Search - Jerry Goodman, Jan Hammer :: Like Children

Great stuff, hard to believe it was done by just two guys

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 03/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Two ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra guys decided to record together in 1974 and the results was Like Children, which became the first ever release on the Nemperor label. With just Jerry Goodman and Jan Hammer, you know them as a violinst and keyboardist respectively, and when you hear Goodman play guitar and Hammer play drums as well, you know right away they are fully capable on those instruments too. No one plays bass, although Jan himself would use the Moog for bass lines. The duo recorded at William James Guercio's Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado (Guercio was the manager for well known brass rock groups Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Chicago recorded a couple of albums at Caribou), as well as Trident Studios in London (where well known acts like David Bowie and Genesis had recorded, not to mention Mahavishnu Orchestra). Little wonder the cover features Rocky Mountain scenery, and the back cover featuring some rather rustic pictures of Jerry and Jan playing their instruments. Here you get treated to fusion, with the electronic and prog rock leanings that Jan Hammer would favor on his first solo effort, The First Seven Days released a year later, as well as rock and roll elements. Both also sing, and while they're never considered great singers, the vocals are never intrusive and works fine. "Country and Eastern Music" rocks with those trademark lead Moogs (that became highly influencial by many other jazz rock/fusion and prog rock artists), great violin work, and great themes too. "No Fear" is all Jan, with him experimenting with sequencers. This cut, obviously is something that wouldn't be out of place on The First Seven Days. "I Remember Me" is a more mellow and ambient piece, while the duo gets more funky with "Earth (Still Our Only Home)". "Full Moon Boogie" is a nice rock and roller, but with their twists, including Jan's Moog. OK, the only song that don't quite work out for me is "Giving in Gently", their attempt at soft rock, and believe me, the results aren't so pretty. But the rest of the album is simply amazing, and I highly recommend it. Listening to this, you can easily forget that Jan Hammer would ruin his credibility a decade later by scoring for the cheesy and overrated TV series Miami Vice."

Like Children

Jeffrey Wehrmeister | 02/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My old cassette copy of this album wore out and I had to splice it, ruining some material. I was thrilled to see a remastered version available on CD. One of my Top Ten favorites between Beatles and Zappa, from The Flock to Mahvishnu Orchestra, this CD has memorable tracks that have stood the test of time. Jan Hammer has been able to morph with an electronic instrument like no one else."

Just remarks

Jiri Schwarz | Prague, Czechia | 02/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are nice reviews of this piece of art, so just a few remarks.

1) You cannot imagine how uneasy was to obtain this fantastic LP, moreover, created by an emigrant from Czechoslovakia (son of a jazzman and a jazz female vocalist), here in Prague at that time. (In common shops, you could not buy a thing - there were just some 10 LP records licensed and issued annually with western music.) So after freedom came in the 1990's, I was looking for buying a CD, as my vinyl that I had bought on a black market in the old days, did not sound too well. It is really incredible how long we had to wait for this CD. To mention at least one of the tracks, I love "The Night."

2) To be fair, the Amazon.com database refers to this record as to Jan Hammer's work. But to be correct, Jerry Goodman should be named first of the two guys.

3) To translate the shouting in "Country and Eastern Music": the two words ("pivo, vino") mean "bear and wine" in Czech.

No need to talk more. Put on this CD and enjoy, be it with beer or wine. A masterpiece of the jazz-rock fusion. You must feel it was just made for fun of those two musicians."