Search - Dave Pike :: Masterpieces

Superlative!!

mike | Adelaide, Australia | 11/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's great to see that this disc lives up to it's name because that's what these songs are - MASTERPIECES!
This album consists of some of the best cuts from the 6 albums Dave Pike made for German label MPS between 69-72. When I think of all the dross in print, that these albums aren't is criminal!
From the very first bars of the first song "Regards from Freddie Horrowitz", you know you are in for something special. The clarity of sound is fantastic and the guitar player Volker Kriegel is a revelation. While this group went under the name "The Dave Pike Set", it was as much guitar and sitar player Volker's, and bassist J.A.Rettenbacher contributed a lot as well.
The music is an upbeat,groovy,jazzy brew, the likes of which I've never heard before. For people wanting more funky sitar after hearing the fabulous "Mathar" somewhere, you may be disappointed as that seems to have been a one off, but there are two other great sitar-based songs,"Greater Kalesh No.48", and "Raga Jeeva Swara". But for me the initial stand-out has been "Big Schlepp", this is a supremely groovy, acid-jazz like number, in the middle of which Kriegel does some amazing things with distortion. I think a big part of why this music sounds so good is that the band made a conscious decision to avoid the standard American jazz influences which Pike was brought up on and as a result it sounds really fresh and original and not really like anything Pike did before.
On the down-side, Dave Pike's idiocratic tendency to vocalize while playing that appeared on "Jazz for the Jet-Set", shows up again even more so. Obviously they couldn't shut him up even for the recording! It is quite annoying and nearly ruins his wonderful "Regards from Freddie Horowitz".
**TIP: Listen through headphones. For some reason it seems to lessen the impact of his voice.**
It's a shame there are no sound samples but take my word for it, it is fantastic!"