These Are the Vistas
The Bad Plus · 2003
52 min · 10 tracks · jazz
A daring blend of jazz improvisation and pop reinterpretation that challenges traditional genre boundaries.
Top tracks — play these first
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Smells Like Teen Spirit — This track exemplifies the band's innovative approach by transforming Nirvana's iconic grunge anthem into a complex jazz composition while retaining its raw energy.
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Heart of Glass — The Bad Plus reimagines Blondie's disco hit through intricate arrangements and improvisational solos, showcasing their ability to bridge disparate musical worlds.
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Keep the Bugs Off Your Glass and the Bears Off Your Ass — An original composition that encapsulates the band’s playful spirit and showcases their skillful interplay and dynamic shifts within a jazz framework.
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Guilty — This track demonstrates the group's emotional depth and complexity, balancing somber melodies with intricate rhythmic patterns that define their sound.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThe album's unique blend of jazz and pop covers showcases strong composition and distinctiveness.
What we noticed
- The album opens with an energetic original piece, 'Big Eater', which sets a lively pace that is maintained through the first half.
- Tracks like 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and 'Heart of Glass' feature intricate jazz arrangements that reinterpret the melodies while retaining their recognizable hooks.
- The final track, 'Silence Is the Question', contrasts sharply with the preceding pieces by employing minimalism and extended silence, creating a reflective conclusion.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady, consistent energy levels
- dynamic emotional journeys
- long, immersive listening sessions
- gradual builds and payoffs
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2003, These Are the Vistas marked The Bad Plus's debut album, establishing them as innovators in the jazz scene. At this point, they were gaining traction for their unique approach of blending contemporary rock covers with original compositions, setting the stage for their future acclaim.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Brad Mehldau· Hiatus Kaiyote· Tigran Hamasyan
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Big Eater 3:53
- 2 Keep the Bugs Off Your Glass and the Bears Off Your Ass 5:49
- 3 Smells Like Teen Spirit 5:57
- 4 Everywhere You Turn 4:56
- 5 1972 Bronze Medalist 5:20
- 6 Guilty 5:35
- 7 Boo‐Wah 3:55
- 8 Flim 4:05
- 9 Heart of Glass 4:47
- 10 Silence Is the Question 8:11
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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