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Billl Laswell's Material

EtherealCereal | Michigan | 12/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Material was a band that was originally intended to back ex-Gong leader Daevid Allen on his time in New York. It's core members were Michael Beinhorn (later a producer for the Red hot Chili Pepper's Uplift Mofo Party Plan LP) on keys, loops and synths, Bill Laswell on bass, Fred Maher on drums and percussion and Cliff Cutlieri on guitar. The gist of the music was that it would usually begin with a synth flourish, vocal sample or drum machine sync, or an actual newscast (as heard in 'On Sadism') after which a sequence was added in, followed by Fred's solid pounding groove, Laswell's thumping, popping, walking basslines, and last but not least, the tasty guitar embellishments of Cutlieri. The band's oevure ranged from laid-back techno-flavored instrumentals (O.A.O), to outright chop-ridden expressions (White Man). A bit dated, but great, nonetheless."

Buying any album for a guest appearance is quite a leap

EtherealCereal | 12/28/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"of faith. Bill Laswell's MATERIAL is always a much more challenging experience than the popular or radio friendly recordings of Whitney Houston. Laswell's music is jazz and funk based with continual experimentation performed with a steady stream of rotating partners and frequent guest appearances.
There is much to like here but the average Whitney fan is likely to be confused and put off if the only reason for acquiring this collection or "One Down"(Where the track first appeared) is her appearance."

Rare Whitney Houston -- Can You Go Wrong?

EtherealCereal | 12/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A rare track from a very young Whitney Houston makes this album worth the buy! Not quite in her prime, this shows us where she was vocally before she hit it big."