#62: Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit (2009)

I've been reviewing albums at a break neck speed while staring at the ocean, but since it'll be over in a few days - it's time to pull out some of my absolute favorites. This is Cullum's best album. Why he's not bigger in the states - I'll never know. He's jazz pop made with 100% jazz and 100% pop.


Wheels
I love the simple piano for the verse that also makes an appearance in the prechorus. The track has the a fluidness to it that very few songs possess, it's seamless. The music reflects the lyrics when "The wheels are falling off the world," the track just gets bigger and bigger.




Don't Stop The Music

This is the definition of an amazing cover. It sounds nothing like Rihanna's version, it sounds as if Cullum wrote it himself. I don't dislike the original, but Jamie found all the redeeming qualities and scrapped the rest. If you enjoy Rihanna's version, this is a must listen.

I Think I Love
This is the type of song that made me fall in love with Cullum. It's unmistakeably crooner music with a more modern set of lyrics. "You threw up in the taxi cab on the way home." Then again, it stays true to the genre. It creates such a warm feeling with just strings, piano, and vocals. An absolutely brilliant song.

All in all, what a cool album. It's all over the spectrum of jazz and pop and plenty of in between. However, the best moments is when Cullum is glued next to his keyboard. I just want to see him live so I can be there for the end of "Mixtape" - I'm sure the crowd goes nuts. Jamie makes the piano such a cool instrument, this may not be in the top 10 albums of all time, but it's surely in my top 25 favorites.

Tomorrow's album: Booker T and the MG's Green Onion.

#1: Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours (1955)

There's no denying Frank is one of the all time greats. He's influenced damn near every musician since 1950. Some of my favorite musicians clearly draw from him, for instance Jamie Cullum. 'In The Wee Small Hours' is Frank's 9th studio album and was released in April of 1955. The album was well received and reached number 2 on the US charts staying there for 19 weeks.

In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning:
One of my favorite crooner songs of all time. Frank proves why he's an icon right off the bat. His deep, rich baritone glides through the song with a somber yet peaceful feel to it. While I would classify the strings and production as "standard crooner style" I start to wonder if this is the album that made this a staple. The strings are meant to be heard at times and are felt more often than not, carrying the emotion of the song.

Glad to Be Unhappy:
Personally, I think that Frank's voice on this is the reason people fell in love with him. It's such a beautiful tone that's not spoken as much as it is sung with no confusion over the words being spoken.

Can't We Be Friends:
This is the point where people will start stoning me in the comments... I prefer Jamie Cullum over Frank Sinatra. Both have recorded this song and have made it their own. Both are amazing versions. Granted, Frank Sinatra helped to pioneer the idea of crooning, however, I find Sinatra's version to be dated. In fact, I find most of this album to sound dated. However, that doesn't take away from what Sinatra has done - it only proves his overwhelming reach on popular music.

All in all, it's an incredibly well done album - it's just not my taste. I'd really like to make this review longer because I wish I had enjoyed it more than I did. I find myself, however, viewing it more as a lesson in music history than I do a piece of entertainment. If you love crooners such as Frank, I'm sure you'll love this album. If you're coming from more of a Michael Buble' background - it may not be as pop-centric as you'd like it to be.

This album was chosen from the book '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die' 1/1001

Tomorrow's Album: Billy Joel's 52nd Street (1978)