Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Report Posted April 22, 2003 (edited) I had no idea this was coming out in the U.S., until I stumbled across it today!!! (While I was out looking for the new Rare Grooves, which they didn't have.) It appears to have just hit the streets today, April 22nd. Man, I've been jones'n for this one for a couple years now!!!! I never did pull the trigger on the Japanese CD issue, cuz I hate "mini-LP's", and I'm sure glad I didn't, cuz the new domestic (U.S.) "Conflict" has three bonus tracks, that I'm sure weren't on the Japanese CD issue. (Can someone confirm this???) ( There are alternate takes of these three tunes: "Conflict", "Aim", and "Look To Your Heart". FYI, the total time on the disc is about 57 minutes.) Before 20 minutes ago, I'd never heard this album (nor any Jimmy Woods album, for that matter). I was particularly interested in this one, cuz it has Andrew Hill!!!! - but I didn't remember until today that it also has Carnell Jones and Harold Land, plus (of course) Elvin Jones. What a line-up!!! As I'm typing this, I'm only through the first three tunes and about a minute into the fourth track - but I'm loving it, for sure!!!! This is a VERY interesting album, especially for something recorded in 1963. Hot damn!!!! One other question, about Woods' other album from 1962: Is "Awakening" just as good/interesting??????" Edited April 22, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Author Report Posted April 22, 2003 (edited) Looks like I must not have been the only one who didn't know this was coming out in the U.S. --- as here's a couple recent eBay auctions for the Japanese "Conflict" CD (minus the bonus tracks, presumably), which both went for relatively high-dollars... $24.45 ($27.45 with shipping) $18.52 ($21.52 with shipping) I just got mine for $12, plus tax (with a little "insiders" employee discount, 20% off most titles --- if I can find the right sales-person to ring me up, flash 'em an old card that's really only supposed to get me 10% off new 'classical' titles, but somehow I've got a few people in there conviced it's worth 15% or 20% off anything in the store, depending on who I find, and what mood they're in.) B) B) B) Oh, and of course the domestic one is in a Jewel Box. :rsmile: Edited April 23, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Author Report Posted April 22, 2003 (edited) Damn, Woods' alto solo on the alternate take of "Look To Your Heart" (track 9) - is really stunning. This is only my first time (ever!) through this album, so I can't say that I specifically noticed Woods' solo on the master take. Maybe it was just as good. Man, I'm so glad they had alternate takes, and that they're on this new issue. Edited April 22, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
JohnS Posted April 22, 2003 Report Posted April 22, 2003 Good news, thanks for the heads up about the alternates. A possible for recording of the week? Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Author Report Posted April 22, 2003 (edited) A possible for recording of the week? In a heartbeat!!! Actually, even though the "Album of the Week" falls to me next - I think I'm gonna wait on picking "Conflict" as the album of the week. Am I right in thinking that most people won't have this one??? - (since it's never been on CD in the U.S. before now). Might be tough to get enough people to go out and get it, now, on such short notice. But, I whole-heartedly suggest we come back to this one as an "Album of the Week" in a few months, after people have had some time to get it. Official Notice: if you're thinking about getting Jimmy Woods "Conflict" on CD anytime in the future, go ahead and get it "sooner than later" - cuz I predict it's gonna be an "Album of the Week" within the next 2-3 months. Edited April 23, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Stan C Posted April 22, 2003 Report Posted April 22, 2003 I was going to keep the Japanese mini-LP version of Jimmy Woods Conflict CD but when I heard it was going to have 3 alternate takes I decided to put it on auction. I don't really care for the mini-LP type CDs. Definitely 57 minutes of Jimmy Woods is better than 37 minutes (Japan version) Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Author Report Posted April 22, 2003 Just listened the to master take of "Look To Your Heart" for the second time, and the alternate is way better (IMHO). There are a few squawks on the alternate, which make it easy to understand why they chose the take they did. But, the alternate is much stronger (IMHO), particularly on Wood's alto solo at the beginning. Much more adventuresome, with more energy (as I recall, after only hearing the alternate the first time). I'm on my second time throught the album (back to back!!), and I may listen to the whole thing again, twice more yet today!!! Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Author Report Posted April 22, 2003 (edited) FYI, here are some 30-second sound-samples of the Japanese issue of "Conflict".... Link: Amazon In case you're like me, and have never heard this album before... Edited April 22, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Author Report Posted April 22, 2003 (edited) Actually, Rosenthal's HARD BOP is where I first heard about it too. And I've been salivating for it all this time, just like you!! If they had released it in a jewel box in Japan, I probably would have gotten it by now - but I'm sure glad I waited, and got an extra 20 minutes of music for at least half the price of the import!! Edited April 22, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted April 22, 2003 Report Posted April 22, 2003 I'm now playing my 40 year old lp, and while the music is dandy, I think the recording (as reflected by my mono lp) is not up to Contemporary standards. I note the engineer is Howard Holzer, not the usual Roy DuNann. It just sounds "one dimensional" to me. Maybe the stereo master is better. Not bad sound, just not what I expect from Contemporary. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 22, 2003 Author Report Posted April 22, 2003 (edited) Chuck, I too thought the sound on the CD was a tiny bit lacking, almost as if there were a couple boom-mikes in the room, and things were not individually miked. I know, I know, close-miking probably wasn't done all that much in the early 60's (or maybe it was?? - I really don't know). I guess I mean to say that I noticed the "roominess" of the sound was a bit more than usual. But the music on "Conflict" is glorious!!! And I the sound is still very good, if not quite "breathtaking". Edited April 22, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
P.D. Posted April 23, 2003 Report Posted April 23, 2003 Bastards... I'll never buy a Japanese mini LP overpriced CD again... Never...... never.... Quote
P.D. Posted April 23, 2003 Report Posted April 23, 2003 Bastards... I'll never buy a Japanese mini LP overpriced CD again... Never...... never.... Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 23, 2003 Author Report Posted April 23, 2003 (edited) The only "mini-LP" I've bought, so far, is Andrew Hill's "Hommage" - which I got cuz I love all of Hill's solo-piano work. I've been this close to buying a couple others ("Conflict" in particular"), but every time I think to myself... ...overpriced... ...no bonus tracks... ...not at all my prefered packaging format... Awfully damn glad I held out for the U.S. one, especially in this case. Shit - $25, $30, or even some places want $40 for this title from Japan. And at only 37 minutes (without the bonus tracks) that comes out to almost $1 per minute, or at least a lot closer than I ever want to get. Edited April 23, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 23, 2003 Author Report Posted April 23, 2003 (edited) I'm on my third spin of this disc since I bought it 7 hours ago. IMHO, it's almost as exciting (at least to me), as ANYTHING else recorded in 1963, and that should be saying a lot, considering all the Andrew Hill albums from 1963, and the piano-less albums Jackie McLean did in '63. I don't have my BN discography handy, but there was a lot of heavy shit happening in 1963, and "Conflict" is right up there with the best of it. All you other progressive-minded people NEED this album, trust me. It's not all that 'out', not at all. Just very adventuresome, within it's own context. Edited April 23, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
BruceH Posted April 23, 2003 Report Posted April 23, 2003 Damn, Rooster, I hope I can find this in my local Tower tonight. You've got me chomping at the bit. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 23, 2003 Author Report Posted April 23, 2003 Well, Bruce, did they have it??? I'm on spin #4 in less than 24 hours. The 3-part horn arrangements are really sweet. Quote
Soul Stream Posted April 23, 2003 Report Posted April 23, 2003 You've actually got me into it too, RT. I've been planning on getting this since I saw it was being released from Fantasy. It certainly was on my "to do" list. The store last night didn't have it. Seems like the new releases from Fantasy have about a week to 10 day lag time around here. Can't wait to hear it. Quote
BruceH Posted April 24, 2003 Report Posted April 24, 2003 They didn't, but the second place I went to did. Rooster, when you're right, you're right: This is a Hell of an album. Jimmy Woods was quite the mystery man...appeared on the 1961 Joe Gordon album, "Looking Good" (Gordon's only LP as a leader before his untimely death), then two albums as a leader for Contemporary, "Awakening" and this. Then he apparently dropped out of sight. What gives, I wonder? His first album is pretty good too, but Confict takes the cake. Always happy to have more Harold Land, but Andrew Hill and Elvin Jones too? Why not also get Eric Dolphy, Art Pepper, and Donald Byrd and be done with it? Jeeze. Why isn't this album more famous? Quote
Soul Stream Posted April 24, 2003 Report Posted April 24, 2003 I gig with Martin Banks who plays trumpet on Woods' "Awakening" LP. I'll ask Martin if he knows what happened to Jimmy Woods. Quote
BruceH Posted April 24, 2003 Report Posted April 24, 2003 Another reason to get the Gerald Wilson Mosaic. I forgot, Carmell Jones appears on Conflict as well. Quite a line-up. Quote
AfricaBrass Posted April 24, 2003 Report Posted April 24, 2003 This would be a great Album of the Week in the future, when it is more readily available. I've been following this thread and now I want to go out and find a copy of it. :rsmile: Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 24, 2003 Author Report Posted April 24, 2003 (edited) Like I said before, Get this album (relatively) soon!!! - cuz one way or another, it's gonna be our Album of the Week, within the next few months.... And now that it's out domestically, at a relatively cheap price, and has several players we all know and probably love - but a leader most of us probably don't know very well (or at least I sure didn't), I absolutely think this would be a great AOTW!! Edited April 24, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Out2Lunch Posted April 25, 2003 Report Posted April 25, 2003 So you think its a pretty good album? Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 25, 2003 Author Report Posted April 25, 2003 Yeah.... on the whole, not too bad. Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.