Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass: What Now My Love

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass: What Now My Love

1966

A&M Records

Format I Own it On: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. What Now My Love  2.Freckles  3.Memories of Madrid  4. It Was a Very Good Year  5.So What's New?  6. Plucky  7. Magic Trumpet  8. Cantina Blue  9. Brasilia  10. If I Were a Rich Man  11. Five Minutes More  12. The Shadow of Your Smile

I did it! I listened to nothing but Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass for 4 days straight!

Now maybe I should watch Matlock and go to bed at 8:30 P.M. every night...



The year was 1966, the Vietnam war was in full swing as protestor's filled the streets, the cities burned as racial tensions came to a head all around the nation, and no album captured the turmoil of these times better than Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass' "What Now My Love."

 Listen to the existential angst of the marimbas in "It Was a Very Good Year," and  the  subtle outrage during Alpert's dignified trumpet solo in "Plucky."

No, I'm just messing with you...it's still the same laid-back, easy-listening fun as always. Perfect for folks still wanting to have a good time in 1966 as the world burned around them. Hey, I can dig it! I guess a modern analogy would be listening to the Jay-Z/Kanye West record where they get together to brag about all the money they make while the Great Recession rages outside their window. Whatever, I get it...



"Escapism" is the word I'm looking for...Man, that Jay-Z/Kanye West album cover is gaudy...At least the art on the Herb Alpert records has a swinging cool about it. Speaking of this album cover, aren't the covers for "South of the Border" and "What Now My Love" almost the same? The Woman in the yellow dress is just on his right side as opposed to his left on this one...

Well, as far as Herb Alpert records go, I'm jumping off here...I guess after listening to these I just don't have the desire to listen any further...Outside of the Mariachi influence waning ever-so-slightly, they all seemed very similar...or else my ears don't work well enough to pick up on any distinct differences...Oh well...

Y'know, I was actually surprised to find out Herb Alpert was still around and putting out albums! Hey, he should do a collabo with Jeezy and Keezy...or maybe some unholy EBM-Elevator amalgamation...

Let's say adios to Herb Alpert and his "Magic Trumpet..."