FunkFreak75
Though virtuoso bass player Stanley Clarke was already a household name in the circles of those who knew jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion, with this, his third "solo" album, we find him still under the influence of some of his more- established mentors and idols (like Chick Corea and John McLaughlin). At the same time, there are plenty of signs of his "coming into his own" as he leads many of the tunes on this album with his considerable (perhaps unequaled) soloing skills. 1. "Silly Putty" (4:52) an interesting song that borders on the funky R&B that was all the rage in 1975 but really has its roots in the Blues-Rock that pre-dates the 1970s. Between Stanley, George Duke, and David Sancious the band has every weird funky chicken sound possible covered in this playful novelty tune. Not my favorite style, it still manages to entertain and, of course, display incredible musicianship. (Just wondering: Which came first: Lenny White's "Chicken- Fried Steak" or this?) (9.125/10)
2. "Journey to Love" (4:52) spacious southern rock that starts out with some high-pitched vocals (apparently as provided by Stanley and George) and then develops into something that sounds like a slowed down Mahavishnu Orchestra song. Horn section adds punctuating accents at the end of the singers' second verse signaling the start of the instrumental jam session that would unfold for the final two minutes of the song. I think the reason George Duke and David Sancious rarely get mentioned with the great sound-pioneers of the 1970s (like Jan Hammer, Chick Corea, or Herbie Hancock) is their tendency to explore/choose really odd sounds for their keys and guitars. (8.75/10)
3. "Hello Jeff" (5:16) this one definitely has both the JEFF BECK and RETURN TO FOREVER sound with Stanley in particular using those heavy, thick bass chords he became known for with Chick's band. The guitar shreding here (from Mr. Beck and recent discovery David Sancious [from Bruce Springsteen]) is other-wordly! I'm not a fan, however, of the sound rendering of Lenny White's drums--nor of the Al DI MEOLA-like main melody. The best parts of the tune are Jeff's solos and Stanley's finish. (8.875/10)
4. "Song to John, Part 1" (4:22) Chick Corea on piano, Stanley on his bowed double bass, and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin working his magic on an acoustic guitar. (Stanley must have received an "only if it's all acoustic" answer from the Mahavishnu when he asked for John's participation on this album's recording sessions--which would be in character for the Shakti-inspired guitarist at this time.) The song plays out like any/every John McLaughlin or Chick Corea song on acoustic instruments: virtuosic performances, great melodic sensibilities, and each artist inspiring the others to their highest levels of creativity. I just love all three of these artists when they're in acoustic mode! Chick's sense of melody is really so sublime--but so are those of Stanley and John--especially when supporting Chick in that fourth and fifth minute! (9.25/10)
5. "Song to John, Part 2" (6:09) the "lively" half of the suite--feels like a precursor to RTF's "The Romantic Warrior" (one of my ALL-TIME favorite songs!) from their upcoming album of the same name--though the second minute to the fourth has quite a little Django Reinhardt-Stéphane Grappelli energy and feel to it as well. How much fun must these guys have been having! Great jam! You will not find songs like these very often in the real world! (10/10)
6. "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" (14:25) Messrs. Clarke, Duke, Sancious, and Gadd back for a gorgeous fifteen-minute suite--with the support of the full horn section in the (minutes). The opening three minutes is just synth, piano, and bass weaving a beautiful, contemplative atmosphere together to get the listener ready for . . . the "launch." At the three minute mark the full band jumps into electric world with bass, synth strings washes, Fender Rhodes, and drums creating a dynamic power motif within which David Sancious adds some searing lead guitar riffs in mini- crescendo moments. Things smooth out a bit in the sixth minute before George and Steve fall into support of a multi- sectional bass solo. (By multi-sectional I mean low end bass notes offset by high-end piccolo bass riffing.) This turns into more sustained searing electric guitar from David for about a minute in the ninth minute, culminating in a horn- section thickened section to fill the tenth minute--which leads to an odd break at 10:15 after which an AL DI MEOLA- like guitar-led Chick Corea patch ensues within which Stanley's machine gun bass play keeps up note for note with the same from David Sancious. The melody first exploded into the sonic field by the raging guitar-and-electric-bass duo is quite familiar but I can't place from where. The drumming in this "break out" passage are quite straight time rock 'n' roll as opposed to the rather funky, syncopated forms Steve was playing before the ten minute mark. The horns help amplify and multiply the fiery melody being ejaculated by David and Stanley until a crescendo and crashing trumpet scream at 12:15 re-opens the door for a very peaceful George Duke synth and electric piano after-the-storm section takes over to lead Stanley and the "strings" to a fadeout exit. A wild ride! Not so much a concerto as a RTF-like power suite! (27/30)
Total Time 39:21
Multi-instrumentalist David Sancious is quite a find! His guitar skills are virtuosic (as are his keyboard skills--as will be proved in near-future solo and collaborative albums) yet I've always felt that his sounds and melody choices are either too imitative of other greats of the era (like, here, Al Di Meola) or that they're too sweet, dense, or obtuse for me to ever be drawn into. However, here with Stanley he has found a partner who at least drives him to heights of the greats. George Duke feels too much the support mule on his three songs: rarely given the flashy solo time that David or Stanley himself take--which seems a waste. And Steve Gadd is great though sometimes feeling a bit the odd man out in terms of gelling perfectly within the weaves and styles set up by Stanley. For me, the Chick Corea-John McLaughlin- Stanley suite "Song for John" is the album's highlight with the opening song, as virtuosic and erudite as it is, proving to illustrate for me the fact that funk (my beloved funk) can be taken to outlandish extremes--barnyard, bawdy, or adolescent extremes.
A-/five stars; a display of creative song-making commensurate with the virtuosity of its participants. Perhaps not on quite as high or memorable of a level as some of the iconic themes and songs from the other Jazz-Rock Fusion classics of the time, but definitely fitting and deserving of the attention of any lover of virtuoso musicianship.
