The Epidemics
| The Epidemics | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Shankar/Caroline | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | February 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | ECM 1308 | |||
| Shankar chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Epidemics is an album by Indian violinist L. Shankar and British vocalist, keyboardist and composer Caroline recorded in February 1985 and released on ECM the following year.[2][3][4]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
Elsewhere's Graham Reid included the album in his list of "10 Unusual ECM Albums of the Eighties I Own," and remarked: "This is a kind of post-punk electro-pop outing... Synth pop with very little catchy pop, emotionally flat vocals by Caroline, widdly rock guitar by Vai and bassist Jones probably wondering why he was doing this."[1]
A writer for Black Country Rock commented: "Squalling heavy rock guitars, eighties booming drums, fretless electric bass and new wave vocals—there is literally nothing else like it in the ECM canon... It is a strange record but probably the most accessible in the ECM catalogue for non-jazz or classical fans, sounding like a traditional eighties rock album."[5]
Tyran Grillo, writing for ECM blog Between Sound and Space, acknowledged that "the musicianship is healthy and the record not without its charm," but stated: "it's difficult to gauge the artists' intentions. Tongue-in-cheek experiment? Worldly statement? Either way, I feel lost, and welcome anyone who knows better to help me find my way." He concluded: "An intriguing detour on the label's path through a sonic territory as vast as it is varied, it is the only ECM album I would never recommend."[6]
Track listing
- "Never Take No for an Answer" (Caroline, Shankar) – 3:31
- "What Would I Do Without You" (Shankar) – 4:10
- "Situations" (Caroline, Shankar)- 5:23
- "You Don't Love Me Any More" (Shankar) – 3:36
- "You Can Be Anything" (Caroline, Shankar) – 3:56
- "No Cure" (Caroline, Shankar) – 3:38
- "Don't I Know You" (Caroline, Shankar) – 3:58
- "Give an Inch" (Shankar) – 3:24
- "Full Moon" (Shankar) – 3:20
Personnel
- Shankar – vocals, violin, synthesizer, drum machine
- Caroline – vocals, synthesizer, tamboura
- Percy Jones – bass
- Steve Vai – guitar
- Gilbert Kaufman – synthesizer
- Dileep Kumar (later known as A. R. Rahman) – keyboards, synthesizer
References
- ^ a b c d Reid, Graham (November 29, 2019). "10 Unusual ECM Albums of the Eighties I Own". Elsewhere. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ a b "Caroline / Shankar: The Epidemics". AllMusic. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Shankar, Caroline: The Epidemics". ECM Records. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "ECM Records Catalog: 1300 series: ECM 1308 Shankar, Caroline - The Epidemics". JazzDisco.org. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Shankar's 'The Epidemics' – Is This the Strangest LP on ECM or a Public Image Limited Offhoot?". Black Country Rock. February 10, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Grillo, Tyran (January 15, 2012). "Shankar/Caroline: The Epidemics". Between Sound and Space. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
