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Getting Together

 
Album Review: Getting Together

Review

On Getting Together, Louis Teicher and Art Ferrante go back to movie themes and show tunes as well as popular songs that Bob Crewe and others were bringing to life on the airwaves. In doing so they hit a home run with this LP. Getting Together is just the album title, so don't expect a cover of the Tommy James & the Shondells' hit of the same name, or the different tunes called "Getting Together" released by Bobby Sherman and Charles Mingus. Recorded at National Sound with production by Dr. George Butler, the boys bring back that "water guitar" found on the Box Tops "Cried Like a Baby," and their own "Midnight Cowboy," giving it to the Bob Dylan cover "Lay Lady Lay." A strange mix of their eclectic, experimental side melting into commercial glitz makes for an interesting combination. They churned out so much product at this point in time that their creativity sometimes took a back seat to giving the people what they want. Art and Lou successfully merge the two concepts on this collection, a terrific instrumental version of George Harrison's "Something" segues into a rendition of "Hair" that has no hint of the Cowsills frivolity. The Toys get a nod with the duo's play on Bach, calling it "A Familiar Concerto," leaving songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell out in the cold in regards to their version of Johann Sebastian's pop hit. Art & Lou take all the credit with "Arranged by Ferrante & Teicher" giving them the royalties. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" has no personality, the pianos play cute against strings that would be happy in any elevator car. The arpeggios and interesting production return with "Good Morning Starshine"; here they allow unfolding sounds to play with the speakers, as did Bob Crewe's production of Oliver in 1969. The traditional and eternal favorite, "Colonel Bogie March," concludes an LP with material as diverse as John Denver's "Leaving On a Jet Plane" and Roger McGuinn's "Ballad of Easy Rider," the latter getting surprise vocals as if half of the Ray Conniff Singers showed up for a cameo. When Ferrante & Teicher experiment they are superb, and when they go through the motions they are a fine middle-of-the-road juke box. This LP goes back and forth on both sides of the stick. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
The Theme from "Z" (To Yelasto Pedi) Ferrante & Teicher (2:50)
Something George Harrison Ferrante & Teicher (2:30)
Hair Galt MacDermot, James Rado, Gerome Ragni Ferrante & Teicher (3:09)
For Once in My Life Ron Miller, Orlando Murden Ferrante & Teicher (3:50)
Oh! Calcutta! Ferrante & Teicher (3:08)
A Familiar Concerto Johann Sebastian Bach Ferrante & Teicher (2:27)
Lay Lady Lay Bob Dylan Ferrante & Teicher (2:54)
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head Hal David, Burt Bacharach Ferrante & Teicher (2:41)
Good Morning Starshine Gerome Ragni, Galt MacDermot, James Rado Ferrante & Teicher (2:40)
Leaving on a Jet Plane John Denver Ferrante & Teicher (3:50)
Ballad of Easy Rider Roger McGuinn Ferrante & Teicher (2:13)
Colonel Bogie March Art Ferrante, Lou Teicher Ferrante & Teicher (2:23)

Credits

Dr. George Butler (Producer), Art Ferrante (Piano), Joseph Malin (Musical Coordinator), Art Ferrante (Liner Notes), Bob Skaff (Executive Producer), Nick Perito (Conductor), Frank Gauna (Art Direction), Lou Teicher (Piano), Lou Teicher (Liner Notes), Chuck Stewart (Photography), Frank Kulaga (Engineer)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more