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artist.....: Dan Mastroianni
album......: Tears And Whispers
year.......: 2014
label......: BBE
BBE283
source.....: CDDA
moodswing..: Disco
releasesize: 77.27 MB
tracks.....: 08
length.....: 39:09
encoder....: VBR LAME 3.98.4 -v0
quality....: avg. 276kbps
scenealized: 04.08.2015
When we billed Dan Mastroianni's Tears
and Whispers as a "unique project" in
the initial press release on our
Masters We Love series, we meant it.
This really is an album quite like no
other!
Recorded in 1984, Mastroianni recorded
his album with banks of keyboards, and
a few musician buddies. The
"experimental" nature of the album
shines through on nearly every track.
This was new technology, and it
sometimes sounds like Mastroianni was
finding out exactly what each machine
could do, as he did it! He also
provided the edgy vocals, making for a
very idiosyncratic
artist/writer/producer album.
Many of you will now know the brilliant
uptempo boogie of Just One Touch (which
was featured on BBE's own Americana 2
compilation last year) but whatever you
are expecting from this ultra-rare
private press, you are likely to be
surprised. Style, tempos and moods
changes throughout, the only constant
being Dan Mastroianni's harmonic
adventurousness, and primitive,
expansive synth sounds that never quite
let up. You can tell he was having fun
making the album, and was coming from a
place all of his own, though one might
guess he'd listened to a fair amount of
Weather Report, Yellow Magic Orchestra,
George Duke and funk/boogie before he
committed himself to wax.
Some highlights: You and I is in floaty
mid-tempo soul mode and features some
fine soloing from Dan. Lead On is
blue-eyed boogie, bringing to mind the
likes of David Bendeth; Million and One
is nothing short of trippy with its
manic bassline and swelling synth
chords. Blame It On Love has enough
changes of direction for three tracks,
and again showcases what a good player
Dan was when he soloes. Shine could
conceivably get the two-step vote. And
look out throughout for some noteworthy
playing from DanÆs brother on reeds.
As Dan says, this album was a æfusionÆ
concept in every sense: a fusion of man
and machine, of "carbon and silicon",
mind and matter' it was recorded as a
labour of love, and now, three decades
later, it's time for the rest of the
world to share the love!
psst, more info at bbemusic.com
01 Lead On 04:49
02 You And I 05:25
03 A Million And One 03:00
04 Shine 05:16
05 Blame It On Love 06:09
06 Tears And Whispers 04:49
07 Just One Touch 03:56
08 When You Say Goodnight 05:45