Jackie McLean's Monuments

[Hardbopjazz]

Does anyone here own Jackie McLean's Monuments? How bad is it really? If you have it, do you listen to it?

[Chuck Nessa]

RCA/BMG owns it and it is a piece of crap.

[jlhoots]

I had it on vinyl years ago.

I sold it for $2.

[brownie]

Got this when it came out. Advance word was that it was not monumental. So I was not disappointed when I listened to it.

I still have the original vinyl. Don't play it as often as favorite McLean stuff but I don't think it's as bad as its reputation!

[ejp626]

I did own it. I couldn't believe I was actually able to sell it back to a record store! It's quite bad, with all the tracks credited to some producer rather than anything written by McLean.

[Stereojack]

A real dog - I'm sure somebody's going to pipe up and say he likes it!

[JSngry]

I'm not opposed to albums such as this in pricipal, but I am opposed to this one. The only even slightly "redeeming" quality is the track where McLean talks about the old days. It's kinda jive, but kinda not.

The producer was Mitch Farber, a keyboardist/arranger who was doing some production work for Muse at the time. How the hookup w/McLean came about, I don't know. But it was unfortunate for all concerned.

The irony is that McClean could no doubt have made a burning "street" record at the time, ala the Gary Bartz NTU Troop's work of a few years earlier. But this one ain't street - this one is some sad, overproduced, underinspired, too-slick bullshit.

I'll say this about Monuments - it's proof that making a good pop-jazz record (if you're willing to admit that such a beast is capable of even existing...) ain't as easy as you might think. If anything, it's easier to make a bad one.

[DMP]

Got rid of the album years ago - a real period piece (although I did like a couple of the tracks.) HOWEVER - I still have the 12" disco single LP somewhere in my collection of jazz disco singles. ..

[brownie]

The album was already discussed last year (and probably the year before):

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...monuments&st=15

Since I doubt the album will ever be reissued, I'll keep my copy and make a killing with it on eBay several years from now

[Stefan Wood]

I had it. It's bad, but what's funny is Jackie's playing is fine, but he is inserted in some weird freaking disco environment where the material just plain sucks. Not even redeemable for sampling hip hop purposes. Hilarious cover, though!

[Hardbopjazz]

Hilarious cover, though!

←

You wouldn't have a image of that cover? I would like to see it.

[Stefan Wood]

I will check. It may be in black and white.....

Think the Sphinx but with Jackie's face on it.

[John B]

Hilarious cover, though!

←

You wouldn't have a image of that cover? I would like to see it.

←

see Brownie's post above.

"The album was already discussed last year (and probably the year before):"

Edited August 11, 2005 by John B

[JSngry]

[Hardbopjazz]

Man that's cheesy.

[clifford_thornton]

I feel like I saw "New Copy" LPs at Dusty Groove at some point. If somebody's reissuing that on vinyl, that's really reaching...

[jazzydaddy]

Fortunately I managed to miss Jackie's Monuments album

and based on the feedback I won't bother searching for it.

While we are on the subject of dog's let me throw this one

by John Handy on the table:

I picked it up cheap in a used record shop a few years ago

and when I played it I felt like I had been robbed!!

It's God awful terrible and by far the worst "jazz" album in my

collection. I purchased it without reading a review because

I was impressed with John's playing on some of the other

albums I had by him.

I guess I'll blame it on the 70's. Seems like artists were forced

to pretty much take whatever work came their way just to survive.

The producer of this one ought to have been shot.

It's albums like this that give jazz a bad name.

Don

[Kalo]

That sphinx cover is mighty "cheese-o-fied."

On the other hand, it leaves me with a POWERFUL hankering to hear Jackie Mac jam out with Earth, Wind, & Fire!

[JSngry]

Yeah, him taking Don Myrick's slot on "Reasons" is an intriguing notion, ain't it...

[Rooster_Ties]

I spent about 5-minutes spinning a copy of Monuments in a used record store here in DC on Sunday. Dropped the needle on all of the tracks on side one, and I couldn't bring myself to flip the disc.

The 'rap' Jim mentioned way up earlier in this thread, is the 2nd Youtube clip down below...

Edited March 27, 2012 by Rooster_Ties

[sidewinder]

I'll keep my copy and make a killing with it on eBay several years from now

Could be a long wait..

[Pete C]

A candidate for the worst jazz album I ever owned. I think I paid a buck and listened once. On the other hand, Miles' Doo Bop ain't much better.

[brownie]

I'll keep my copy and make a killing with it on eBay several years from now

Could be a long wait..

OK! OK!

I won't be able to wait much longer...

Will bequeath it to the grandchildren. They'll make a killing

[TedR]

After reading all the comments and never hearing the album before I expected the worst. But, of the first You Tube example that Rooster posted, I thought of the commercial where NBA player Blake Griffin tells his Kia to play him some funk. Not a bad groove! The second tune totally blew.

[six string]

There's a copy of the album at a local record store and it's been there for years. Something inside of me said "don't buy it, boy" and I've listened to that voice all this time. Now that I've read this thread I won't have to worry about a little voice trying to convince me that it might be worth a shot.