UFO TOFU

[Electricmayhem]

Finally found a Flecktones disc! I'm listening to this cd now and I think it's really cool. Your thoughts?

[Jacob Bartfield]

That's a great disc. there are some real nice tunes on there. You should check some of their other stuff, because it's all awsome. The only exception is their first album, which is pretty good, but definately not as good as the others.

[Electricmayhem]

Hey thanks for the advice. I'm actually borrowing tofu from the library. If I was going to buy one I'd probably start with the first.

Maybe I'll buy tofu first.

[Jacob Bartfield]

Just to let you know, their first three albums: "Bela Fleck and the Flecktones", "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo", and "UFO Tofu", were all recorded with Howard Levy on harmonica and piano. Their fourth album, "Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", was just Bela, Victor, and Futureman. They're last three albums: "Left of Cool", "Outbound", and "Little Worlds", were recorded with Jeff Coffin. Actually, "Outbound" and "Little Worlds" have a bunch of guests on them.

If you liked "UFO Tofu", I'd either get that one to start with or "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo". They're both equally good. I actually think the newer Flecktones stuff is even better. "Little Worlds" is incredible. Three discs.

[Against Will]

Go Hang a Salami, I'm a lasagna hog

Oh, I thought this was a thread about palendromes....

[JimK]

Originally posted by Jacob Bartfield The only exception is their first album, which is pretty good, but definately not as good as the others.

IMO, the 'Tones' debut disc is very good....all their albums with Howard Levy are strong.

I would say Left Of Cool & Outbound are "not as good as the others".

[JimK]

Originally posted by Electricmayhem
Finally found a Flecktones disc! I'm listening to this cd now and I think it's really cool. Your thoughts?

I saw them when UFO TOFU first came out...they were explaining that "Ufo Tofu"(the tune) was a 'palindrome'(as the title suggests). What they were going for was-
If you played the song 'in-reverse'...it would sound the same as played 'forward'.

Also-
The artwork to the 1st three albums are related.

[Jacob Bartfield]

Well, their first three albums were definately a lot different than what their doing now, so it doesn't surprise me that you like their earlier music. I think the playing on the first album is great, but the songs don't seem to be as interesting in general.

[Blackbird]

De-fi-ni-te-ly.

UFO-TOFU is great, but I still think Flight of the Cosmic Hippo was the best one from the Howard Levy phase, which is also my favorite.

The first BFF album was self produced, and Warner released it untouched, so it was definItely a lower budget operation. Still pretty darn good, IMO and worth having for "Sinister Minister" alone, although there's plenty of good stuff on it.

[GrooveWarrior]

As you can see in my signature that I have had for some time I, too an a fan of palindromes. RACECAR. Sorry, had to put an example out.

UFO TOFU doesn't necessarily sound the same backwards, but the notes are the same forward and backward.

Sex In A Pan is one of my favorite Flecktones tunes (and one of the easier Victor grooves to play), and my band does a pretty rockin' version of it. A lot of blank faces from the crowd - except the musicians that happen to be there.

[Electricmayhem]

Palindromes... now there's a cool word I haven't heard in a long time...

[Against Will]

Grammatical terms are always cool words:

Homophones
Homonyms
Diphthongs
Gerund

[Electricmayhem]

Very true.

[peteroberts]

Flight of the Cosmic Hippo rules!! That's my fave. I like the 1st album too, there are some cool songs on that one, it's not all about the playing (although the playing is there!)