Are You Glad to Be in America? | ||||
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Studio album by James Blood Ulmer | ||||
Released | 1980 | |||
Recorded | January 17, 1980 | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Label |
Rough Trade Records (UK) Artists House (US) |
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Producer | John Snyder & James "Blood" Ulmer | |||
James Blood Ulmer chronology | ||||
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DIW Records Cover | ||||
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |
Are You Glad to Be in America? is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in 1980 and originally released on the Rough Trade label in the UK in 1980, produced by Ulmer, with himself, Geoff Travis, Roger Trilling, and Mayo Thompson credited with the mix. A remixed version, credited to Ulmer and Bob Blank, was released by the Artists House label in the US in 1981. The album was released on CD with a new third mix by Joe Ferla, approved by Ulmer, on the Japanese DIW label in 1999.
The Allmusic review by Nathan Bush awarded the album 4 stars and states "Shards of jazz, rock, funk, and surf guitar are shuffled together and unfurl in frenetic lines. At times the rhythms are too rigid and the results sound like an experiment from which the musicians are trying to break free. At best, the individuals lose themselves in a highly charged dialogue".
Trouser Press describes Are You Glad to Be in America? as an "exceptionally fine" album that "reveals a staggering understanding of the roots of jazz, dance music, Eastern polyrhythms and harmolodic textures in a lively sound mix.... [T]he music fairly crackles."