Tijuana Brass - Herb Alpert and the...

Alpert is as close to a true renaissance man as was possible in the latter half of the 20th century. In addition to racking up nearly two dozen Top 40 hits, alongside Jerry Moss, Alpert co-founded A&M Records, becoming the label's chief producer, talent scout, arranger and bandleader. Somewhere along the line he recorded over 30 albums and occasionally even toured. All of Alpert's early signature sides can be found here "The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)," "A Taste of Honey," "Zorba the Greek," "Tijuana Taxi," "What Now My Love," and "Spanish Flea" represent the 1962 -- mid-1966 era well. However, keen-eyed enthusiasts will note the conspicuous absence of the successful and popular singles "The Work Song," "Flamingo," and "Mame" -- all interestingly enough from the Top 10 S.R.O. (1966) long-player. The coverage begins to get even spottier, although who can argue with the selections that were deemed suitable for inclusion? "Casino Royale" and "This Guy's in Love with You" are anticipated. However, the criminally underrated and long out of print LP Warm (1969) is represented with a tasteful interpretation of Harry Nilsson's "Without Her" and all the more surprising, the hauntingly beautiful "Jerusalem" off of Summertime (1971) is included here. For Alpert followers, these tracks alone might serve the cost of admission. While "Rise," "Rotation," and "Diamonds" were all returns to former glories for Alpert and their place is rightfully deserved, the same can't be said for the Jimmy Jam collaborations "Keep Your Eye on Me" or the lightweight "Jump Street." ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide