Instrumentals (Nels Cline Singers album)

Instrumentals is the debut album by The Nels Cline Singers led by American guitarist Nels Cline which was released in March 2002 on the Cryptogramophone label.[1]

Instrumentals
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 26, 2002 (2002-03-26)
RecordedAugust 29 & 30, 2001
The Bakery, Hollywood CA
GenreRock, jazz
Length76:39
LabelCryptogramophone
CG113
ProducerJeff Gautier
The Nels Cline Singers chronology
Instrumentals
(2002)
The Giant Pin
(2003)

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [2]
All About Jazz     [3]
Pitchfork Media8.0/10[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings     [5]

The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars out of 5, stating "This is one of Cline's strongest and most innovative efforts".[2] All About Jazz stated "Jazz fans without an ear open to rock rhythms, energy music, or punk sensibility will almost certainly fail to appreciate what the Nels Cline Singers have done on Instrumentals. But Cline doesn't really care about that. His music is a defining statement of identity, a cry from the heart without pretense or ambiguity. For the open-minded, this record will stack up as one of the very best of the year. It's deep, exciting, and viscerally satisfying".[3] Pitchfork Media's Sam Ubl stated "While Instrumentals suffers a bit in comparison to Cline's previous studio work with the huge Destroy All Nels Cline ensemble, it's mostly because the three-piece lineup curtails some of the wild tonal exploration done on that record. Don't fret, though, these folks still have an awful lot going for them".[4] JazzTimes' Ron Wynn noted "There's certainly a lot to admire about what Nels Cline is doing on much of Instrumentals, but there's just too much chaos during those segments that don't work".[6]

Track listing

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All compositions by Nels Cline

  1. " A Mug Like Mine" - 9:03
  2. "Cause for Concern" - 4:22
  3. "Suspended Head" - 6:42
  4. "Harbor Child" - 6:11
  5. "Lowered Boom" - 6:47
  6. "Lucia" - 12:38
  7. "Ghost of the Piñata" - 7:47
  8. "Blood Drawing" - 15:27
  9. "Slipped Away" - 7:52

Personnel

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The Nels Cline Singers

References

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  1. ^ Crypotogramophone album entry, accessed August 15, 2014
  2. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Instrumentals - Nels Cline Singers". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  3. ^ a b Staff, AAJ (2002-08-12). "Nels Cline Singers: Instrumentals". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  4. ^ a b Reid, Brendon (2002-11-06). "Nels Cline Singers: Instrumentals". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  5. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  6. ^ Wynn, R., JazzTimes review, July/August 2002