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The Best covers the years 1969-1970, the years A&M was affiliated with Creed Taylor's CTI. Often with Taylor productions, an individual player's style was muted due to the overpowering and often overly orchestrated productions. To make matters even more curious, young Benson stepped into the production scheme and style that typified Wes Montgomery's last three recordings. If anything, the differences between Benson and Montgomery were clear. Montgomery was more vivid and swung harder, and the lows were more extreme. The Best shows that Benson, in contrast, was all but a blank canvas, with his style evolving on some of these very tracks. That being said, this is hit-or-miss stuff. On "Shapes of Things to Come," Benson's quick playing works great in contrast to the song's spacy and oh so "groovy" production. As for mind-blowing concepts, The Best takes the finest songs from Benson's surreal but fun 1969 album, The Other Side of Abbey Road ("You Never Give Me Your Money" fares the best). Other tracks like "My Cherie Amour" and "Footin' It" benefit from stronger production that enlivens his playing. The album's last track, a cover of Aretha Franklin's "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream," has Benson making a great impression, despite the ridiculous horn charts. No doubt this 1981 release was designed to piggyback on Benson's sales and success at Warner Bros. From the perspective of obtaining relatively early work from one of the finest guitar players, The Best isn't half bad.
© Jason Elias /TiVo
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George Ricci, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Romeo Penque, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Barry Mann, ComposerLyricist - Cynthia Weil, ComposerLyricist - George Benson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Charles Libove, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - George Marge, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Pacheco, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Jennings, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Donald John Sebesky, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Leo Morris, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer - David Mankovitz, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Bernard Eichen, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Covington, Organ, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1968 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Glenn Sutton, ComposerLyricist - Marty Sheller, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Farrell, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Tee, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Benson, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jerome Richardson, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Henderson, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Pacheco, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Lew Soloff, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Fielder, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Angel Allende, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Billy N. Sherrill, ComposerLyricist - Leo Morris, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer - Paul Alicea, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1969 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
GEORGE HARRISON, ComposerLyricist - George Benson, MainArtist - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donald John Sebesky, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer
℗ 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Hubert Laws, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Marty Sheller, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Rodgers Grant, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Jemmott, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Benson, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Pacheco, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Lew Soloff, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Angel Allende, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Donald John Sebesky, ComposerLyricist - Leo Morris, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Porcelli, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer - Paul Alicea, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marty Sheller, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Tee, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Jemmott, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Bushnell, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Benson, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jerome Richardson, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Pacheco, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Lew Soloff, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - George Davis, ComposerLyricist - Lee Diamond, ComposerLyricist - Angel Allende, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Arthur Clarke, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Sonny Fortune, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Leo Morris, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer - Paul Alicea, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Lennon, ComposerLyricist - Paul Mccartney, ComposerLyricist - George Benson, MainArtist - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donald John Sebesky, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer
℗ 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, ComposerLyricist - Sylvia Moy, ComposerLyricist - Marty Sheller, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Tee, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Benson, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Stevie Wonder, ComposerLyricist - Jerome Richardson, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Pacheco, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Lew Soloff, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Fielder, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Angel Allende, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Leo Morris, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer - Paul Alicea, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Lennon, ComposerLyricist - Paul Mccartney, ComposerLyricist - George Benson, MainArtist - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donald John Sebesky, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer
℗ 1981 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Lennon, ComposerLyricist - Paul Mccartney, ComposerLyricist - George Benson, MainArtist - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donald John Sebesky, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer
℗ 1981 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Don Sebesky, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - George Ricci, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Romeo Penque, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Wayne Andre, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Raph, Horn, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Marvin Stamm, Flugelhorn, Piccolo, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Buddy Lucas, Saxophone, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - George Benson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - George Marge, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Pacheco, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Jennings, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Donald John Sebesky, ComposerLyricist - Joe Shepley, Flugelhorn, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Leo Morris, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer - David Mankovitz, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Covington, Organ, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1968 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Wayne Andre, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Raph, Horn, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Aretha Franklin, ComposerLyricist - Marvin Stamm, Flugelhorn, Piccolo, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Ted White, ComposerLyricist - Buddy Lucas, Saxophone, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - George Benson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Johnny Pacheco, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Donald John Sebesky, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Shepley, Flugelhorn, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Leo Morris, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Creed Taylor, Producer - Charles Covington, Organ, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1968 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
The Best covers the years 1969-1970, the years A&M was affiliated with Creed Taylor's CTI. Often with Taylor productions, an individual player's style was muted due to the overpowering and often overly orchestrated productions. To make matters even more curious, young Benson stepped into the production scheme and style that typified Wes Montgomery's last three recordings. If anything, the differences between Benson and Montgomery were clear. Montgomery was more vivid and swung harder, and the lows were more extreme. The Best shows that Benson, in contrast, was all but a blank canvas, with his style evolving on some of these very tracks. That being said, this is hit-or-miss stuff. On "Shapes of Things to Come," Benson's quick playing works great in contrast to the song's spacy and oh so "groovy" production. As for mind-blowing concepts, The Best takes the finest songs from Benson's surreal but fun 1969 album, The Other Side of Abbey Road ("You Never Give Me Your Money" fares the best). Other tracks like "My Cherie Amour" and "Footin' It" benefit from stronger production that enlivens his playing. The album's last track, a cover of Aretha Franklin's "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream," has Benson making a great impression, despite the ridiculous horn charts. No doubt this 1981 release was designed to piggyback on Benson's sales and success at Warner Bros. From the perspective of obtaining relatively early work from one of the finest guitar players, The Best isn't half bad.
© Jason Elias /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:38
- Main artists: George Benson
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: A&M
- Genre: Jazz
© 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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