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Pharaoh Sanders - Village of the Pharoahs

tabiratabira 856 Posts
edited September 2014 in Strut Central
OK one of us has shit for ears. Me or Scott Yanow?


Review by Scott Yanow
This LP is one of tenor-saxophonist Pharoah Sanders's lesser efforts. Sanders actually only plays tenor on one song ("Went Like It Came"), otherwise jamming on soprano and taking some spirited vocals. Very much a hodge-podge collection with performances taken from three different settings, best is Sanders's heartfelt "Memories of Lee Morgan." But there are many more significant Pharoah Sanders records than this one.

  Comments

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    This calls for a top 5 favorite PS LP list.
    I have not listened to him enough for my top 5 to have much meaning, but here goes.

    Live in Seattle
    Thembi
    Black Unity
    Izipho Zam
    Journey to the One

    In order of release.
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    Like Village too, though I don't know if it's in my top five. Plus I don't think my top 5 have an order.

    1 Deaf Dumb and Blind
    2 Elevation
    3 Pharoah
    4 Izapho Zam
    5 Wisdom Through Music

    His greatest hits album on Impulse is a good comp of the Karma/ Tauhid/ Thembi/ Jewels of Thought period. I remember a record store dude about f15 yrs ago showing me the greatest hits album and being like "look. PSanders GREATEST HITS!!! Hahaha..." It was funny, but I didn't own any Pharoah so bought it and that was it. Anyone seen him play recently, is he still going?
  • awallawall 673 Posts
    live in seattle is a coltrane-led tho...

    live at the east
    karma
    izipho zam
    thembi
    elevation

    the one on india navigation would be up there but man i cannot deal with the female vocalist
  • ppadilhappadilha 2,244 Posts
    my impression is that the allmusic critics sometimes sit down and review an artist's entire discography at once, so they'll get underwhelmed by something that would have sounded fine had they listened to it on its own. I think there are some Fela reviews on there where dude is obviously tired of listening to his stuff all day and wrote something like "OMFG Fela records are all the fucking same".
  • tabiratabira 856 Posts
    ppadilha said:
    my impression is that the allmusic critics sometimes sit down and review an artist's entire discography at once, so they'll get underwhelmed by something that would have sounded fine had they listened to it on its own. I think there are some Fela reviews on there where dude is obviously tired of listening to his stuff all day and wrote something like "OMFG Fela records are all the fucking same".

    I get the feeling they dissed Village of the Pharaohs because it doesn't sound like all the other Sanders joints. Like they had been listening to Prince of Peace on repeat all day when this heavy arabesque fusion thing fucked up their Karma. I think it's a blindingly good piece.
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,166 Posts
    LoopDreams said:
    Anyone seen him play recently, is he still going?

    Most certainly. I saw him in LA a couple of times in the mid-to-late 00s and it was super good. But i know he's still playing more recently too. In fact, I have it on good word that he will be playing in NYC in October (PM me if you're curious - i think it's some hush-hush ish).
  • parallaxparallax no-style-having mf'er 1,266 Posts
    tabira said:
    OK one of us has shit for ears. Me or Scott Yanow?



    Review by Scott Yanow
    This LP is one of tenor-saxophonist Pharoah Sanders's lesser efforts. Sanders actually only plays tenor on one song ("Went Like It Came"), otherwise jamming on soprano and taking some spirited vocals. Very much a hodge-podge collection with performances taken from three different settings, best is Sanders's heartfelt "Memories of Lee Morgan." But there are many more significant Pharoah Sanders records than this one.

    Your ears are fine, Tab. This one's fire.

    b/w

    Reviewer might also have shit for brains.
  • mrboogieman88mrboogieman88 74 Posts
    I saw him live a little over a year ago and I thought it was fucking fantastic. Can't recommend it enough if you are a Pharoah fan.
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,954 Posts
    Had the privilege of seeing him live in the 90s in Manchester. Did not disappoint.

    There is a complete live concert on Youtube (blocked at this client's site) with the band with John Hicks/Idris Muhammad in it. Dates from the mid-80s. It's the band that played on this:

    http://www.discogs.com/Pharoah-Sanders-Live/release/2077813

    Incredible playing from all of them. I would have killed to be there.
  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    for me

    KArma
    Black Unity
    Latin Jazz Quintet
    India Navigation (my fav by far)
    Journey to the One

    but i have not heard everything obviously
  • plainstoneplainstone 96 Posts
    Deaf, Dumb and Blind
    Heart is a Melody
    Black Unity
    Elevation
    Tauhid

    Hard to pick five, but those are the ones I always go back to.

    Haven't seen him since his mid-2000s shows at Blue Note Tokyo, and in NYC, but Australian friends spoke highly of shows there in recent years.

    Oh, and Village is fuckin' great.
  • soulcitizensoulcitizen 304 Posts
    I've been a fan for a long time and found myself graduating away from the impulse to the Theresa albums, especially after seeing him live with that quartet with John Hicks about 20 years back and it's stayed that way. One of the most memorable was at Dingwalls in London when he announced a very special guest, Jean Carn came on and sang 'creator has a masterplan' for 20 mins, mindblowingly good.

    Shukuru
    Moon child
    Journey to the one

    b/w

    Karma
    Thembi
  • RishanRishan 454 Posts
    Kinda agree with Yanow, but the record is still amazing.

    Tauhid
    Karma
    Elevation
    Journey
    Heart is a Melody

    As one of the greatest living musicians, why has this man's discography not been given the proper, coherent reissue treatment? it's ridiculous.
  • gazgaz 232 Posts
    Village of the Pharoah is a great album, seen him play several times , north sea jazz fest, couple of soul weekenders, cant remember him playing at Dingwalls as said upthread even though I regularly went there during that period of time but may have done, hazy memory !

    faves
    Karma > Creator still one of the best tracks ever
    India Navigation s/t
    Izipho Zam
    Deaf Dumb Blind
    Jewels Of Thought
  • tabiratabira 856 Posts
    gaz said:
    Village of the Pharoah is a great album, seen him play several times , north sea jazz fest, couple of soul weekenders, cant remember him playing at Dingwalls as said upthread even though I regularly went there during that period of time but may have done, hazy memory !

    faves
    Karma > Creator still one of the best tracks ever
    India Navigation s/t
    Izipho Zam
    Deaf Dumb Blind
    Jewels Of Thought

    Same list only with Village in the place of DDB. I'll also cheat by adding on Alice Coltrane's "Journey into " LP where Sanders plays brilliantly. Probably one of the best LPs on Impulse.
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