Heavy Axe

by David Axelrod

Overview

Axelrod's reputation underwent an extraordinary reassessment in the late '90s, with his instrumental albums and work as an arranger coming to be considered innovative and au courant by some tastemakers. Even taking into account that this is just one of many records bearing the Axelrod imprint, one has to wonder if the rehabilitation is in fact unwarranted inflation. This is run-of-the-mill, largely instrumental soul-jazz-funk, split between Axelrod originals and covers of tunes by Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon, Vince Guaraldi, and Cannonball Adderley. It would be eminently suitable for background soundtrack music for 1970s films and made for TV movies, and while some such efforts can be good, in this context, that is not meant as praise. Do you really want to hear a watery fusion cover of "You're So Vain," with Stephanie Spruill's straining soul vocals? You're welcome to it. Although about a couple dozen musicians (including Adderley and Gene Ammons) take part in the string- and horn-drenched arrangements, really these aren't that creative. They sound more like quickly assembled, made-to-order filler music for video productions, the horns sometimes sounding rather like those of school marching bands, with touches of early-'70s-style electric keyboards and wah-wahing funk-rock guitars. There's an orgiastic wordless female vocal on "Mucho Chupar," if that's what you like. The entire album is contained on the Fantasy CD reissue The Axelrod Chronicles, which adds eight tracks from 1973-1974 that Axelrod produced and/or arranged on albums by Gene Ammons, Nat Adderley, Hampton Hawes, and Funk, Inc. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	11/30/1998
Label:	Bgp
UPC:	0029667512121

Tracks

1. Get Up off Your Hands
2. Cast Your Fate to the Wind
3. You're So Vain
4. My Family
5. Mucho Chupar
6. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
7. It Ain't for You
8. Everything Counts

Album Credits

Performance Credits

David Axelrod   Primary Artist,Vocals
Roy McCurdy   Drums
William Hymanson   Viola
Henry Roth   Violin
Billie Barnum   Vocals
Jack Shulman   Violin
Walter Rower   Cello
Alexander Neiman   Violin
Gwen Owens   Vocals
Olga James   Vocals
Don Peake   Guitar
Gareth Nuttycombe   Viola
Stephanie Spruill   Vocals
Snooky Young   Trumpet
Rudy Copeland   Moog Bass
Bobby Bryant   Trumpet
King Errisson   Congas
William Green   Flute,Saxophone
George Bohanon   Trombone
Johnny "Guitar" Watson   Guitar
Oscar Brashear   Trumpet
Jerome Reisler   Violin
Dick Hyde   Trombone
George Duke   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Nathan Gershman   Cello
Jackie Kelso   Flute,Saxophone
Don Randi   Keyboards
Jay Migliori   Flute,Saxophone
Billy Fender   Guitar
Allen DeRienzo   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Carly Simon   Composer
Vince Guaraldi   Composer
Dean Rudland   Liner Notes,Coordination
Julian Adderley   Composer
Cannonball Adderley   Composer,Producer,Recording Producer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
David Axelrod   Composer
Jim Stern   Engineer,Recording