Stanley Clarke: Original Album Classics boxed set

**Progatron** · 03-10-2014

Went through my amazon wish list this morning and noticed the first Stanley Clarke Original Album Classics 5-disc box had dropped 30% to $15.99. Naturally I clicked the 'buy' button since that's an excellent price, and I don't actually own any of Stanley's solo stuff yet (huge fan of his playing though). I've rattled on at length here on PE about these boxed sets and how they are a great, inexpensive (and space-saving) way of adding five or more albums to your collection. For anyone who's interested (it's Canadian amazon FYI, didn't check elsewhere), there are still 2 left in stock.

The albums included are Stanley Clarke, Journey To Love, School Days, Modern Man and Clarke/Duke Project Vol. I (that last one is pretty dodgy, but hey, for three bucks a disc...)

**wideopenears** · 03-10-2014

First three are essential in my book....and the Live 1977 tour one is also great.

**mozo-pg** · 03-10-2014

There is now one left.

Much obliged.

**happytheman** · 03-10-2014

Bought this set a couple months ago.. Great set.. great price!

**dnieper** · 03-10-2014

If only it had the soundtrack to Cool as Ice...

**warrplayer** · 03-10-2014

Originally Posted by wideopenears

First three are essential in my book...

Unquestionably!

**MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER** · 03-10-2014

Originally Posted by Progatron

I don't actually own any of Stanley's solo stuff yet (huge fan of his playing though).

oh... you are in for a treat!

especially the first 3... right up there with the very best Prog Fusion of all time

Modern Man is patchy and Clarke/Duke is them doing mostly Funk (which I happen to like)

**Garden Dreamer** · 03-10-2014

I was crazy for this stuff back in the day but haven't heard it in over 30 years. Might have to revisit now at this price and see how it sounds to my old man ears.

**jcarr73729** · 03-11-2014

For that price it's a bargain. I have the original Epic discs for the first two, and the HDT 24/96 for Schooldays. According to the DR loudness website, the 2007 boxed set enjoys the same dynamics as the originals, so you're in for treat.

**Trane** · 03-11-2014

Originally Posted by wideopenears

First three are essential in my book....and the Live 1977 tour one is also great.

That's more or less my take on it as well... I find other later 70's release of no interest to me.

**MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER** · 03-11-2014

make no mistake, Stanley has some other great albums like the first 3 in this set

His recent 2; The Toys of Men and The Stanley Clarke Band are both excellent. I also like the album Rocks, Pebbles and Sand, some great stuff on that one.

**Trane** · 03-11-2014

Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER

make no mistake, Stanley has some other great albums like the first 3 in this set

His recent 2; The Toys of Men and The Stanley Clarke Band are both excellent. I also like the album Rocks, Pebbles and Sand, some great stuff on that one.

I don't doubt it, but what's the point in a new Clarke album nowadays??

**MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER** · 03-11-2014

Originally Posted by Trane

I don't doubt it, but what's the point in a new Clarke album nowadays??

now Huggies... what's the point of any 70s artist continuing to put out new albums?

the fact is that his last 2 are not just a rehash of what he's done before. There are new twists worthy of new albums.

I mean, should we make a limit on how many albums an artist can put out in their career?
Should Yes have been told NO MORE after Tormato?

I guess I don't see what you're getting at Huggy?

**JKL2000** · 03-11-2014

If a new album is great, isn't that reason enough?

**Yanks2014** · 03-11-2014

I've been meaning to check out more Clarke music. The only solo work I have are the recent "Band" and "Trio" albums, mostly due to the inclusion of Hiromi. I like the acoustic "Trio" a lot, and still have not spun Stanley Clarke Band yet. But since I love his 70's work with RTF, I guess I really owe it to my self to finally hear those early solo albums. While I knew of his reputation, seeing him live for the first time in 2011 with RTF and with Hiromi in 2012, both shows were a real eye opener. Awesome talent.

**Trane** · 03-12-2014

Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER

Should Yes have been told NO MORE after Tormato?

Now that you mention it.... YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Yanks2014** · 03-12-2014

Originally Posted by Trane

Now that you mention it.... YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then there would never have been the underrated Drama album. The music world is a better place having "Tempus Fugit", "Machine Messiah" and "Does it Really Happen" in it. Besides, had they quit in 78, I'd never get to see them live, and likely would have never become a fan. A lot of us "younger" Yes fans are certainly happy the band continued after Tormato.

**Trane** · 03-12-2014

Originally Posted by Yanks2014

Then there would never have been the underrated Drama album. The music world is a better place having "Tempus Fugit", "Machine Messiah" and "Does it Really Happen" in it. Besides, had they quit in 78, I'd never get to see them live, and likely would have never become a fan. A lot of us "younger" Yes fans are certainly happy the band continued after Tormato.

but we wouldn't have half as many Yes thread on this site

**Yanks2014** · 03-12-2014

Originally Posted by Trane

but we wouldn't have half as many Yes thread on this site

Wow, I actually agree with you! In my defense, I don't recall the last time I started a Yes thread, in fact I'm not sure I ever have.

**Wounded Land** · 03-12-2014

Those first three records are great, especially Journey to Love. In my experience, School Days seems to get all the love, but Journey to Love is better, I think. Each track is a different type of song, from funky fusion, to a spacey vocal piece, to a rocking tune, to an acoustic piece, to a multi-part epic. Ironically, the fact that each song is so different makes the whole album stand together as a unit much better.

Plus, you get John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, and two Jeff Beck solos! That can never be a bad thing.

NP: Ryan Truesdell/Gil Evans Project Centennial

**wideopenears** · 03-13-2014

I'm a fan of his more recent stuff, with Hiromi and his band, and also the trio with her....And Toys of Men was cool. Also liked the SMV triple-threat bass thing he did with Marcus and Victor Wooten. But there was a stretch, post School Days, where....it was not so good, you know? Find Out, IMO, was the nadir....though I also have to say I loved the SOUNDS of his bass on that album. The material sucked, pretty much....but man, what cool electric bass sounds!

**profusion** · 03-13-2014

He went more towards straight-up funk after School Days, but I enjoy both Modern Man and I Wanna Play For You (which is a weird omission from that 5-cd set, with the Clarke/Duke album there instead).

**wideopenears** · 03-13-2014

I wanna play for you is pretty cool....I like funk. Modern Man isn't too bad.... some of the Clarke/Duke stuff is worse, IMO. But neither "I wanna" nor "Modern Man" hold a candle to the earlier releases....

**profusion** · 03-13-2014

Originally Posted by wideopenears

But neither "I wanna" nor "Modern Man" hold a candle to the earlier releases....

I agree. Clarke enjoyed funk and probably wanted to move more to the mainstream to keep his record sales high, just like so many other fusion players did in the late '70s. However, I think he needed stronger collaborators than he had for his funk material. You'd think a Clarke/Duke album would just funk the whole universe into amazingness, but that project happened in the '80s, which was the Decade of the Fake Funk. Duke's own music from the '80s suffered badly.