Search - Paul Hardcastle :: Jazzmasters 4

In defense of "If You Knew"......

Distant Voyageur | Io | 03/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After reading the unfavorable reviews of the closing track "If You Knew" I feel highly compelled to write my opinino of this controversial track. Although I'm NO fan of most rap music by any stretch of the imagination, I really, REALLY love the rap part of the song which places a very talented rap verse over the track "Peace On Earth". Although I prefer the song in it's instrumental version, the rap chorus is really well rhymed and is very good. Although it may at first sound like another ghetto-thumping track, this song actually attacks the glorification of ghetto-life and instead showcases the rappers tough childhood in a very vivid imagination. Many people seem to be offended by this track and view it as "Hell On Earth" but this song isn't anywhere near as disturbing or terrifying to me as was Paul's famous hit "19" was 20 years back. "19" is a classic don't get me wrong but the song scared the daylights out of me when I first heard it but "If You Knew" doesn't do that on such a scale. Overall though, "If You Knew" is one of the most daring moves that Paul has ever done but it pays off well. Wonderful Job!



As for the rest of this album, "Jazzmasters 4" is another inspiring home run for Hardcastle's arc of music over the last 20 years and 14 years since his Jazzmasters 1 album took me by storm when I was a small child when it was released. The fourth entry under the Jazzmasters moniker doesn't necessarily break a lot of new ground but this could perhaps be one of the most inspiring releases of all time, perhaps the best since 1994's "Hardcastle Volume 1" aka the "hands" album.



"Valley of The Harps" is a groovy dance track with those lovely Hardcastle sounds as well as some beautiful harps interspersed throughout the track. The reprise part of the track though while great sounds unfinished. "Feeling Blue" may have a deceiving title as the mood of the song is far from being `blue' as it is a very joyous track with gorgeous keyboards and lovely New Age/pop atmospherics. The vocals of Helen Rogers as always are absolutely lovely. Besides the final track, my favorite standout tracks are "Emerald Stardust" and "How Long Before We Get it Right". "Emerald Stardust" is perhaps one of the strangest songs that Paul has released in a very long time and in fact departs a bit from his trademark sound and instead has a bizarre mix of electronic sound effects and a very light beat. The ambient atmospherics are stunningly beautiful and the lyrics are entrancing such as the "Swimming in Emerald Stardust....So Beautiful" which put me in a blissful trance.



While there aren't major standout tracks like "Northern Lights" "Nightcrawler" or "Lost Summer" but on average, this could very well be the most even and consistent album that Hardcastle has released in a long time.





"

Paul hardcastle jazzmasters 4

Nathaniel A. Boclair | huntsville, ala | 11/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A friend of mine gave me the cd as a gift, I have been playing it for the last two days and i love the cd. I have not had a hardcastle in several years and I will get more of his stuff now."