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Rippin' Jazz At Its Peak

10/08/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Anybody who is a fan of jazz should own 'The Best Of The Rippingtons'- period. If you purchase this album for only song, I bet my last dollar it would be for "Tourist In Paradise," one of the best contemporary jazz compositions ever, and their best song to date. Every instrument is in fine tune and Carl Anderson does some splendid scatting. Personally, I think I based my liking the most on the track "Snowbound" than any other, because Russ Freeman plays the acoustic guitar almost like a hispanic playing a harp. And the percussionist Steve Reid adds a spanish accent to the rhythm with a clave and a shaker. Other cuts that add value to the collection is "Affair In San Miguel," which to me is a song to contributes to smoother driving, and "Principles Of Desire," which branches away from the others as a studio track, with a jumping bassline. And one last song to keep yours ears tuned to is "Kenya," an East Africa-meets-American rock sound, a track that incorporates congas in with an electric guitar. The only reason I can't give them a 5-star is because they failed to include, what I believe is, their 3rd best song ever, "Aspen" in the collection. But, to every Rippington fan- the album makes up for that and more. Go get it!"

The Best of the Best

djdjdjdjdjdj9 | Wisconsin | 02/23/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most hard-core jazz artists consider The Rippingtons to be a jazz/new age fusion, and I can see why. This album, and most of their current releases, has a new-age overtone to it via keyboards and synthesizers. Most "best of" albums out there I feel are largely disappointing, mostly because what I feel is 'best', the record label people don't feel is 'best'. My first impression of this album was "I miss Steve Ried!". The percussion on this album is fantastic, thanks to Steve. I wasn't highly impressed with the 'never before released' track "Garden of Babylon", it sounds like something you'd hear during a car chase on Miami Vice. However, the second half of the album is excellent. You'll love "Principles of Desire" if you like subdued saxophone style. "Vienna" is a nice guitar duet that makes me smile regardless of my previous mood. Pick this album up if you're looking for some great all-around jazz music."

A review of The Rippingtons's The Best Of The Rippingtons.

James Houser | NY, NY | 06/17/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Best Of The Rippingtons doesn't really follow the title. I don't know why that is, either. It was released in 1997. They had many great songs before that. Most of them do not even appear on this record. There are many of their classics on here, but they still could have done better. Their new songs were pretty good.My top 3 favorite songs from this compilation are tracks 1,5, and 11. Garden Of Babylon, which has a great title and is one of their newly released songs, is a nice, fast-paced track with superb, constant guitar playing by Russ. Aruba! is a good, tropical piece with a punctilious piano solo. Urban Wanderer, which also has an awesome title, is another congenial song with beat.Concluding, this cd is an o.k. compilation for the group. They could have done better, though. If you want a fantastic, original album by The Rippingtons, then try Moonlighting. This compilation is all right. Thank you for taking the time and generosity to read my review."