| Charming Snakes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Jazz rock, jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 51:06 | |||
| Label | Private Music [1] | |||
| Producer |
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| Andy Summers chronology | ||||
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Charming Snakes is an album by the English musician Andy Summers. [2] [3] It was released in 1990. [4] Summers promoted the album by opening the 1991 Montreal International Jazz Festival; he also played shows with John McLaughlin. [5] [6]
The album was produced by Summers and David Hentschel. [7] "Monk Gets Ripped" is a tribute to Thelonious Monk. [8] Herbie Hancock played on "Innocence Falls Prey" and "Big Thing". [9] Sting played bass on the title track. [10] Bill Evans played saxophone on many of the tracks. [11]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Calgary Herald | B− [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [15] |
The Calgary Herald wrote that "the shift to jazz from rock continues," and praised the "vibrant, fluid guitar." [13] The Washington Post determined that "Summers has progressed from the mood noodlings of his earlier solo recordings to solidly structured and arranged pieces." [8] The Dallas Morning News concluded that, "this time out, he eschews most of his synthpop inclinations and puts himself in a studio of consummate session players... This nearly traditional jazz format results in his most lyrical instrumental album so far." [16]
The Vancouver Sun noted that "the guitar is a little more frenetic, the bass faster paced, with strong jazz influences." [9] The Gazette lamented that "Summers couldn't write a catchy melody to save his life." [10]
AllMusic called the album "a strong jazz-rock statement," writing that "Summers's guitar covers the spectrum from in-your-face wailing leads to subtle background colorings, with much use of electronic effects." [12] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide considered it "Summers's first and best turn from ambient rock guitar noise to artful jazz fusion." [7]
All tracks are written by Andy Summers
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mexico 1920" | Summers, David Hentschel | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Charming Snakes" | 5:14 | |
| 3. | "Big Thing" | Summers, Hentschel, Dennis Smith | 7:07 |
| 4. | "Rainmaker" | 6:18 | |
| 5. | "Charis" | 3:19 | |
| 6. | "Mickey Goes to Africa" | 4:53 | |
| 7. | "Innocence Falls Prey" | 2:45 | |
| 8. | "Passion of the Shadow" | 5:10 | |
| 9. | "Monk Gets Ripped" | 3:57 | |
| 10. | "Easy on the Ice" | Summers, Hentschel | 4:34 |
| 11. | "The Strong & the Beautiful" | Summers, Hentschel | 3:49 |
