Victor Wooten - Yin-Yang

Victor Wooten is one of those rare electric bass technocrats who learned all the right lessons from Jaco Pastorius. While sounding not at all like him, Wooten exhibits the same ability to retain the groove and a warm midrange tone while demonstrating considerable prowess. On this ambitious two-CD project, Wooten runs the gamut from "wave" type instrumentals like "Imagine This," where overdubbed basses function as both foundation and melody instruments, to sampled spoken-word pieces. Yin-Yang is definitely a family affair, including three other Wootens--Joseph (keys), Regi (guitar), and Rudy (sax)--as well as extended family members like Victor's fellow Flecktone Béla Fleck and Dave Matthews Band drummer Carter Beauford. Even with all these guests, one would've preferred perhaps a more tightly edited single CD that featured more of Wooten's instrumental individuality (on the order of "Singing My Song" with its stripped-down bass, drum, and vocal approach, or "Tali Lama" with its bluegrass tinges courtesy of Peter Rowan, and less generic "happy jazz" like "The Urban Turban"). Nevertheless, Yin-Yang should be required listening for any player or fan of electric bass. --Michael Ross Amazon.com

Nice if not perfect

"Yin Yang" from living bass legend, the incomparable and inimitable Victor Wooten offers more of that wholesome bass goodness, that we all love and listen in amazement at, combined with a couple of swing-and-miss-like-a-blindfolded-drunkard tracks.

Some of the tracks on this double album, 'Hip Bop', 'Hormones in the Headphones', 'Imagine This", to name a few, are as good as anything Wooten has ever produced, being creative, tight, and well composed. Others, namely all the tracks featuring his daughter Kaila, are a bit too creative and not really that nice to listen to. I agree with another reviewer who said, that it is cute, and that those tracks are fun to listen to. Once. They should be on the album of course, but they are easily skipped once you've heard them once.

As on most of Wootens albums, a lot of guest performers bring their music and style to the CD. Worth of special mention here is the effulgently and incredibly funky Bootsy Collins on "What Crime is it?". That man is the physical manifestation of funk.

In short: the vocal stuff on "Yin Yang" isn't all that impressive, but the bass playing is. There's no denying that. In these hi-tech days, just get the CD and transfer all but a few of the songs to your MP3 player and off you go with solid funk/soul/jazz/bass in your ears. Definitely recommendable. April 15, 2008

Stick to Intsrumental Music, Vic

To state the obvious, Wooten is an amazing bass player. He can slap like a maniac, keep a groove like no one else and improvise with amazing skill. His writing of music is amazing. Now that we've established how amazing Vic really is (which is that he's probably the best electric bass player on the planet right now), let's get into this album.

Yin-Yang is a very bold project. Wooten has made one disc of instrumental music, and one disc of vocal music. The instrumental stuff is quite amazing, really exhibiting Vic's musical genius, technical brilliance and outstanding collaboration with many great musicians. The second disc has something that the first disc doesn't have, lyrics. Corny lyrics at that. That's the problem with this album. The lyrics are cheesy and silly much of the time. Some of the vocalists don't have much to flaunt either. Especially Tabitha Fair on "Hero" and Allison Taylor on "One." The music itself is still quite good, but I like Wooten not because I like listening to him as accompaniment, but because he's an amazing player and he shines like the glory of the Lord when he's in the limelight. I wish he was in the limelight more often. After hearing the vocal work on this album, I don't know that I'll be able to bring myself about to purchase "Soul Circus." July 1, 2006

Are you the BASS God?

He must be one of theBass god of 21th century.Like James jemarson,Booty Colins....etc
This dable album have two side.Like the titlle of this Album as you can see.
The side of Yin means Shadow,dark...Anyway It featured instmental mainly of course Bass.The other side Yang means Daytime,light....
anyway it Futured Songs.
Yin have feels more fusion and smooth jazz.Yang is more Funky and straght to feel energys.I like both.
It have diffrent flava each other.You can choose the feeling of the day,Party or RElax.It's intersting concept.
And for funkeeters! Don't miss it Because Booty Colins is there.He helps Vic.great.

So,Victor makes this album made by 16tracks portable recording system.It is hard to beliave easy.This sound is not so bad.
You should try it. April 25, 2003

Are you the BASS God?

He must be one of theBass god of 21th century.Like James jemarson,Booty Colins....etc
This dable album have two side.Like the titlle of this Album as you can see.
The side of Yin means Shadow,dark...Anyway It featured instmental mainly of course Bass.The other side Yang means Daytime,light....
anyway it Futured Songs.
Yin have feels more fusion and smooth jazz.Yang is more Funky and straght to feel energys.I like both.
It have diffrent flava each other.You can choose the feeling of the day,Party or RElax.It's intersting concept.
And for funkeeters! Don't miss it Because Booty Colins is there.He helps Vic.great.

So,Victor makes this album made by 16tracks portable recording system.It is hard to beliave easy.This sound is not so bad.
You should try it. April 25, 2003

An unbalanced Yin-Yang

I rate this at 4-stars because I would have to say that the Yin (instrumental CD) is 5-stars, while the Yang (vocal CD) is 3-stars. The 2-CD set, however, is well worth buying solely for the Yin half. Victor Wooten's amazing compositions, with stellar accompanists like Béla Fleck, Carter Beauford, and Jeff Coffin, make this CD a very fun, enjoyable listen. This comes from both Victor's technical mastery of the bass guitar and his beautiful and exciting compositions. Highlights of Yin: "Zenergy," "Resolution," "Joe's Journey," "Imagine This." Yang however, lacks the creative writing that Yin holds. Two highlights are "What Crime Is It?" and "Singing my Song." Both provide a very enjoyable listen. In the end, this CD-set is worth its cost in solely the Yin half, while Yang's few highlights add to its great enjoyment. March 29, 2002

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