Qobuz Store wallpaper
Categories:
Cart 0

Your cart is empty

Bill Laswell|Hear No Evil

Hear No Evil

Bill Laswell

Available in
16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo

Unlimited Streaming

Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps

Start my trial period and start listening to this album

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Subscribe

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Digital Download

Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

On Hear No Evil, Bill Laswell attempts to fuse his love of Eastern musical forms and textures with the tonality and sensibility of the Western world. The result is a harmonious though rather benign combination, with much of the trappings of new age music. The album title can be taken at face value; there is no danger in sight. Mostly, the instrumentalists mesh perfectly in a pastoral blend that never drifts far from its harmonic center. Percussionists Zakir Hussain (tabla) and Aiyb Dieng (talking drums) produce the bulk of the rhythm and guitarist Nick Skopelitis and violinist Shankar weave pleasant, droning melodies around Laswell's rubbery bass playing. The only discord comes with "Assassin," an ineffective attempt at dark, throbbing funk. Still, the track serves as a good model for Laswell's approach. In this case, the West wins. Skopelitis delivers some banal rock licks over a beat that's not nearly as heavy as it might aspire to be. A mixture of tabla and talking drums makes its way into the music's pauses, providing an Eastern undercurrent, and Shankar lends a wordless vocal to the texture. The most successful track is the closing "Kingdom Come." The introduction highlights the group's percussion trio; Hussain is even allowed a captivating tabla solo, approaching his instrument like a drum kit. For once, the musicians are allowed some room to roam, and they delve into the beginnings of an engaging, improvised dialogue. While the fusion elements present on Hear No Evil may have seemed groundbreaking during the late '80s, the passing of time has not been so kind. Laswell's compositions take few risks, requiring the instrumentalists to pull more of the weight but, unfortunately, they remain too subdued.

© Nathan Bush /TiVo

More info

Hear No Evil

Bill Laswell

launch qobuz app I already downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS Open

download qobuz app I have not downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS yet Download the Qobuz app

You are currently listening to samples.

Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.

Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.

From $10.83/month

1
Lost Roads
00:07:30

Bill Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - Martin Bisi, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd ℗ 1988 Virgin Records Limited

2
Bullet Hole Memory
00:07:16

Bill Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - Martin Bisi, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd ℗ 1988 Virgin Records Limited

3
Illinois Central
00:07:03

Bill Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - Martin Bisi, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd ℗ 1988 Virgin Records Limited

4
Assassin
00:06:25

Bill Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - Martin Bisi, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd ℗ 1988 Virgin Records Limited

5
Stations Of The Cross
00:07:34

Bill Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - Martin Bisi, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd ℗ 1988 Virgin Records Limited

6
Kingdom Come
00:07:36

Bill Laswell, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - Martin Bisi, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 1988 Virgin Records Ltd ℗ 1988 Virgin Records Limited

Album review

On Hear No Evil, Bill Laswell attempts to fuse his love of Eastern musical forms and textures with the tonality and sensibility of the Western world. The result is a harmonious though rather benign combination, with much of the trappings of new age music. The album title can be taken at face value; there is no danger in sight. Mostly, the instrumentalists mesh perfectly in a pastoral blend that never drifts far from its harmonic center. Percussionists Zakir Hussain (tabla) and Aiyb Dieng (talking drums) produce the bulk of the rhythm and guitarist Nick Skopelitis and violinist Shankar weave pleasant, droning melodies around Laswell's rubbery bass playing. The only discord comes with "Assassin," an ineffective attempt at dark, throbbing funk. Still, the track serves as a good model for Laswell's approach. In this case, the West wins. Skopelitis delivers some banal rock licks over a beat that's not nearly as heavy as it might aspire to be. A mixture of tabla and talking drums makes its way into the music's pauses, providing an Eastern undercurrent, and Shankar lends a wordless vocal to the texture. The most successful track is the closing "Kingdom Come." The introduction highlights the group's percussion trio; Hussain is even allowed a captivating tabla solo, approaching his instrument like a drum kit. For once, the musicians are allowed some room to roam, and they delve into the beginnings of an engaging, improvised dialogue. While the fusion elements present on Hear No Evil may have seemed groundbreaking during the late '80s, the passing of time has not been so kind. Laswell's compositions take few risks, requiring the instrumentalists to pull more of the weight but, unfortunately, they remain too subdued.

© Nathan Bush /TiVo

About the album

Improve album information

Qobuz logo Why buy on Qobuz?

On sale now...

Leave Your Sleep

Natalie Merchant

Leave Your Sleep Natalie Merchant

Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings

Natalie Merchant

Keep Your Courage

Natalie Merchant

Keep Your Courage Natalie Merchant

The Köln Concert (Live at the Opera, Köln, 1975)

Keith Jarrett

More on Qobuz
By Bill Laswell

Sacred System: Book Of Exit / Dub Chamber 4

Bill Laswell

Incantations

Bill Laswell

Incantations Bill Laswell

Dub Meltdown

Bill Laswell

Dub Meltdown Bill Laswell

Dub Chamber 3

Bill Laswell

Dub Chamber 3 Bill Laswell

Panthalassa: The Music Of Miles Davis 1969-1974 Reconstruction & Mix Translation By Bill Laswell

Bill Laswell

Playlists

You may also like...

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

Come Away With Me Norah Jones

Turn the Lights Back On

Billy Joel

Crime Of The Century [2014 - HD Remaster]

Supertramp

Tubular Bells

Mike Oldfield

Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield

Tea For The Tillerman

Cat Stevens

Tea For The Tillerman Cat Stevens