Sounds... And Stuff Like That!!

by

Quincy Jones

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After owning this on vinyl for almost 30 years, I finally got it on CD. The record still played well but it was beginning to show its age. Then there's the fact that they no longer make cars with tape players, apparently, and I need something to play in the new car I'm getting next month.

But most of all, I'm just bored beyond endurance with the majority of music coming out these days and have decided to spend my money going into the archives and revamping my record collection.

I am completely unabashed about my adoration for Quincy Jones. To me he is literally the best producer, conductor and arranger of my generation and I very much doubt I'll see anything to equal him in my lifetime. From the various magazine interviews and TV appearances of him I've seen, he seems like a pretty cool dude too.

This is the album that introduced to Q. I was 15 going on 16 and up until that point, the pinnacle of my musical pleasures had been provided by disco queens and old-school reggae dons. I mention no names. And then one day, my mother sent me out for some milk and I stopped by the house of this older guy I was friends with at the time. He told me he'd just bought a new album and asked me if I wanted to hear something special. I said sure, he put the record on and time just seemd to stand still. I stood there, transfixed, eyes wide open and mouth agape. And this was just to the first strains of the first song on the album, the title track, "Stuff Like That."

I literally didn't move a muscle until my friend had played the entire first side of the album and the first two songs of the second side. I was entranced. I had never heard anything like it. The clarity of the music (My friend had a pretty decent sound system. Sure it was 1978 but still), the lush orchestration that while complex was never overbearing, the solos...

And then there were the voices... boy, what that man can do with voices.

I came to, and left to run my errand. I got a sound clip around the ear for being late with the milk. Happy days. I vowed I was going to get a copy of the album for myself and vowed I was going to get a stereo system like my friend's. It was a year before I succeeded with the former and another nine before I managed the latter but there can be no doubt: It was Quincy Jones who set me on the path to the appreciation of quality music. That same year, Q produced The Brothers Johnson's "Blam!" and the soundtrack to "The Wiz", which is how he got to meet Michael Jackson. The following year he produced Jackson's "Off The Wall". The rest, as the say, is history.

It was on this album that Q introduced us to Bruce Swedien (even his name sounds efficient somehow) and his "Acousonic Recording Process". There's a detailed explanation of how the process works on the album/CD inner sleeve and whatever it is they do, it seems to work. Few producers have been able to match the quality of the sound produced by the collaboration of Jones and Swedien. It's my bet that few ever will.

The album is a veritable array of stars, both established and emerging (at the time):

"Stuff Like That", a funky tune featuring Valerie Simpson and the legendary Chaka Khan on vocals. Sax solo by George Young.

"I'm Gonna Miss You In The Morning", a ballad featuring Patti Austin and the late Luther Vandross on vocals (and this was some years before he went on to become the megastar that he did). Lyricon solo by Tom Scott.

"Love, I Never Had It So Good", a stomping choral piece with Patti Austin and Charles May on lead vocals. Electric sax solo by Michael Brecker, Fender Bass solo by Anthony Jackson.

"Tell Me A Bedtime Story", probably the first ever jazz tune that made me sit up and pay attention. Herbie Hancock lays down electric piano improvisations and Harry Lookofsky records his violin over the track, copying Hancock note for note. He doesn't do it just once though. He does it several times, over and over, and the end result sounds like an entire string section. But it was just one man! Flute solo by Hubert Laws.

"Love Me By Name", intense ballad sung by Patti Austin. Keyboards by Herbie Hancock, Guitar by the late Eric Gale.

"Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)", another, more mid-tempo ballad sung by Patti Austin. Flute solos by Hubert Laws, Electric piano solo by Herbie Hancock, Lyricon solo by Tom Scott.

"Takin' It To The Streets", brings the album to a close with a gospel-influenced stomper. Luther Vandross and Gwen Guthrie, both of who have since passed away, sadly, provide vocals. Tenor sax solo by Michael Brecker.

There are no extras on the CD, no gimmicky remixes or video clips and that suits me just fine. There are just seven pieces of good quality music. Best money I've spent all month.

As I'm always on the look out for good music, and after reading my Boys Olukayode excellent review of this CD, I thought I'd take the plunge and order it. This CD passed me by on its initial release, as i was only ten, and was more into football than music, anyway I digress. The first track: 'Stuff Like That' I had heard on Quincy's Jook Joint CD, and If I'm honest I prefer that particular as it seems more lively than the offering, but it may be because i heard that version first. 'I'm gonna miss you in the morning', and 'Love, I never had it so good', leave me feeling a bit cold, but that maybe because, being mid-tempo songs, they don't do much for me, as the more up-tempo joints. The first standout for me is the 'Tell me a bedtime Story' song which is a lovely flute driven ( i think) instrumental, with a sung chorus, that raises and falls, and stays in the memory long after it has finished playing. The other is the last song on the CD 'Takin' It To The Streets' featuring among others a youthful Luther Vandross, which is a Gospel inspired anthem with very thoughtful deep lyrics. 'Love me by name' and 'Superwomen' are OK, but don't really stand out to my mind. This CD has introduced me to Quincy Jones, and the next on the list is "The Dude".