Telarc
2004
Vibrate
About This Album
With a title like Vibrate, it would seem that the Manhattan Transfer had filled their first studio disc in four years with jazzy and exciting vocal workouts intended to shake the speakers. But the title is a bit misleading as Vibrate is one of their most subdued and elegant recordings, and one that harks back to the days of Mecca for Moderns where pop tangents were part of their repertoire. With an arrangement that remains fairly intact from the Brenda Russell original, "Walkin' in New York" begins the disc with a summery sidewalk swagger that sets the relaxed tone of the disc. Two successful Rufus Wainwright covers follow as the Transfer take "Greek Song" globe-hopping through the Middle East via Hawaii and then spin down to Brazil for a beautiful tango-inspired version of "Vibrate." On past recordings they have covered contemporary pop with mixed results, often sounding staid or forced, as on 1983's Bodies and Souls, but the chamber pop of Wainwright is a perfect fit for their vocal style. The tribalistic experiment of "First Ascent" bristles with harmonies and rhythms from musical lands rarely tread upon while a remake of the Beach Boys' "Feel Flows" abandons the original's psychedelic pop for a more soulful arrangement.
Track List (try tracks 1 and 5)

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