Search - Paul Desmond :: Glad to Be Unhappy / Two of a Mind

Another "Collectables" CD worth skipping

wmkenlon | Mid-Atlantic USA | 09/11/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"It amazes me how poorly Collectables Records manages to reissue classic albums such as these. As glad as I'd like to be that Paul Desmond's records are being made more widely available, I'm apalled by the complete lack of taste which the designers of Collectables' cover art continually display. Is looking as cheap and classless as possible their intent, or is that result merely an unhappy accident? (One that occurs with every CD they release?)It's also worth noting that the pair of Desmond 2-on-1 CD's released by Collectables is in a jumbled, non-chronological order. The correct order of Desmond's RCA output is: "Desmond Blue," "Two Of A Mind," "Take Ten," "Bossa Antigua," "Glad To Be Unhappy," "Easy Living." As you can see, Collectables has managed to completely botch the sequence of the albums, evidently failing to realize how important this is to serious collectors. How can we be expected to follow the artist's growth from record to record when they are paired so illogically and randomly?As of this writing, the French reissues of all six Desmond RCA's (named above) are available from Amazon.com, each in the $12-13 range. Yes, purchasing each one individually will be more expensive than buying the Collectables twofers, but the vast improvements in sound (remastered), content (bonus material), and aesthetics (complete original artwork) makes them quite worth the price. Skip this "Collectable" joke and go for the real deal."

A Great Musician's Finest playing

Anthony J. Papirio | Amherst, Ma, USA | 10/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is an outstanding deal because it combines 2 great Paul Desmond albums into 1. TWO OF A MIND is Paul playing duets and trading solos with the great Bari Sax player Gerry Mulligan, and is alone worth the price of the album. But the best part, for me, is GLAD TO BE UNHAPPY. It's Paul Desmond at his absolute best, playing bluesy, melancholy old standards. The sad, bluesy tunes reflect Desmond's love of the bittersweet side of love and romance, and he plays with his characteristically beautiful touch, but with lots of deep emotion, and bluesy licks. This one will really get to you."

Some of the man's best playing, poorly mastered

Anthony J. Papirio | 07/19/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Glad to Be Unhappy is possibly the best Paul Desmond release of all time - the way he melds with Jim Halls moody playing is almost empathic. Two of a Mind is another excellent effort from the Mulligan/Desmond team which worked so well with Brubeck, and in previous solo eleases. Both of these albums are superb masterworks from one of the most overlooked saxaphone players in the history of the idiom; unfortunately both are also poorly mastered, and packaged with little aesthetic sense to speak of, which is a real shame given the stunning cover art from Glad To Be Unhappy."