Flight of the Cosmic Hippo is the second album by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, released in 1991.[4][8] It reached number 1 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[9] The album title came from an audience member who suggested "Flight of the Codeine Hippo"; the band changed "codeine" to "cosmic".[10]
| Flight of the Cosmic Hippo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 11, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1991, The Castle | |||
| Studio | The Castle (Franklin, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Jazz fusion, post-bop, folk rock, bluegrass | |||
| Length | 43:57 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Béla Fleck with the Flecktones[1] | |||
| Béla Fleck and the Flecktones chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[5] |
| MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
Production
editThe group's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was recorded the night the Gulf War began.[12]
Critical reception
editAllMusic's Brian Mansfield wrote: "The Flecktones owe more to bebop than bluegrass, and here the group finally names their style 'blu-bop.' That's why Flight of the Cosmic Hippo topped the jazz, not the country, chart. The Flecktones continue to make it look easy, adding banjo power chords to 'Turtle Rock' and reworking Lennon/McCartney's 'Michelle'."[2] The Chicago Tribune wrote that "this is a group with a warm, engaging sense of humor and a desire to communicate, not a bunch of Berklee whiz kids practicing lessons in advanced harmonics."[3] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "over the course of the Hippo album, the Flecktones ... essay a traditional Irish folk song, 'Star of the County Down'; a spirited rock 'n' roll number, 'Turtle Rock'; a jazzy take on the Beatles' 'Michelle', and a surprisingly soulful reading of '"The Star-Spangled Banner"'."[13] The Indianapolis Star deemed the album "jazz, played with country instruments and down-home warmth—what Chick Corea might sound like if he played with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band."[12]
Track listing
editAll songs by Béla Fleck unless otherwise noted.
- "Blu-Bop" (The Flecktones) – 4:22
- "Flying Saucer Dudes" – 4:51
- "Turtle Rock" – 4:12
- "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" – 4:29
- "The Star-Spangled Banner" (Francis Scott Key, arr. The Flecktones) – 2:35
- "Star of the County Down" (P.D., arr. The Flecktones) – 4:21
- "Jekyll and Hyde (and Ted and Alice)" – 7:04
- "Michelle" (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) – 5:10
- "Hole in the Wall" – 4:40
- "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (Reprise)" – 2:14
Personnel
edit- Béla Fleck – banjo (tracks 2, 4-10), electric banjo (tracks 1, 3), synth (track 1)
- Howard Levy – diatonic harmonica (tracks 2, 3, 5-8, 10), piano (tracks 2-5, 7-10), synthesizers (tracks 1, 2, 4-6, 9), harp in a cup (track 4), harp through micro synth (track 2), double ocarina (track 9), Hammond B-3 organ (track 6)
- "Future Man" – Synth-Axe Drumitar
- Victor Wooten – 4-string, 5-string fretless (tracks 4, 5, 7, 8, 10) and 6-string electric basses
Production notes
edit- Produced and mixed by Béla Fleck with the Flecktones
- Bil VornDick – engineer, mixing
- Carlos Grier – editing
- Denny Purcell – mastering
- Mark Nevers – assistant engineer
- Keith Odle – mixing assistant
- Richard Battaglia – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
- Mark Tucker – photography
- Elvis Wilson – design
- Laura LiPuma – art direction
- Mark Fox – artwork
Chart positions
edit| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums | 1 |
References
edit- ^ "Album Reviews". Billboard. 103 (28): 76. Jul 13, 1991.
- ^ a b Mansfield, Brian. "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
- ^ a b Heim, Chris. "Bela Fleck & the FlecktonesFlight of the..." chicagotribune.com.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 494.
- ^ "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo". EW.com.
- ^ MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 278.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 250–251.
- ^ Potter, Greg (27 June 1991). "Caught in the middle and loving it: Fans call it psychedelic bluegrass or rural jazz, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones play it to perfection". Vancouver Sun: F5.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry. "BELA FLECK: THE KING OF PSYCHEDELIC BANJO". OrlandoSentinel.com.
- ^ Pryweller, Joseph (15 Aug 1991). "JAZZ IN THE PARK BELA FLECK, SPYRO GYRA TO HEAT UP TOWN POINT FESTIVAL". Daily Press: D1.
- ^ Harris, Paul A. (2 Feb 1992). "Fusion On Folk: Bela Fleck Thrives On Unlikely Blends". St. Louis Post-Dispatch: 3C.
- ^ a b Lucas, Tim (26 July 1991). "Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Flight of the Cosmic Hippo Warner Bros". The Indianapolis Star: C4.
- ^ Boehm, Mike (12 Sep 1991). "B-A-N-J-O There Was a Player Who Strummed Into Space and Bela Was His Name-Oh". Los Angeles Times: 6.