Album Review: The Bad Plus' 'For All I Care'

The Bad Plus’ For All I Care, (Heads Up International) is a widely appealing project that represents a new stage in the development of the controversial trio. When they burst onto the scene in 2001, The Bad Plus detonated notions of what a piano trio could sound like by combining what turned out to be two volatile elements: a pounding rock sensibility and calculated, intricate improvisation more akin to jazz.

Their versions of songs such as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” introduced a new set of American standards, songs that reflect the tastes of people who grew up listening to pop music in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Joined by rock vocalist Wendy Lewis on For All I Care, The Bad Plus reach into their bank of 20th century influences and pull out not only pop tunes from recent decades, but also the music of experimental classical composers Igor Stravinsky, György Ligeti, and Milton Babbitt.

No More Irony

The most striking aspect of For All I Care is its sincerity. On prior releases, The Bad Plus seems to treat its renditions of aged pop songs with a healthy dose of irony. This is in part due to the fact that the songs they tend to pick already verge on being jokes themselves in today’s milieu (“Iron Man” on Give [2004], “We Are The Champions” on Blunt Object [2005]). For All I Care includes some songs that fit into that category, including Heart’s “Barracuda,” and the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love,” but without the usual sense of jocundity.

Wendy Lewis is heartfelt and reverent with her treatment of both the melodies and the lyrics. The Bad Plus, therefore, are limited to being a backing band, albeit a talented and agile one, for much of the time. When the instrumentalists briefly do take charge, for solos or during interludes, they remain tied to the moods Lewis explores, which often happen to be fraught with lover’s despair. The group abandons flamboyance for introspection, frantic anxiety, and melancholia; three things that are not often associated with The Bad Plus.

Self-Sufficient

This sincere approach contributes to the success of the album as a work independent of its influences. One goal of a rendition of a familiar song is to be good with or without the audience’s knowledge of the original. Each cover on For All I Care has a beautifully simple life of its own in the hands of The Bad Plus, and the album itself is remarkably consistent.

This is a special feat considering the fact that interspersed with pop songs are arrangements of classical compositions, including “Semi-Simple Variations,” by Milton Babbitt, whose music is known for being inaccessible. Babbitt even wrote a (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) 1958 article called “Who Cares If You Listen” in High Fidelity magazine. The Bad Plus not only makes “Semi-Simple Variations” listenable, but also fits it comfortably between “Long Distance Runaround” by Yes, and the Bee Gees’ “How Deep is Your Love.”

It is fair in a sense to link Wendy Lewis’ work with The Bad Plus to Johnny Hartman’s singing with John Coltrane’s quartet on the famous 1963 collaboration John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse! Records). Hartman’s marvelous vocals forced the bombastic group, composed of Coltrane, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Garrison, into a state of restraint and serene sensitivity.

It is just as important, however, to compare the trio’s playing with that of Coltrane’s. On the well-known ballad “My One and Only Love,” Coltrane famously plays nothing but the original melody, relying solely on his unique style to make the song his own. Similarly, The Bad Plus shows it can depend on its style to honestly confront standards of a different nature.

Highlights:

• ”Comfortably Numb” – This Pink Floyd cover balances modern jazz ballad with gut wrenching rock song. The trio makes use of polar extremes in terms of dynamics and harmony, and the result is emotionally powerful.
• ”Semi-Simple Variations” – The trio makes this thorny Milton Babbitt piece rock. The arrangement is a great example of how well the group combines influences of the 20th century. Its not clear if it should be classified as experimental classical, experimental rock, or experimental jazz.

• ”Variation d’Apollon” – Stravinsky was certainly influenced by ragtime, and supposedly had an affinity for bebop as well. His music, which is often heavy on gesture, harmonic and rhythmic experimentation, has slowly been creeping into jazz. This piece is from the ballet “Apollon Musagète,” which is known for being one of his more tame works. The Bad Plus turns it into a rock and jazz hybrid.

Release Date:

February 3rd, 2009 on Heads Up International

Personnel:

• Ethan Iverson – Piano, Bells
• Reid Anderson – Bass, Vocals
• Dave King – Drums, Vocals
• Wendy Lewis – Vocals

Track List:

1. Lithium
2. Comfortably Numb
3. Fém (Etude No. 8)
4. Radio Cure
5. Long Distance Runaround
6. Semi-Simple Variations
7. How Deep Is Your Love
8. Barracuda
9. Lock, Stock and Teardrops
10. Variation d’Apollon
11. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
12. Semi-Simple Variations (Alternate Version)

Included on the limited-edition double-LP:

13. New Year’s Day
14. You And I Is A Comfort Zone

More Albums by The Bad Plus