Michael Franks - Barefoot on the Beach

Styles: Vocal, Jazz Pop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:33
Size: 155,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:04)  1. Barefoot On The Beach
(4:48)  2. Heart Like An Open Book
(6:13)  3. Now Love Has No End
(5:52)  4. The Fountain of Youth
(5:04)  5. When You Smiled At Me
(6:12)  6. Double Talk
(7:24)  7. Every Time She Whispers
(4:27)  8. Why Spring Ain't Here
(6:21)  9. A Walk In The Rain
(4:40) 10. Mr. Smooth
(6:23) 11. Like Moon Behind A Cloud

Countless musical trends have steamrolled by since this wry singer songwriter with the cool and collected, wistful onionskin voice first graced the adult music world in the mid-'70s with The Art of Tea and its cryptic hit, "Popsicle Toes." Yet Franks has stood his ground, growing as an observational lyricist while his relaxed demeanor stays pretty much the same, and charmingly so. While varying his backing instrumental tracks to fall somewhere between classic, subtle brassy Steely Dan ("The Fountain of Youth" features Yellowjacket saxman Bob Mintzer kicking it up with trumpeter Larry Lunetta) and colorful smooth jazz vibes (Bob James, Dave Samuels, and Chuck Loeb crackle behind the bemused frustration story "Double Talk"), the joy of his writing approach is found in his song structure. Franks just doesn't buy into the Top 40 school of "hook or forget it" songwriting. He's more interested in weaving quirky, even esoteric images over solid grooves. "You could jump a DC-8 and probably be here by eight" sets the tone for the frolic of the title track. Everything is fair game from references to Ingrid Bergman and Rhett Butler looks on "Heart Like an Open Book" to congratulating Ponce De Leon for the youthful drive of his lover on "The Fountain of Youth." He's quite the humorist, too, telling a cheating mate on "Double Talk" that "each time you lie your profile grows/it looks just like Pinocchio's." "Mr. Smooth" is a crisp commentary on a stuck-up man who thinks he's a god somehow. So that even when Franks is expressing displeasure, his heart is light. He covers all the aspects of love from the supreme joy of "Now Love Has No End" to "Why Spring Ain't here" but the minute he starts to boil over, he's back to the beach, having a blast. It's the kind of spring in your step music Franks fashioned his career out of.~ Jonathan Widran  http://www.allmusic.com/album/barefoot-on-the-beach-mw0000239499

Personnel: Michael Franks, vocals; Jay Azzolina, guitar; Jim Beard, string synth; Charles Blenzig, keyboards and drum/percussion programming; Michael Brecker, sax; Randy Brecker, trumpet; David Charles, percussion; Brian Dunne, drums; Steve Gadd, drums; Wolfgang Haffner, cymbals; Jimmy Haslip, bass and keyboards; Chris Hunter, alto sax and flute; Jim Hynes, flugelhorn; Bob James, keyboards; Bashiri Johnson, percussion; Birch Johnson, trombone; Steve Khan, guitar; Will Lee, bass and background vocals; Chuck Loeb, guitar; Larry Lunetta, trumpet; David Mann, flute; Bob Mintzer, saxophone; Jeff Mironov, guitar; Chris Palmaro, keyboards; John Patitucci, bass; Shawn Pelton, drums; Mike Ricchiuti, keyboards; Dave Samuels, vibraphone; Valerie Simpson, vocal (duet on "Now Love Has No End"); Andy Snitzer, saxophone; Tawatha Agee, Carmen Cuesta, Lani Groves, backgroung vocals.

Barefoot on the Beach

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