Classic Reviews: Shlomo Simcha’s – Aneni

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Shlomo Simcha  – Aneni (1999)

This album came out when I was in Yeshiva in Israel, as all songs, they bring back great memories of good old times. I used to listen to this album over and over on my Mini Disc Player (yup! I had one of those…) on public transportation travels and free time.

I have to mention that this album is the first time I saw a CD with a “cut-out” around the hands, pretty cool. I never had this album on CD myself so I’m not sure, can this CD be played in all players or do some players have trouble with the cut-out?

I do not have all the credits of all the songs, so forgive me for not mentioning anything about the composers or arrangers. Lets go through the tracks of the last great CD that Shlomo Simcha came out with (“Made in Canada” CD was all right but nothing compared to Aneni).

Aneni
A great starter song! It starts off real slow with a begging voice “Ki Kavonosi” where I can feel the meaning of the words in the almost emotional way it’s being sang. And then the song comes to life after 45 seconds with a good beat. The choir is a great addition to this song, the harmony and little Shtik they do (oowa ooowa oowa) gives this song a special touch. Nice saxophone piece a 4:00. To me, this song was a hit and it sets a great tone for the rest of the album.

Nishba
A Very Hartzige song where you can hear the power and control of Shlomo Simcha’s vocals. This is a very relaxing song with a very nice combination of violin, piano and saxophone for the perfect relaxation.

Sholom Alechem
Yet again we are starting a fast song with a slow beginning just like the title song Aneni. Every once in a while at my Shabbos table I sing all different Sholom Alechems for each part a different song (reminds me of my days in camp) and this song is almost always present at those fun times. The only part that doesn’t always fit is the “Shabbos Sholom, Umevoroch” but for that we have to improvise a bit. All together a very happy and upbeat song, with a nice and slow ending.

Ki Lecho
We are in for an other fast song, this time we are getting right into it. I’m not the greatest fan of the filling “na na na” words, I rather have words fill up the whole song, but in this song it fits actually quite well. The Choir here is doing a great job again at harmonizing and making this song complete.

Al Kein Tzion
This song is a bit of a Tisha B’av Song, there is not much to write about this song, on to the next if you don’t mind.

Vayeisei
Here we have a bit more happiness, a good beat, electric guitar, some horns, the works. This one will get you on your feet. @ 2:17 we take it up a notch (always like that), but the song is over before you know it. Its the shortest song of this album at 3:30. In the Jewish music industry the average song is more in the 4-5 minute range.

Ohr Chodosh
And the fast songs keep coming. Or Chodosh is a great sing along song. I know I’m talking about the choir again, but they are really good in this song, spot on.

Am I the only one that finds the “fade-out ending” a bit cheap? I mean, couldn’t you come up with a nice ending to the song? did you have to fade it? and on top of that there is a guitar solo at the end that you can not hear clearly because it is fading out. I know its a common practice, still doesn’t make me like it…

Ad Heno
We are back on the slow track. An OK song, but not one that i have heard at a Shabbos table or a Kumzits. I’m missing the choir here at the end of the song, no more choir after 2:42, I just hear a bit of choir right before the end.

Shiro
Now we have a song that is here to make up what you where missing in the last song, I love it when there is some Yiddish mixed into a song when its well done, this one falls into that category. He might have been able to do a 4 language song, as Shlomo Simcha has done in his previous albums, this would have been the perfect song to do it, but the song is great without it as well. In this song I can feel the meaning of the words again, the joy and happiness is all over this song. and this song must be said has a very nice ending to it.

Tsur Misheloi
A great Shabbos table song. It has got a great flow to it. I have sang it several times at our Shabbos table (although it is not our Minhag to sing Zemiros) it is a very Geshmake tune with a lovely high part at 4:40.

Besheim Hashem
This song has become one of my favorite songs on this album, it was on repeat many times. A great song for the Meal time of a wedding or dinner. Back in my Yeshiva days we had a staircase with great acoustics where I could be heard ever once a while, this was one of the songs I loved to sing there.