespectful comments on my opinion/review of this CD the more I am disliking the band. Crappy music deserves crappy review.

DF said...

You're right-- commenters shouldn't be rude about your opinion.

However, I really enjoy Wendy's singing, and I'll tell you why. Her voice is instrumental-- little vibrato, no grandstanding, very pure, no frills. As such, it fits in well with the band as another instrument, instead of typical vocalists who try to hog the limelight. She fits in. In my opinion. And fitting in with TBP is high praise indeed.

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