The latest effort of the Bad Plus shows them making great strides towards their ultimate ideal of music. For those of you who haven’t yet heard the genius that constitutes the Bad Plus, you are truly missing out. They are an acoustic piano trio that dabbles into various musical styles while still retaining an identity all their own. They are made up of the pianist Ethan Iverson, the bassist Reid Anderson, and the drummer Dave King. Although having near-superhuman abilities on their respective instruments, it is united that they have the most creative force, injecting a jazz mentality into songs with a progressive rock feel, a classical sense of melody, and a bevy of lyricism only seen in different forms of Indie rock today. They also dabble in other slightly more abstract forms such as flamenco, experimental punk rock (in the vein of Sonic Youth), and electronica. They are known for their quirky, cerebral, tongue-in-cheek covers of top-40 hits, which allow listeners to gain a new understanding of the song. If you are fans of any one of these styles, are interested in hearing an absolutely original cover of one of your favorite songs, or simply feel a need for music to inspire you, to make you dance, or to have a feel-good listening session with, then the Bad Plus is for you.
Prog starts out with the popular 80’s hit, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” which begins with a loping piano figure, a soothing baseline, and crispy drums, similar to the sound of pots and pans, with the band mimicking an imaginary soundtrack of a Sunday morning. This song progresses to cascading piano chords, and climactic, swinging, Max Roach-influenced fills, and suddenly when it reaches its emotional apex, things calm down again. This is one of the areas in which the Bad Plus excel, as their rapid changing of emotional levels is equal to their musical sensibility, and equally quirky taste. The next song on the album, “Physical Cities,” shows the breadth of their songwriting talents. A funky bassline and tribal drums break into cloudy, atmospheric arpeggios. Soon, a recurring theme throughout the album is seen in this song, a one note repeating rhythmic figure, that, while simple, provides for a somber, deliberate mood that later breaks back into the intensity that is “Physical Cities.” This same rhythmic figure is seen on the 8th track of the album, the soft and tender Burt Bacharach cover, “This Guy’s in Love With You.” Another noteworthy cover included in this album is the profound arrangement of David Bowie’s classic “Life on Mars.” It begins with the bass playing the melody somberly, but soon the piano and drums break in with abstract, Debussy-esque chords, and the drumming peaking out of nowhere. Their cover of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” is also interesting, although not nearly as groundbreaking or experimental as their other covers. It seems to come out as merely a tribute, rather than having a real purpose on the album.
Other originals stand out as well. The quietly beautiful “Giant,” sounds more like an electronica-infused indie ballad, rather than a jazz tune. Reid Anderson plays a pumping, solemn bass line, while Iverson quietly quotes him in the background. “Thriftstore Jewelry,” is a dance hall mariachi tune, in which the piano line sounds almost like a trumpet riff exploding from an old Western movie. The last song of the album is the stunningly inspiring pump-up song “1980 World Champion,” the third episode in a three-part tribute to athletes (the other songs appeared on These Were the Vistas, and Give). This song starts with mechanical drumming, bringing to mind the running of track stars. A gospel chorus seems to erupt out of the piano, and the metaphorical “runner” appears to keep on going. A sample from a rapper comes up, as though to show the presence of an announcer at the event, and also serving as a paradox to rappers getting many beats from jazz artists (think of the Thelonious Monk sample from Lupe Fiasco’s new album). At the songs climax, Iverson breaks into “Chariots of Fire”-esque chords, and as the song rings out, the album finishes.
If anything, many of the Bad Plus’ strengths also serve as their weaknesses. Their wide-ranging musical personality is often seen as very unfocused, and their complex, instrumentally oriented songs may deter listeners away from becoming fans of theirs. Their humorous covers of popular songs of the day may appear as heresy for fans of Rush, Bowie, or Black Sabbath, and thus they are sometimes viewed as obnoxious and bratty by the general public. Nevertheless, as heard by an open mind, their album is a sheer joy to listen to, and if you can learn to appreciate the concerns that many have over this ambitious outfit, the Bad Plus’ Prog, may become an essential part of your CD collection.
