mystic fred
Member
The three gentlemen of The Bad Plus- Ethan Iverson on Piano, Reid Anderson on Bass and Dave King on drums, have made some amazing music over the last ten years, drawing on many influences often by way of cover songs from Heavy Metal, Grunge, Pop, Classical and of course Jazz.
Their off-beat tongue in cheek interpretations are stripped bare using only the aforementioned instruments, always very tuneful but often springing surprising little dissonant passages just to catch the listener out, but overall very entertaining. Sound quality is always top notch, though at long last their latest two releases have found their way onto vinyl; "For All I Care" (2008), their first album to include a female vocalist, and "Never Stop" (20th September 2010), their first to include all original material.
Their earlier albums include covers from such diverse acts as Abba, Nirvana, Blondie, Black Sabbath, Yes, Vangelis, Tears for Fears, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Rush.
The Bad Plus (Motel) 2001
1."Knowing Me, Knowing You" (Abba) – 5:45
2."Blue Moon" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 3:01
3."1972 Bronze Medalist" (David King) – 5:06
4."The Breakout" (Reid Anderson) – 5:22
5."Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic) – 6:32
6."Labyrinth" (Ethan Iverson) – 5:13
7."Scurry" (Iverson) – 5:22
8."Love Is the Answer" (Anderson) – 8:22
These are the Vistas (2003)
1."Big Eater" (Anderson) – 3:53
2."Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And The Bears Off Your Ass" (King) – 5:49
3."Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Nirvana) – 5:57
4."Everywhere You Turn" (Anderson) – 4:56
5."1972 Bronze Medalist" (King) – 5:20
6."Guilty" (Iverson) – 5:35
7."Boo-Wah" (Iverson) – 3:55
8."Flim" (Richard D. James) – 4:05
9."Heart of Glass" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) – 4:47
10."Silence Is The Question" (Anderson) – 8:11
11."What Love Is This" (Iverson) (bonus track)
Give (2004)
1."1979 Semi-Finalist" (David King) – 5:18
2."Cheney Piñata" (Ethan Iverson) – 4:49
3."Street Woman" (Ornette Coleman) – 3:58
4."And Here We Test Our Powers of Observation" (Reid Anderson) – 4:22
5."Frog and Toad" (King) – 3:37
6."Velouria" (Charles Thompson) – 5:37
7."Layin' a Strip For the Higher-Self State Line" (King) – 4:17
8."Do Your Sums/Die Like a Dog/Play For Home" (Iverson) – 5:05
9."Dirty Blonde" (Anderson) – 3:42
10."Neptune (The Planet)" (Anderson) – 5:30
11."Iron Man" (Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward) – 6:02
Suspicious Activity? (2005)
1."Prehensile Dream" (Reid Anderson) – 8:12
2."Anthem for the Earnest" (David King) – 6:38
3."Let Our Garden Grow" (Ethan Iverson) – 6:57
4."The Empire Strikes Backwards" (King) – 5:38
5."Knows the Difference" (Anderson) – 6:58
6."Lost of Love" (Anderson) – 8:38
7."Rhinoceros Is My Profession" (Anderson) – 5:44
8."O.G. (Original Gentleman)" (Iverson) – 6:37
9."(Theme From) Chariots of Fire" (Vangelis) – 4:57
10."Forces" (Anderson) – 7:43
Prog (2007)
1."Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Chris Hughes, Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley) – 5:34
2."Physical Cities" (Reid Anderson) – 9:08
3."Life on Mars?" (David Bowie) – 6:02
4."Mint" (Ethan Iverson) – 5:20
5."Giant" (Anderson) – 8:44
6."Thriftstore Jewelry" (David King) – 5:36
7."Tom Sawyer" (Pye Dubois, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart) – 5:10
8."This Guy's in Love with You" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 4:43
9."The World is the Same" (Anderson) – 9:08
10."1980 World Champion" (King) – 5:03
For All I Care (2008)
1."Lithium - 4:46 (Nirvana; Kurt Cobain)
2."Comfortably Numb - 6:41 (Pink Floyd; David Gilmour/Roger Waters)
3."Fém (Etude No. 8) - 3:20 (György Ligeti)
4."Radio Cure - 6:40 (Wilco; Jay Bennett/Jeff Tweedy)
5."Long Distance Runaround" - 3:43 (Yes; Jon Anderson)
6."Semi-Simple Variations" - 3:32 (Isadore Freed/Milton Babbitt)
7."How Deep Is Your Love" - 3:39 (The Bee Gees; Barry Gibb/Maurice Gibb/Robin Gibb)
8."Barracuda" - 3:21 (Heart; Ann Wilson/Michael DeRosier/Nancy Wilson/Roger Fisher)
9."Lock, Stock and Teardrops" - 4:08 (k.d. lang; Roger Miller)
10."Variation d'Apollon" - 4:33 (Igor Stravinsky)
11."Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" - 4:47 (The Flaming Lips; Michael Ivins/Steven Drozd/Wayne Coyne)
12."Semi-Simple Variations (Alternate Version)" - 1:11 (Isadore Freed/Milton Babbitt)
Never Stop (2010)
1."The Radio Tower Has a Beating Heart" (David King)
2."Never Stop" (Reid Anderson)
3."You Are" (Anderson)
4."My Friend Metatron" (King)
5."People Like You" (Anderson)
6."Beryl Loves to Dance" (Anderson)
7."Snowball" (Anderson)
8."2 P.M." (Ethan Iverson)
9."Bill Hickman at Home" (Iverson)
10."Super America" (King)[2]
Their off-beat tongue in cheek interpretations are stripped bare using only the aforementioned instruments, always very tuneful but often springing surprising little dissonant passages just to catch the listener out, but overall very entertaining. Sound quality is always top notch, though at long last their latest two releases have found their way onto vinyl; "For All I Care" (2008), their first album to include a female vocalist, and "Never Stop" (20th September 2010), their first to include all original material.
Their earlier albums include covers from such diverse acts as Abba, Nirvana, Blondie, Black Sabbath, Yes, Vangelis, Tears for Fears, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Rush.
The Bad Plus (Motel) 20011."Knowing Me, Knowing You" (Abba) – 5:45
2."Blue Moon" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 3:01
3."1972 Bronze Medalist" (David King) – 5:06
4."The Breakout" (Reid Anderson) – 5:22
5."Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic) – 6:32
6."Labyrinth" (Ethan Iverson) – 5:13
7."Scurry" (Iverson) – 5:22
8."Love Is the Answer" (Anderson) – 8:22
These are the Vistas (2003)1."Big Eater" (Anderson) – 3:53
2."Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And The Bears Off Your Ass" (King) – 5:49
3."Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Nirvana) – 5:57
4."Everywhere You Turn" (Anderson) – 4:56
5."1972 Bronze Medalist" (King) – 5:20
6."Guilty" (Iverson) – 5:35
7."Boo-Wah" (Iverson) – 3:55
8."Flim" (Richard D. James) – 4:05
9."Heart of Glass" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) – 4:47
10."Silence Is The Question" (Anderson) – 8:11
11."What Love Is This" (Iverson) (bonus track)
Give (2004)1."1979 Semi-Finalist" (David King) – 5:18
2."Cheney Piñata" (Ethan Iverson) – 4:49
3."Street Woman" (Ornette Coleman) – 3:58
4."And Here We Test Our Powers of Observation" (Reid Anderson) – 4:22
5."Frog and Toad" (King) – 3:37
6."Velouria" (Charles Thompson) – 5:37
7."Layin' a Strip For the Higher-Self State Line" (King) – 4:17
8."Do Your Sums/Die Like a Dog/Play For Home" (Iverson) – 5:05
9."Dirty Blonde" (Anderson) – 3:42
10."Neptune (The Planet)" (Anderson) – 5:30
11."Iron Man" (Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward) – 6:02
Suspicious Activity? (2005)1."Prehensile Dream" (Reid Anderson) – 8:12
2."Anthem for the Earnest" (David King) – 6:38
3."Let Our Garden Grow" (Ethan Iverson) – 6:57
4."The Empire Strikes Backwards" (King) – 5:38
5."Knows the Difference" (Anderson) – 6:58
6."Lost of Love" (Anderson) – 8:38
7."Rhinoceros Is My Profession" (Anderson) – 5:44
8."O.G. (Original Gentleman)" (Iverson) – 6:37
9."(Theme From) Chariots of Fire" (Vangelis) – 4:57
10."Forces" (Anderson) – 7:43
Prog (2007)1."Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Chris Hughes, Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley) – 5:34
2."Physical Cities" (Reid Anderson) – 9:08
3."Life on Mars?" (David Bowie) – 6:02
4."Mint" (Ethan Iverson) – 5:20
5."Giant" (Anderson) – 8:44
6."Thriftstore Jewelry" (David King) – 5:36
7."Tom Sawyer" (Pye Dubois, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart) – 5:10
8."This Guy's in Love with You" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 4:43
9."The World is the Same" (Anderson) – 9:08
10."1980 World Champion" (King) – 5:03
For All I Care (2008)1."Lithium - 4:46 (Nirvana; Kurt Cobain)
2."Comfortably Numb - 6:41 (Pink Floyd; David Gilmour/Roger Waters)
3."Fém (Etude No. 8) - 3:20 (György Ligeti)
4."Radio Cure - 6:40 (Wilco; Jay Bennett/Jeff Tweedy)
5."Long Distance Runaround" - 3:43 (Yes; Jon Anderson)
6."Semi-Simple Variations" - 3:32 (Isadore Freed/Milton Babbitt)
7."How Deep Is Your Love" - 3:39 (The Bee Gees; Barry Gibb/Maurice Gibb/Robin Gibb)
8."Barracuda" - 3:21 (Heart; Ann Wilson/Michael DeRosier/Nancy Wilson/Roger Fisher)
9."Lock, Stock and Teardrops" - 4:08 (k.d. lang; Roger Miller)
10."Variation d'Apollon" - 4:33 (Igor Stravinsky)
11."Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" - 4:47 (The Flaming Lips; Michael Ivins/Steven Drozd/Wayne Coyne)
12."Semi-Simple Variations (Alternate Version)" - 1:11 (Isadore Freed/Milton Babbitt)
Never Stop (2010)1."The Radio Tower Has a Beating Heart" (David King)
2."Never Stop" (Reid Anderson)
3."You Are" (Anderson)
4."My Friend Metatron" (King)
5."People Like You" (Anderson)
6."Beryl Loves to Dance" (Anderson)
7."Snowball" (Anderson)
8."2 P.M." (Ethan Iverson)
9."Bill Hickman at Home" (Iverson)
10."Super America" (King)[2]
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Well done.
