This album was among the vanguard of Euro-pop releases that swept onto the American charts during the mid-?70s, fitting in right next to the ABBA albums on your shelf albeit with a much better band: Tony Levin, Lee Ritenour, Waddy Wachtel, Ernie Watts and Michael Brecker to name but a few!
"Nowadays, in part due to the noodlings of Kenny G., it is common to dismiss instrumental pop and rock music as nothing more than glorified Muzak, even though quite a few of those instrumental records have endured over time. Such is the case with this album from German-born band leader and arranger James Last which was originally released in 1980.
Straddling the worlds of disco, synth-pop, new wave, and smooth jazz, this is a thoroughly underappreciated ten-track collection of instrumental pop. All but two of the tracks were composed either by Last himself or by his son Ronald Last, and are extremely inventive combinations of jazz-rock fusion influences and synthesizers. The two non-original ones both have their origins in Giorgio Moroder's score for the Paul Schrader-directed 1980 film AMERICAN GIGOLO. One of them is "Night Drive", whose main melody is derived from the Blondie song "Call Me" that is on the AMERICAN GIGOLO soundtrack. The other one, of course, is "The Seduction", this album's title track and that movie's haunting love theme, with an uncredited alto sax solo by David Sanborn. That track was widely played on the radio and actually peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1980.
Last's "band", so to speak, consists of a lot of great musicians, including string arranger Sid Sharp; drummer Rick Marotta; guitarists Robert "Waddy" Wachtel and Lee Ritenour; keyboardists Don Grolnick and Michael Boddicker; bassist Abe Laboriel; and sax maestro Ernie Watts. All combine on this album for a lush but not syrupy experience from a time when production gimmickry had yet to swamp the recording process. A hugely worthwhile album for anyone with a taste for instrumental pop and rock of a compelling kind."
The long wait is finally over
Dennis Molinar | San Antonio, TX USA | 09/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've waited, what seems like forever, for this album to be released in CD format. My cassette tape version was played so many times that the sound quality degraded. I even got desperate enough to purchase an LP version a few years ago and bought a second-hand turntable so that I could listen to every song on this album. Excellent instrumentals and beautifully arranged. Very evocative and romantic . . . the best James Last album ever produced."
This is an awesome album
VaGuy | Virginia | 08/25/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been waiting 20 years for this album to come to CD. Nothing but high quality instrumental talent. You will not be disappointed with this album."
Im overwhelmed
Lois E. Smith | 10/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Oh my gosh i can't believe this I was just looking to buy a david sanborn cd, and spotted the red jacket I looked again and at first it didnt click then I was so happy.I have and still play the album. Been trying to get the cd since barber school and that was in 1980. so twenty five years and now I ordered this sexy,sultry,smooth jazz cd. my favorite songs are seduction,so excited, and its over. thanks so much I will always cherish this one and make many copies for friends. lois"
Seduced all over again
Monte Hunter | columbia Md | 11/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was in high school when this album came out and i remember it was the most beautiful piece of music i ever heard i use to fall asleep to it every night i have been looking for this to be released on cd for years and now the wait is finally over i played this album so much i wore it out three times thanks to the studio who finally wised up to release this classic i will cherrish this one for ever for fans of this music if you like this check out VINCE MENDOZA work."