Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. City Of Angels
2. Celebrate
3. Costa Del Sol
4. Bingo Jingo
5. Eternity
6. Six Four
7. Rainbow
8. Twenty
9. Anything
10. A Kiss Under The Moonlight
11. 20th Anniversary Tribute: Moonlighting/Black Diamond/Weekend In Monaco/Welcome To The St. James Club/Morocco/Tourist In Paradise/I'll Be Around/Curves Ahead/Brave New World
12. Bonus Track 1

Disc 2:

1. 20th Anniversary Retrospective [Multimedia Track]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10218 in Music
• Released on: 2006-07-25
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

NOT a "return," but a tiny step in the right direction
On the opener, Russ Freeman takes a more central role on guitar. However, the relentlessly honking horn section is right there with him. It has more of a "classic Rippingtons" feel than the faux-Santana tripe Russ has been peddling in recent years, but it's not all that memorable. "Celebrate" sounds like theme music for a bland daytime talk show...SASSY! (Probably not what Russ intended). "Costa Del Sol" is a Fourplay ripoff. Plain and simple. If I were Nathan East, I'd be phoning my attorney right now. "Bingo Jingo" is the second nod toward "classic Rippertons." Not bad...not the cure for cancer, but not bad. "Eternity" is a somnambulistic Flamenco number. "Six Four"...goes nowhere. "Rainbow"...everyone takes a solo, but so what? "Twenty"...NOTE TO RUSS FREEMAN: MORE tracks like this. This kind of song is what keeps the Ripps fans coming back. Buy this track on iTunes if you can. "Anything"...imagine the worst song Marvin Gaye ever recorded, with the Rippingtons as his backup band. "A Kiss Under The Moonlight"...pretty, nice. Another classic track. "20th Anniversary Bonus"...featuring a flaccid "I'll Be There." 2 excellent, solid tracks in a sea of dreck...which has become Russ Freeman's par for the course. What a shame.

Derivative and disappointing
The Ripps have done some great things in the past, but in this album, they are clearly coasting. The music is derivative, less horns, and frankly, disappointing. If it didn't have their name on the front, I wouldn't know whose music this was -- looks like they have gone for the money. This is the best elevator music I've heard in a long time, but it doesn't fit the definition of jazz in any way . . .

Thanks for the Memories
As a 17yr Rippingtons fan, I've always leaned toward the early 1990's CDs. What a treat this new one is!! It is less "Wild Card", "Let it Ripp" and more "Curves Ahead", "Weekend in Monaco". The whole concept of the new CD is brilliant. From bringing back former musicians, to the Medley, to the additional rertrospective DVD. Totally gratifying to a long time Ripps fan. The former members really make it special. Like putting on an old shoe, they step in and create some excellent smooth jazz. Six Four sounds so much like Snowbound, which is one of my all-time favorites.The Medley is a real keepsake. It sounds so much like the original songs, I was amazed. Tony Morales is as fluid as ever on the drums, like he never even left the band at all. Also, Steve Reid really recreates some of that "background ambience" thats been missing. Nice job.
I understand that Russ wants his band to change, evolve, and grow. And, that you can't keep making the same CD over and over. But, as a long time Rippingtons fan, the music on the new CD is the stuff I really enjoy. A true smooth jazz sound that basically the Rippingtons help create. What would be really great is if the former members stay, and make a couple more CD's together!!
When telling somebody about the Rippingtons, I would always recommend either "Welcome to the St. James Club", "Curves Ahead" or "Weekend in Monaco" for them to be introduced to the band. Now, I can recommend the "20th Anniversary" CD as well. Thanks for recreating all of those memories.