Customer Reviews
This album rocks. - By: C. Smith, 22 May 2008 
This has to be one of my absolute favourite albums of recent months. It's Will Holland at his absolute best. Even if you're not familiar with this man's work, I defy you not to like this!!
Yesterdays sound today - By: David Johnson, 29 Nov 2007 Boy this really is good. Who said Englishmen can't be funky? I'm a big fan of Will Holland's work but he's raised the bar another few nothches with this one. "The music given birth here is Tropical, Funky & Heavy." - there you are, a perfect summationin the artist's own words -lifted from the inlay cover.
"Tropidelico," is a stunning hark back to the glory days of Central American music. Holland's amazing ear & the way he carefully crafts each composition without ever resorting to clutter marks him out as a real talent. Malcolm Catto deserves even more plaudits for his stunning drumming on this album, it's difficult to believe it's all done from a studioin Hackney.
A little piano roll ushersin the snaking trumpet on the title track & we'rein business. I love the bounciness & the cheeky guitar on, "Melodious wayfarer," - you won't sit down when you hear that one.
Another favourite is the Cumbia Soul of, "San Sebastian strut," with it's slightly dark, mysterious horn section. You can feel the proximity to Africa with the subtle guitar at the start of Marrakech - very Orchestra Boabab. "Lead us to the end," a little soul departure from the rest of the album really works after a few listens. The only dud on this is,"She did what," feat. J-Live - the type of easy-listening hip-hop I personally just can't stand. The rest my dear Watson is pure perfection.
Will it reach the wide audience it deserves?
From Brighton to Colombia - By: John Tree, 23 Oct 2007 This is the album Will Holland has been threatening to make since the first QSO offering...but it is very differentin feel. Now apparently livingin Colombia, he has manned his band with dyed-in-the-wool authentic latin musicians: Peruvian pianist Alfredo Linares, Kabir from Panama City, Ricky Staple fron San Juan, Puerto Rico, Javier Rivera & Hector Sotomeyer from the US. Consequently, there is an energetic funky/jazzy/latin flava to most of these tunes, which are guaranteed dancefloor fillers....upbeat & very danceable, the band seem to meld these funk & latin elements very naturally...and there is some superb percussion playing here too...especially on Regi Bugaloo...not forgetting the thumb piano solo on track 11!
For fans of old school QSO, there is the odd Tru-Thoughtsy funky piece too.
This is a consistent album, & I have to say that the quality of the sound is a step up from the previous QSO recordings, which were harsh sounding to my earsin spite of (because of?) the analogue studio used.
Criticisms? It does sound quite different to previous Quantic & QSO offerings, & has a retro feel...so it may well alienate as many fans as it wins.
...but excuse me...cant help it... i'm just off to listen again. ****1/2
Tropiexzellento! - By: Cobalt Blue, 20 Oct 2007 I too am a Quantic fan (yes, biased) & their albums have been a great spring-board for mein discovering all sorts of wonderful goodies like Alice Russell & Sharon Jones, amongst others.
I love that raw, earthy funk stuff & this is just so fantastic with heaps of percussion, drums, horns & groove...keeps me a-dancingin my lounge room all night long!
Will Holland's masterpiece. - By: gigi groove fan, 20 Oct 2007 Being a follower of Will Holland's work i think that this is his best so far.If you like soul, funk, jazz or/and latin then you're going to love this album. Musicianship is superb with great horns & percussion making the listening (or dancing) of it a delightful experience.
It's stuckin my CD player for several days now & i can't find a dull momentin it.My favourite tracks are (the funky) "Panama City" (i love the percussion part towards the end), "Regi Bugalu" (Boogaloo of course), "Lead Us To The End","San Sebastian Strut" but i repeat there is no bad track here.
I said too much.Get it NOW.
