Since September 2010, this blog has recorded the journey of this music junkie as I attempt to listen to all the music in my CD collection. CDs revisited in their entirety from start to finish - no skipping tracks, no shuffle. Compact Discs only - no vinyl, no tapes, no files.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Richard Elliot - On the Town (1991)


Drum machine warning! Over-produced smooth jazz typical of what was coming out in the late '80s - early '90s. The production on this CD didn't do Elliot's tone any favors; it's a little too pinched for my taste (metal mouthpiece, maybe?). Elliot has been called the 'Michael Bolton of the saxophone' meaning that the music is soulless and formulaic, which it is. I can't completely dismiss Elliot since he was a member of the Tower of Tower horn section in the '80s and recorded one of my favorite sax solos on the song Credit from that group. Bought on the cheap as background music for my office, it works just fine for that because it's shuffled in with other music, but it certainly doesn't require repeated, active listening. In fact, repeated, active listening should probably be avoided.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart: #2
Peak on the CashBox Contemporary Jazz Chart: #2

Tracks: Best tracks are Along The Way and Breezer. The final track, a cover of Over The Rainbow, is absolutely horrifying. Rarely in this CD Project have I wanted to skip a track more than I want to skip this crime against musical taste. It's as bad as the typical American Idol audition: no sense of pitch, phrasing, tone, or rhythm.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, most likely because I have no memory of this music.

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