Until then the 2-CD set live in Japan.
This is a band I never really delved into, owning only "Mysterious Traveller". Am I to assume that what came before this one is the material worth seeking out?
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
It's totally dependent on who you talk to. Like any band who's music changed throughout their career, people are going to gravitate towards particular eras as their favorite. Personally, I like "Heavy Weather" (the first album where Jaco was on all of it) the best, but a lot of people will say I'm full of shit.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
I got on the bus with Black Market, over 10 years back. I loved it instantly, in fact it's still among my favourite albums. Mysterious Traveller is probably my second favourite after that.
As for Heavy Weather, most of it I think is totally up to Black Market quality ('Birdland' and 'A Remark You Made' especially) but there's a few things on there I'm not mad about.
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...pc-489208.aspx
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...HST001DVD.aspx
There's a B+W 1971 NDR show on Youtube that purports to be from Hamburg, but some sites refer to Berlin as the location. It's similar to the DVD but adds John Surman, Art Themen and Alan Skidmore to the mix. It'd be nice to get a real release of that, or is there already one I'm not aware of?
This is an auto-buy for me--those who know me, know this is my favorite band evah.
In all incarnations.
Weather Report started as a somewhat experimental, free-jazz-leaning, impressionist-influenced, mostly-acoustic group. The first two albums, Weather Report and I Sing the Body Electric, reflect this. The latter album also has some live stuff, excerpts really, that you'll find on Live in Tokyo--which shows that the early incarnation of this band was heavy-duty in concert. There really was nothing like them, though the whole Kozmikgroov sort of thing bears their influence.
Sweetnighter found them moving in a more groove-oriented, less free direction. Mysterious Traveller also showcased the groove, but there's plenty of impressionistic music, some world music influence, and unworldly improv, to be had there. Also, the rhythm section changed midstream, and became more electric. Tale Spinnin' furthered the funk, for sure, and also the elements of World Music, even folky and Asian-sounding compositions.
Black Market was a further move into groove and composition, and also showcased a the interest in "World Music." This would be a recurring element in all the later permutations of the band. You'll also find Joe working with synths to consciously emulate big band horn charts. By the time of Heavy Weather, and the advent of the "Jaco Element," this was a band that grooved hard, had tons of funk, and also included the World Music and Synth Big Band Charts elements. Jaco's bass also becomes more of an equal, lead voice, not merely for bass solos, but for integral statements of themes, etc. This was their most radio-friendly album, due mainly to Birdland, their by far biggest hit, and also a great, swinging example of Electric Big Band Weather Report. Jaco brought a big R & B influence the band, no doubt.
8:30 capitalized on the popularity of the Jaco era, and also included studio work, including an ambitious composition by Joe, with a choir. Those new pieces represented a move away from the R & B and groove elements, to my ears, and toward a more complex compositional style.
Mr. Gone went further in that direction--some called it an almost-solo-Zawinul album...synths and layers of sound and manipulation abound, and Wayne's sax fades into the background, for the most part...though the hyperspeed version of his song "Pinnochio" is pretty straight-ahead jazz, actually, though largely composed. This is a very "artificial sounding" album to me, processed and electronic. Still, I love it...Jaco does some great things here, though he's moved (mostly) into a more conventional role.
The second eponymous Weather Report Album, and Night Passage, are under-rated albums, IMO, carrying forward the abstraction, the complexity, as well as the multi-keyboard big band arrangement stuff, and the world music elements. There's plenty of practically straight-ahead jazz, too, filtered through the Zawinul lens, like Rockin' in Rhythm, an Ellington tune, and my favorite Jaco composition, "Three Views of a Secret."
After Jaco, when Victor Bailey and Omar Hakim signed on as rhythm section, the direction changed a bit, yet again. This was really the final incarnation of the band. In the last few studio albums--Domino Theory, Procession, Sportin' Life--you'll find all sorts of influences, including the sort of slow-burn building grooves of a tune like "Procession" to contemporary urban sounds and rhythms, as well as tons of keyboards. Wayne's sax, by this time, is for the most part a compositional tool, and not a "Jazz Lead Instrument" at all, though there are some moments. The final studio album, This is This, has barely any Wayne at all, and Carlos Santana guests on guitar. In my opinion, he acquits himself well, playing some interesting stuff that sounds like himself, and yet somehow novel at the same time.But it's not really a Weather Report album, in my opinion.
I have live DVD's and live CD's as well, including the Live and Unreleased set, which gives a great cross-section of the band from the Alphonso/Jaco/Victor years. For the earliest incarnation, Live in Tokyo is the beast, but the first two albums have some exquisitely beautiful music--tone poems, almost.
Your post reminded me of this post from the Zappa newsgroup years ago. It's an interesting read, even if you don't agree with all of the points.
With or without Jaco, WR = autobuy. I'm all in.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
I rate Night Passage above Mr. Gone...it's a more balanced, less processed, sound, both in production and arrangements, to my ears. But that's a pretty good synopsis. The dude is definitely a fan...we would get along well!
"Procession" live.....I saw them do that, and it bowled me over as well. Sounded like a band on a truck, in a "procession" through a jungle or something, at first far away and faint, and then gradually closing in until they park in front of you and there's a crazy street party. That shit was potent. Saw them do it as "Weather Update," too, minus Wayne but plus Steve Khan on guitar. That was a cool band, BTW. Too bad they didn't stick it out....would have been interesting.
It's been some years since I played it, and I know it has a weak reputation (some suggesting the title refers to Wayne Shorter!), but I never had a problem with Mr. Gone. There's some great stuff on it IMHO.
I haven't heard any album after Night Passage. Of the early ones, I'm most partial to I Sing The Body Electric.
Listening to Db Waltz on Domino Theory. Wayne Shorter kills. Love this tune. This is some hip shit.
Mmm, playing Mr Gone again, I can see it's the 2nd half of the album where things fall off a cliff, save for 'Punk Jazz'. The first holds up well, although maybe the production isn't as good as the preceding albums. Perhaps that's the CD itself...this was one of the ones which never got a single-disc remaster (don't think any of the subsequent ones did either, and nor did the debut). But the synth sounds are quite thin and dry, rather like Rick Wakeman on Tormato in that respect (although the sounds themselves aren't as bad!).
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Depends on what you're looking for. In the early days it was sort of an offshoot of early-electric Miles. The first self-titled album had a little B-Brew but went in a different direction, a little less rock fusion and a little more abstract and rhythmic. Half of Body Electric was a continuation of that, and half was taken from some seriously off-the-wall live shows (the full set was released as Live in Tokyo). That's one for you if you prefer your improv of the forward-thinking, avant-garde bonkers variety.
Sweetnighter was all about rhythm and groove and brought in the really heavy world-beaty rhythmic aspect. It would be reductive, but you could sort of say they did variations on that template with Tale Spinnin', Mysterious Traveller and Black Market. Sort of under the same umbrella but all quite different from each other, in no small part because of personnel changes.
Heavy Weather, Night Passage, Mr. Gone and the second self-titled were more compositional and streamlined, with more song-like changes and fewer extended groove jams. 8:30 from this phase probably makes a good live summary/intro if you want to discover the band with Jaco.
I don't know much about the last phase (Procession, Domino Theory and Sportin' Life). Procession sounded like sort of an attempt to sum up the Jaco phase along with a little more of the African/rhythm stuff. Haven't heard the others.
Live and Unreleased is quite good for what it is. It doesn't quite succeed in throwing together tracks from across a span of time and making it sound like they truly belong together, but it's a great bunch of material in itself. They were something special live.
Bookmarks