Béla Fleck and the Flecktones (album)

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Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 6, 1990
Recorded1989, Javelina Studios
GenreJazz fusion, bluegrass, post-bop
Length47:56
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerBéla Fleck with the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones chronology
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
(1990)
Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
(1991)

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is the first album by the band of the same name, released in 1990. It reached number 17 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. At the Grammy Awards of 1997, a live version of "The Sinister Minister", a track from the album, won the Best Pop Instrumental Performance award.

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

In his Allmusic review, music critic Brian Mansfield praised the album and wrote "For all the flash, there's little pretense; the group's astonishing musicianship keeps an 'aw-shucks' accessibility that lets everybody follow the melody while they marvel."[1]

Track listing[edit]

All songs by Béla Fleck unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Sea Brazil" – 3:43
  2. "Frontiers" – 6:08
  3. "Hurricane Camille" – 2:38
  4. "Half Moon Bay" – 5:09
  5. "The Sinister Minister" – 4:38
  6. "Sunset Road" – 5:04
  7. "Flipper" – 4:21
  8. "Mars Needs Women: Space is a Lonely Place" – 5:01
  9. "Mars Needs Women: They're Here" – 3:30
  10. "Reflections of Lucy" (B. Fleck/John Lennon/Paul McCartney) – 3:38
  11. "Tell It to the Gov'nor" – 4:06

Single[edit]

The only single out of the album was "The Sinister Minister". The music video received heavy airplay on MTV and VH1 back in the early-90's. Because of the popularity of the video, it was featured on an episode of VH1's Pop-Up Video and won a Grammy in 1997, despite being a 1990 song.

Personnel[edit]

Production notes[edit]

  • Produced by Béla Fleck with the Flecktones
  • Carlos Grier – editing
  • Bil VornDick – mixing
  • Denny Purcell – mastering
  • Mark Fox – artwork, design
  • Laura LiPuma – art direction
  • Jim McGuire – photography

Chart positions[edit]

Year Chart Position
1990 Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums 17

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Mansfield, Brian. "Béla Fleck and the Flecktones > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved August 3, 2011.