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Béla Fleck: Greatest Hits of the 20th Century

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Released: 1999.11.16
Time:
 52:06
Category: Progressive Jazz
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Rating: ********** (10/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.flecktones.com
Appears with: Victor Wooten
Purchase date: 2001.06.25
Price in €: 14,99





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] The Sinister Minister (B.Fleck) - 4:37
[2] Stomping Grounds (B.Fleck/V.L.Wooten) - 5:26
[3] Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (B.Fleck) - 4:28
[4] Shocktime (B.Fleck) - 4:25
[5] Sex in a Pan (V.L.Wooten) - 3:34
[6] The Yee-Haw Factor (B.Fleck) - 6:58
[7] Roadhouse Blues (B.Fleck) - 3:19
[8] Vix 9 (V.L.Wooten) - 4:29
[9] Communication (B.Fleck/R.Wooten) - 4:16
[10] Big Country (B.Fleck) - 5:33
[11] Sunset Road (B.Fleck) - 5:01

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Béla Fleck & The Flecktones:
BÉLA FLECK - Acoustic & Electric Banjos, Guitar, Synthesizer, Producer, Liner Notes
HOWARD LEVY - Harmonica, Synthesizer, Piano
ROY "Future Man" WOOTEN - Vocals, SynthAxe Drumitar
VICTOR LEMONTE WOOTEN - Fretted & Fretless basses, Producer

Additional personnel:
DAVE MATTHEWS - Vocals
JEFF COFFIN - Soprano, Alto & Tenor Saxophones
PAUL MCCANDLESS - Soprano Saxophone
SAM BUSH - Mandolin, Fiddle

KEITH BLAKE - Compilation Remastering
DENNY PURCELL - Mastering
MCGUIRE - Photography
GARRETT RITTENBERRY - Artwork

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1999 CD Warner Brothers 47301
1999 CS Warner Brothers 47301

Digitally remastered by Keith Blake (1999, Warner Bros. In-house Studio).

Featuring Grammy winner "The Sinister Minister" Best Pop Instrumental Performance.



Beyond the droll title there indeed lies some of the finest material these jazz-bluegrass cross-pollinators have ever recorded. This compilation documents the Bela Fleck & The Flecktones from their start as a trio in 1990 up to their expanded lineup on 1998's LEFT OF COOL, culling the cream of the albums in between. The avant-banjo virtuoso himself sheds some light on the inspiration for each song by including track-by-track annotations in the booklet. GREATEST HITS begins on the same auspicious note as did the band's popularity, with the Grammy-winning instrumental "The Sinister Minister." It's a mysterious, quirky tune that creeps and crawls to Howard Levy's haunting harmonica playing. Two previously unissued tracks are included, with "Shocktime" surely being one of the more mind-blowing examples of the musicianship at hand. Originally intended to be on THREE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, this cut shines a welcome spotlight on Victor Wooten's ebullient, jaw-dropping bass pyrotechnics. "Road House Blues" funks from the Mississippi Delta to the Big Apple with a down-home combo of Bela Fleck on slide-banjo and Jeff Coffin's alto sax grooves.

SONICNET.com - © 2001 The MTVi Group, L.P



Whenever a group with the stature and critical reputation of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones issues a career-spanning collection, the quality of the work is not measured in the same way that an original album would be. The question isn't so much whether or not Béla Fleck and the Flecktones are talented musicians capable of producing worthwhile songs, but whether or not the editor of the collection has chosen wisely from their repertoire. On the satirically titled Greatest Hits of the Twentieth Century, someone has done a good job. In roughly chronological order (with the exception of the last song, "Sunset Road" from very early in the band's history) the collection presents a mixture of live and studio tracks, previously released and unreleased material, each song showing off a different facet of the band's style and abilities. There is the tight, funky quartet sounds of their first hit, "The Sinister Minister," the strong bluegrass influence on "The Yee-Haw Factor," the pleasant guest appearance by Dave Matthews on "Communication," and the sweetly minimal "Sunset Road." There isn't a dud in the bunch of this concise history of the Flecktones. An inventive blend of a world of influences, this collection offers an extremely pleasant listening experience.

Stacia Proefrock, All-Music Guide, © 1992 - 2001 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.



This compilation is as good as the title suggests. A spin through the eleven tunes on this album will remind the listener that the buzz was never so much about Bela Fleck playing jazz on a banjo as it was Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten, and percussionist Future Man playing their funkified "blu-bop" fusion with such virtuosity and creative fire. Every bit of music on this album, from "The Sinister Minister" to "Sex In A Pan" to "Big Country," is the product of a unique collective vision that has re-defined more than just what might be done with a banjo. The album also reminds us that Howard Levy made an important contribution to the Flecktone sound. We hear his diatonic harmonica, synth, and piano on five tracks, including "Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo" and "Sunset Road." This is unpredictable, genre-crunching music, which is part of its charm. Fleck and his partners combine some odd influences - and often it doesn't feel like jazz - but it's always easy to appreciate their groove.

Philip Van Vleck - January 18, 2000
Copyright © 1994-2001 CDnow Online, Inc. All rights reserved.



Bela Fleck & The Flecktones release greatest hits album

Just in time for the new century, one of the most innovative and acclaimed groups of the decade has released their first-ever compilation on Warner Bros. Records. Set for shipment last Tuesday, "Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Greatest Hits of the 20th Century" features 11 tracks spanning the career of this multi-Grammy winning instrumentalist and his ensemble, including two previously unreleased tracks. Annotated with brief descriptions of the origin and evolution of each track, "Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Greatest Hits of the 20th Century" highlights the selections from six of the group's albums. The album includes performances by Bela Fleck on five-string acoustic banjo, electric banjo, banjo synth, Paradis Stereo Guitar and Czech electric banjo. The Flecktones are comprised of Victor Lemonte Wooten (bass), Future Man (SynthAxe Drumitar) and Jeff Coffin (saxophone). Howard Levy, who left the group in 1992, can also be heard on diatonic harmonica, piano and synthesizers. Guest musicians heard on the album include Dave Matthews (vocals), Sam Bush (mandolin) and Paul McCandless. Two tracks &emdash; "The Sinister Minister" and "Sunset Road" &emdash; have been taken from the group's 1990 debut album "Bela Fleck & The Flecktones." Also on the album are songs from "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo," "Live Art," "UFO Tufo," "Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Left of Cool." The Flecktones continue to tour extensively through the U.S. and around the world.

Staff Report - November 18, 1999
Copyright © 1999 Butler University Department of Journalism.



Since 1990, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones have been bringing thier unique brand of jazz/fusion/funk to the masses - think Parliment meets Pat Metheny. With their latest offering, "Greatest Hits of the 20th Century", they have brought together a sampling of nine tracks from their six previous albums, and two previously unreleased songs: "Shocktime" and "Road House Blues." "Greatest Hits" is a great representation of what the band has to offer. "Stomping Grounds," the single live track on the album, is a potent example of their awe-inspiring live performances and their improvisational skills. The frantically paced "Shocktime" brings forward the intricate bass playing of Victor Wooten, and is evidence of the tight interplay that these players can achieve. "Road House Blues", is an example of thier outstanding ability to blend the bluegrass and jazz sounds so seamlessly. If you're not familiar with Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, this CD is a great way to get acquainted. If you're already a fan, the two previously unreleased songs make this disc a must have.

Jason Kuykendall - www.420.org



Just in time for the new century, one of the most innovative and acclaimed groups of our time has released their first-ever compilation on Warner Bros. Records. Set for shipment November 1999, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century, features eleven tracks spanning the extraordinary career of this multi-Grammy winning instrumentalist and his ensemble, including two previously unreleased tracks. Annotated with brief descriptions by the New York-born artist of the origin and evolution of each track, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century highlights selections from six of the group's Warner Bros. Records releases. It includes performances by Bela Fleck on 5 string acoustic banjo, electric banjo, banjo synth, Paradis Stereo Guitar and Czech electric banjo. The Flecktones are comprised of Victor Lemonte Wooten (bass), Future Man (SynthAxe Drumitar) and Jeff Coffin (saxophone), who joined the Flecktones in early 1998. Howard Levy, who left the group in 1992, can also be heard on diatonic harmonica, piano and synthesizers. Guests musicians heard on Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century include Dave Matthews (vocals), Sam Bush (mandolin) and Paul McCandless. Selections on the album were produced and co-produced by Bela Fleck. Two tracks - "The Sinister Minister" and "Sunset Road" - have been taken from the group's 1990 debut album Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. From the 1991 release Flight of the Cosmic Hippo comes the title track, while a live version of "Stomping Grounds" from the 1996 release, Live Art is another of the collection's standout cuts. "Sex In A Pan" and "The Yee-Haw Factor" were culled from 1992's UFO Tufo while "Vix 9" was taken from 1993's Three Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. 1997's Left Of Cool, another Grammy winner, yielded "Communication" (with vocals by Dave Matthews) and "Big Country," while previously unreleased tracks on Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century include "Shocktime" and "Road House Blues." Bela Fleck latest solo release on Warner Bros. Records is titled The Bluegrass Sessions - Tales From The Acoustic Planet Volume 2, featuring Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Tony Rice, Mark Schatz and special guests Vassar Clements, John Hartford and Earl Scruggs, among others. The album is a follow-up to his critically acclaimed 1995 solo debut album, Tales From The Acoustic Planet.

© 2001 Warner Bros. Records. All Rights Reserved.
 

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