End of the World Party (Just in Case)

Amazon.com
With each successive album, Medeski Martin & Wood have become harder to pin down. Having long ago transcended their soulful organ-groove basics to enter a more expansive world of snappy beats and backbeats, eerie atmospheric effects, post-lounge riffing, and the occasional jazz overture, they occupy their own category. Produced by the Dust Brothers' John King (Beck's Odelay, the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique), End of the World Party (Just in Case) is an agreeably varied effort, ranging from the spacey effects and Middle Eastern taint of "Bloody Oil" (on which bassist Chris Wood lays down the lumber) to the sassy electric funk of "Sasa" (one of four tracks featuring guitarist Marc Ribot) to the wordless voice effects of the jaunty title track. As ever, John Medeski is equally at home referencing post-bop piano aces like Herbie Hancock, getting down on churning Hammond organ, and making like Stevie Wonder with his "Superstition"-style synth. Unlike some MMW records, this one wastes not: all 12 tracks clock in at around the four- or five-minute mark, and they flow together with consummate ease. --Lloyd Sachs

Tracks:

Anonymous Skulls
End Of The World Party
Reflector
Bloody Oil
New Planet
Mami Gato
Shine It
Curtis
Ice
Sasa
Midnight Poppies/Crooked Birds
Queen Bee

Amazon.com

With each successive album, Medeski Martin & Wood have become harder to pin down. Having long ago transcended their soulful organ-groove basics to enter a more expansive world of snappy beats and backbeats, eerie atmospheric effects, post-lounge riffing, and the occasional jazz overture, they occupy their own category. Produced by the Dust Brothers' John King (Beck's Odelay, the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique), End of the World Party (Just in Case) is an agreeably varied effort, ranging from the spacey effects and Middle Eastern taint of "Bloody Oil" (on which bassist Chris Wood lays down the lumber) to the sassy electric funk of "Sasa" (one of four tracks featuring guitarist Marc Ribot) to the wordless voice effects of the jaunty title track. As ever, John Medeski is equally at home referencing post-bop piano aces like Herbie Hancock, getting down on churning Hammond organ, and making like Stevie Wonder with his "Superstition"-style synth. Unlike some MMW records, this one wastes not: all 12 tracks clock in at around the four- or five-minute mark, and they flow together with consummate ease. --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews:

Funky atmospheric jazz.......2007-04-17

Having heard snippets of M&WM before I was intrigued by their sound but not enough to shell out for a disc. I came across a used copy at the local thrift shop(usually not a good sign)and bought a copy at the reduced price. Someone discarded it for a reason I thought but I couldn't resist being the audio junkie that I am. It took me several listens to warm up tho the music, mostly because of the spacey nature of the disc. The spacey atmospherics are enticing and inviting , the music teases and hints at what could be but unfortuantely doesn't quite fully deliver. The songs give you the feeling of being on a desolate landscape where suddenly urban groovesters appear. Take a listen to "New Planet" and you'll get my drift. The keyboards of John Medeski are enough to hook you in, sometimes jazzy, sometimes funky but always pulling you in. Richard "Groove" Holmes or Jimmy Smith he's not but then again who is? The title track, " End of the World Party" is a funky mix of jazz that projects gloom and happiness at once. I think that is part of what I don't like much about this disc, it has a sad lack luster appeal. "Ice" creates a nice balance between jazz and funk reminiscent of Herbie Hancock back in the day. The songs are sometimes outright jazz like on the excellent "Mami Gato," unfortuantely their are not enough songs like this as they spend most of their time trying to create a new niche in the jazz idiom. One of the best tracks that mixes elements of electronica, atmospheric jazz and funk is "Midnight Poppies/ Crooked birds" that has a bit of a Latin groove mixed in for good measure. If you like atmospheric jazz that is out there you might like this disc. For my tastes it just doesn't quite deliver but rather promises with moments or songs that have more than just a hook. If you like funky-atmospheric-jazz than this will be for you. However if you like traditional jazz you might stay away from this one. Not a great disc but it does promise enough to maybe keep an eye on their future development on future discs. In the end I would give this a 3.5 for taking the old and trying to create something new.

Trippy.......2006-12-12

I bought this CD before going to see MMW (with John Scofield) for the first time at First Avenue in Minneapolis Dec 7, 2006. I had never heard of them before and liked the clip on the venue's website. So I bought a ticket and wanted to get "Out Louder", which I knew they were going to play, to familiarize myself, but the store I was at was out of it. So I bought "End of the World" instead. While some of it was a little too spacey for my liking at first, I still liked the overall funkiness of it all.

THEN....I saw them PLAY. You MUST see them PLAY!! I didn't ever want it to end! I immediately wanted to see them again! It's less than a week later and I have 2 more CD's ("Out Louder" and Scofield's "A-Go-Go" which they "back" him on) and 4 more on the way from amazon as I'm writing this. I'm like an ADDICT now! I HAVE to have them on in the car and in the house. I get back in the car after having been in a store or whatever and they're on and all is right with my world again.

I must say I like "Out Louder" and even "A-Go-Go" better than "End of the World", but only slightly. It IS trippy with the synth and the other guest players, and I do like it better after a few listens. I just prefer MMW with less guest musicians.

Wonderful, Chill Music.......2006-07-04

This is possibly one of the greatest cd's to turn on and enjoy the music while studying or just having friends over. I thoroughly enjoy this album.

Refreshing.......2006-05-10

Very interesting, a bit of a departure from the other albums they have. It is getting hard to put a label on their music, but thats what makes it so good. I have not purchased any new music for quit a while, so last week I picked up several albums this being one of them, along with Spicehouse and Zero7. I must say I love this CD, I have been playing every day in the car. The sound quality is fantastic, especially in headphones. This New York band has always been experimenting and building on their sound. I think they have come to a peak on this one. One thing is for sure, the musicianship is always top notch on all their albums, this is no exception. They have a more modern sound here Kind of Hip Hop - Trip Hop, whatever, but it sounds great. This album starts off with the strange "Anonymous skulls" and then moves into the great title track. The rest of the album seems to move in and out of trippy groves, experimental jazz and some interesting electronica. Some of my friends who are great people, but can't get out of their tiny musical worlds actually like this when I play it. It is nice to hear some fresh new music.

Every album just gets better.......2006-03-09

MMW are a band that I feel epitomizes what a band should do: Get better with each album. This installment into their already stellar catalogue is one of great proportion. I saw MMW live twice during their tour for this album, one of which was at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC (one of my favorite venues of all time), and the performance combined with the infectious grooves made me dance like I've never danced before. All three do a fantastic job of not overplaying just to impress. Medeski probably overplays some live, but Chris Wood on bass is too expressive to just capture on disc. At any rate, this album has my vote for #1 MMW album so far, and I own them all. As an additional note, to get the true effect of this trio, see them live. Billy Martin is right up there with Duduka da Fonseca as far as best trap players in the entirety of Western music, and you only get to see just how excellent he is when he plays live. During an intermission at one show, it was just him on stage while the other M and the W took a break. His improv solo playing is just as musical as anything with tonal character. Alright, that's the end of the rambling. Buy this album!

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