Search - Hugh Masekela :: Grazing in the Grass: The Best of Hugh Masekela

Comes Up Way Short As A "Best Of" Album

08/25/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I not only have to agree with everything said by the reviewer who gave this 2 stars, I have to go one worse and reduce it to 1 star. I'd go lower if I could.



This is not to be construed as a knock against the music of Hugh Masekela, nor even necessarily a condemnation of the songs in this compilation and their performances. BUT, this IS after all labeled as his "best" and given the fact he only had four charted Pop hit singles from 1967 to 1969, along with two others that scored only on the R&B charts, one in 1978 and the other in 1984, would it not reasonably be expected that a compilation so titled would at least include ALL of those? And in their original format?



For the Uni label he had four hits, his first being an instrumental version of The 5th Dimension's Up-Up And Away which reached # 47 R&B/# 71 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in early 1968 b/w Son Of Ice Bag. Then came his smash Grazing In The Grass which peaked at # 1 on both the Hot 100 and R&B charts that summer, spending four weeks at the top R&B position, as well as # 16 on the Adult Contemporary charts, b/w Bajabula Bonk (The Healing Song).



In October 1968 Puffin' On Down The Track would go to # 71 Hot 100 b/w Do Me So La So So, and early in 1969 Riot would peak at # 21 R&B and # 55 Hot 100 b/w Mace And Grenades. As that other reviewer points out, Grazing In The Grass is NOT the original, and the other three Uni sides are omitted, as are all the B-sides. This in a volume blaring "best of."



After a long absence from the charts he would return in 1978 for the Horizon label with Skokiaan, a hit in 1954 for Ralph Marterie & His Orchestra (# 3), The Four Lads (# 7), The Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band (# 17), and Ray Anthony & His Orchestra (# 18), which he would take to # 87 R&B in conjunction with Herb Alpert b/w African Summer. Six years later he would have his final hit with Don't Go Lose It Baby for the Jive Africa label which tapered off at # 67 R&B in July 1984 b/w a dub mix.



What is it with majors like Sony who think that all they have to do is crunch out stuff like this under misleading titles and that the gullible buying public will snatch it up, no questions asked. Maybe at one time. But no more.



If you like the musical styling of Hugh Masekela and don't really care one way or the other that these are not original renditions, or even representative of his best, then by all means go for it. As I said at the beginning, there is nothing wrong with the music in and of itself. But if you are expecting his "best" stay well clear because this is false advertising by any definition."

FANTASTIC

R. Penola | NYC, NY United States | 09/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a cool sensation this record is! Just let it wash over you like a warm summer breeze. The sophisticated, jazzy horn and outrageously melodic pieces on this CD are just wonderful - most notably Grazing In The Grass, with its infectious joy and Strawberries, with its interesting melody and wonderful, melancholy vocals. A must for everyone."