Customer Reviews

Combustication

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This CD stays in the player for days at a time. It's filed under jazz just because it doesn't fit anywhere else. I'm not sure about these guys genesis; there's always a hint of big island primitive in every CD. This one specially has the extra groove of those wild space sounds, man. I'm gonna go buy another of their CD's now. laterzzzzz...

I went to the MMW concert in December and it was absolutely mind-blowing. Medeski, Martin and Wood are three of the most extremely talented musicians out there, and this CD has many of their best songs. The combination of classic jazz with modern beats come together to make a sound that ought to be called nothing less than perfect.

MMW has changed over the years, from a more straight-up funky avant-garde jazz band to a group of studio experimentalists exploring sonic textures as much as the intricacies of the groove. DJ Logic, who appears here, may have been an impetus for this shift, and the two studio albums since this release show this heightened sense of experimentalism even though Logic doesn't appear on them. Here, the band is beginning to launch off in these new directions but still stays very grounded in what worked for them in the past. My favorite here has to be the B-3 soul version of "Everyday People," which brings out a gospel feel I never noticed in the original. The fact that MMW can interpret a pop standard in an enlightening new way displays their depth of understanding of music as a whole. These guys are bringing jazz back to its edgy roots by pushing it forward. This is a flawless disc and an easy way to discover them and become a convert to the growing MMW fanbase. Still waiting on a new release, guys, it's been awhile!

This album is great and if you like it it there is a remix album that adds a little more hip hop flavor.

Few records can be called epochal, even fewer may be called genius, but this one manages the near impossible by
living up to each designation masterfully. Waste no time and find a copy of this record. You won't be disappointed.

If your are new to MMW I don't recomend combustication as a first buy. It doesn't really contain any of the "chubb subb" or "Uninvisible/I wanna ride you" funk-soul tracks. It's a must have for die hard MMW fans who already know that anything these three guys put together is genius. Medeski seems oddly missing from this record in terms of the tracks lacking any of his signature super hot organ licks...and the volume that he was recorded at seems a little low. Good ol' illy B (bill Martin) is the undeniable glue holding this record together. The tempos are slow and the sound is exciting and experimental. More of a chill out record for after a fun night however I must recomomend head phones for this one seeing as not everyone is quite into this kinda of music. Many happy trips into the world of MMW!

From this instrumental music trio elements of jazz, funk, and rock genres come together; sometimes leaning close to the atmosperic sound one might hear on an ambient track; sometimes sounding like underpowered pop, sans vocals and guitar solos; mostly a collection of simplistic funky rythyms, primarily keyboard driven, with all the organy gusto of TV's music intro to "Sanford and Sons", a healthy dose of off-beat drum pounding, slightly akin to African tribal rythym and, in traditional jazz style, intermingling of the spotlight with no one leashed to the central rythymm, but rather loosely engaging it.

"Whatever Happened to Gus" a track, that I found very impressive. It has an eery, jazzy, film-noir quality about it. The bass and back beat borrow strongly from jazz, while keyboards create a moody ambient style backdrop. The song is narrated (not singing) in the dialect of a jazz deadbeat discussing a detective story. Hard to imagine?

Sometimes it feels as if something is lacking, an instrument, vocal? But usually, with more disciplined attentiveness, something emerges.

I discovered MMW last year; Uninvisible was my first buy. I was totally blown away by it! Then, I read a letter in a magazine from a Billy Martin Fan complimenting Billy on his work for "Combustication". Being a drummer, I was immediately intrigued. So, I sought out to buy this album. At first, I did not enjoy it that much. I guess its just an album you learn to love, and love it I do. I recommend this album to anyone, especially because of track 2: Just Like I Pictured It.

The album that started it all for me.

Before I bought this CD, I was all for the classic jazz. The Davis, the Coltrane, Brubeck and Monk. Then, drawn in by little more than the packaging, I purchased this album. Incredible. This is the face of modern jazz. You've got keyboards, drums, and bass, and with these three tools MMW makes sonic magic. Any album by them is definitely worth looking into, but this is the perfect MMW starter album. It's a further solidification of their sound. Rhythm takes on a larger role on this album than previous outings by the trio, such as Friday Afternoon in The Universe - which was much more free-form.

The music on this album will change your viewpoint of jazz. (unless you already know MMW - but then, why wouldn't you just buy it automatically, am I right?). Samples and breakbeats, (although not as heavy here as in some more 'electronic' bands), are a huge contributor to the trio's sound. This is groovy, funky acid jazz, jammed out by the genre's most progressive and increasingly more influential touring trio. One of Medeski Martin and Woods' finer albums.

If you really enjoy this one, don't hesitate to purchase Uninvisble as well.

MMW are great stuff, but this release didn't do "it" for me. I prefer _Friday Afternoon in the Universe_ has much more solid grooves, and _It's a Jungle in Here_ is much funkier.