Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - Lost Treasures

Lost Treasures

I have always and still do enjoy the music by Herb Alpert & the TJ brass. This CD was the last piece to my collection on the albums produced by Herb Alpert. Thank you. October 29, 2007

Not the Best Herb Alpert

If you can't get enough of the "brass", you'll probably want this album to complete your collection. If you want to hear some wonderful new TJB material, this is probably not it. Some songs are perfect for trumpret/brass treatment and succeed well. Others should have never been attempted. Close to You is horrible and it should have been buried forever after the Carpenters wonderful version. Most of the songs here are mildly interesting. To Alpert's credit, he tried a lot of different material, some of which was very difficult to do on trumpet. The best of it made it made it to his released albums (the Third Man Theme, for example, is simply amazing). Nothing outstanding or amazing like that on this album. These items were left behind for good reason; they just weren't as good as his other material that was released before. That doesn't mean this is a terrible album. It is enjoyable listening and there are serveral quite good songs on the album, but many of the songs just aren't that well done. Why did Alpert even record some of these? Good ones: Up Cherry Street; Flowers on the Wall and Whistlestar. Bad ones: Close to You, Tennessee Waltz, Popcorn. Most of the others are mediocre. If you never heard Alpert before, this album is like a appetizer, with most of his other albums being the main course and Whipped Cream and Other Delights being the dessert. Keep in mind that Alpert on a bad day was better than most on their best days. If this had been his first album ever released, I think the reviews might have said something like: "not bad; nice beginning effort; shows potential". Buy all the other Alpert albums first and if you still want more, then buy this one. June 14, 2006

Lost Treasures review

Another amazing album from Herb Alpert. A myiad of tunes included, some I was familiar with, but the majority new to me.
I used to play trumpet many years ago, and now after hearing these new compilations, I'm getting that itchy feeling to pick it up again. I just can't stop whistling the tunes. February 28, 2006

What Was Herb Thinking????

I just received this CD along with "What Now My Love" and "The Beat of the Brass". I have all the rest of the re-release series except "The Lonely Bull" (I never owned the vinyl), but I will get it soon to complete my childhood (er, I mean the set).

So....I listen to "The Beat of the Brass", then I pop this CD in to listen for the first time and WOW! But not a good "wow". The bass about blew me out of my chair! I looked to see who mixed this and found that Herb would give mixing a shot. Sure, maybe he mixed some stuff for the original recordings, but hey Herb, nothing works as good at 70 as it did at 30.

Most all the other reviewers have commented on the music itself, and I found most of it enjoyable, but my main beef is the mix. I think it stinks! If you listen to the originals (even the remix), the "support" band is properly placed in the background. In this recording, they are "out front". Heavy bass, heavy drums. I could feel the percussion on my head and on one song, I was sure I was "inside" the guitar.

I strongly disagree with another reviewer that these tracks should have been released as "bonus" tracks on the other CD's. No way. The mix is totally different and it wouldn't "fit".

So would I buy this again? Do you think I'm crazy? Of course I would!

Now. Where is "Warm" and "The Brass are Coming"? Let's get with it Shout.

Ole' February 4, 2006

'Lost Treasures' a Goldmine of Rare Gems

Not sure why I am writing a review, since so many people have already given this 'new' release from the classic Tijuana Brass period such a gracious welcome. But like an additional trumpet harmony to the chorus, let me add, it is not only a thing of beauty, but enough songs to represent a DOUBLE album, and one that would easily rank among the very best of the entire catalog!

With that said, why did these tracks fail to find release back in the day? Herb asks the same question in his liner notes and really couldn't recall! Only that he was shocked to find so MANY lost treasures that he had forgotten existed or were even recorded. In any case, it was a lucky stroke of genius to overlook them the first time around so that we could enjoy such a beautiful set of numbers alongside all the re-releases of this golden era of heart-warming classic TB albums.

In addition to hearing Alpert's own sung version of "(They Long to Be) Close To You", which was originally to be a Tijuana Brass release before deciding to hand it over to The Carpenters to record for their own A&M release(!!!...the rest is history), this album closes with a gorgeous and unique production of cat stevens' "Whistlestar" which would be worth the entire cost of the album all by itself. It's a stunner. January 31, 2006

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