- Super Raoul
Infobox Album |
Name = Super Raoul
Type =Album
Artist =Fishtank Ensemble
Released = November, 2005
Recorded = Fishtank,Oakland, California
Genre = Eclectic
Length = 62:42
Label = Mimicry Records (1st edition only)
Producer = Fishtank Ensemble
Reviews =
Last album =
This album = "Super Raoul"(2005)
Next album = "Samurai Over Serbia "(2007)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Type = Studio album
Lower caption = Second edition album cover"Super Raoul" is the debut LP from
Fishtank Ensemble . The album was recorded live at Fishtank inOakland, California in early 2004 and completed over the course of two weekends. At this time, the band had only been playing together for three weeks. Fare like this is what was originally meant by "world music": joyous (at least in this case), knowledgeable, definitely athletic indulgences in the melding of the best of several cultures, bent to the benefit of all. [ [http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p03968.htm Super Raoul] A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange by Mark S. Tucker]Track listing
All tracks feature traditional music and/or lyrics except where noted.
#"Bordeas" – 6:55
#"Itty Bitty Snitty Little Frenchman" (A. Seeman, 2004) – 3:44
#"Papirosen" (lyrics by H. Yablokoff, 1932) – 3:02
#"Troll Wedding" – 6:37
#"Pegasus Vaulters" (A. Seeman, 2004) – 3:33
#"Ringo Bushi" (Narita Unchiku, 1954) – 2:51
#"Arabu Andaluz" – 4:36
#"Hora di Bucharest / Hora de Fabrice" – 6:48
#"Le Kidnappeur"" (D. Smolens, K. Kmetz, 2004) – 6:22
#"Hopa di Bida" – 4:10
#"The Last Shamisen Master" (K. Kmetz, 2003) – 4:39
#"Suite Romaine" – 4:42
#"Doina Sonnambule" – 4:49First and second editions
"Super Raoul" has been released in two editions. The first edition was released through a limited Mimicry pressing and has a cover with a photograph montage that refers to the band as "Fishtank". There is no
copyright on the disc.The second edition was independently released. The album cover features a cartoon by Garth Kauffman on the cover and refers to the band as "Fishtank Ensemble".
Besides purely aesthetic differences, there are significant differences between the sound quality of the releases. Though both of the CDs have the same tracks in the same order, the Mimicry pressing of "Super Raoul" is inferior to the quality of the independent pressing; notably so on the songs "Hora di Bucharest/Hora de Fabrice" and "Suite Romaine". On the Mimicry pressing, these songs "skip", then abruptly silence repeatedly. This is most likely due to an error in transferring the data of the tracks. On the second edition, these tracks do not have such problems. Though the first edition is technically inferior in quality, it is perhaps likely to become a
collector's item .Many consumers who have purchased the first edition CD from
CD Baby have been sent a replacement CD along with a short note of apology.Personnel
*Fabrice Martinez - violin, violumba
*Ursula Knudsen - vocals, saw, violin
*Kevin Kmetz - shamisen
*Aaron Seeman - accordion
*El Douje (Doug Smolens) - guitar
*Tim Smolens - acoustic bass
*Adam Stacey - percussion, accordion on "Le Kidnapeur"Notes
External links
* [http://www.fishtankensemble.com Official Website]
* [http://cdbaby.com/cd/fishtank "Super Raoul" at CD Baby]
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