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Album Details |
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| Latin Vibrations - John Schroeder - 1971 |
Label: Polydor Vibe 1 2460 136 (UK)
Format: LP
From: UK
My rating: 5/10
Entered: 09/10/2001
Last updated: 01/20/2004
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Search on GEMM |  | Housed in a beautiful cover, and with at least one outstanding track, Paramaribo, I had extremely high hopes for this LP. I hated it the first time I heard it, but listening now it doesn't seem so bad. The first side consists of some reasonably schlocky early 70s easy listening music. The arrangements are quite good, but some of the choices of material don't really do it for me. And believe me, I'm not all that fussy! I've got no problem with hearing Percy Faith doing 'Feelings' or Ronnie Aldrich doing 'Make it with you', but John Schroeder doing 'If you could read my mind' somehow doesn't quite do it for me. One of the most inventive arrangements is saved for 'With a little help from my friends', which is a shame for me, since I'm really not fond of that song.
The second side is better than the first. It begins with a tasty version of 'Manha de Carnaval,' featuring some shimmering strings. This is followed up with an interesting and slightly beaty version of 'Moanin'. Next comes the superbly bouncy 'Paramaribo', with its catchy and jazzy piano riff, tasty brass and nice vibes. This is by an enormous distance the best track on the album. 'Sweet Unity', a Johnny Pearson original, is a nice quiet one with Latin percussion and some nice shimmery sounds. The album concludes with 'It don't come easy,' which is quite a nice upbeat easy number. The prominence of flutes in the arrangement isn't really to my taste, but it has a nice groove to it.
At the end of the day, I have to say that the arrangements don't really hold my attention quite as well as those by, for example, Percy Faith on his contemporary Angel of the morning and Black magic woman albums, so this album remains a bit of a disappointment. Great cover though! | John Schroeder recommendations at Musical Taste
It takes a thief
| Links for John Schroeder
http://www.chrisspedding.com/session/js/js.htm
This is actually a page by Chris Spedding, a session guitarist who played on some of his records. However, it's fascinating to me for its rare cover scans and details from Schroeder's obscure but often brilliant 'Vibrations' series, released on Polydor in the UK in the early 70s.
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