Miler72 Used Passport LPs in my neck of the woods (I live in Veneta, Oregon, but have to buy my stuff in nearby Eugene) are a dime a dozen, so it didn't take me too long to build up my collection all the way up to Ataraxia (of course, their stuff pre-Looking Thru doesn't appear in Eugene, and I still don't have Second Passport, but I was surprised to find a copy of Hand Made in Eugene, but I had to get my copy of their debut online). I was completely blown away by Cross-Collateral, an LP I found at a St. Vincent de Paul in Springfield, of all places. So I had to get Infinity Machine. Well, while many feel Infinity Machine is frequently considered their final album worth getting, I, for a long time thought it was a let-down. But it's grown on me since. The opener "Ju-Ju Man" has a rather funky feel, and evidence of Latin rhythms showing up. The title track and "Ostinato" are certainly the highlights, where they attempt a more electronic approach, especially "Ostinato". On the other hand, I didn't think the album had quite the intensity of its predecessor. What I do get a kick off is that cover depicting the Earth as a cube. I don't know if this is a coincidence or not, but seemed like the cover got spoofed in 1977 by an American band called The Fanz (featuring ex-Blues Image and Iron Butterfly member Mike Piners) on the album The Grand Illusion (coincidentally sharing the same title as Styx that same year). That album cover too featured a cube-shaped Earth! After hearing Igacu (has its moments, but drifted too much in smooth jazz, I had less troubles with the Brazilian sounds, though), Infinity Machine is definitely better. Still good, but I prefer Cross-Collateral, Hand Made, and the debut (and even, strangely some of the more interesting stuff off Ataraxia).

Miler72 This album found Klaus Doldinger ditching the old lineup, so effectively a brand new Passport. This album is a mixed bag, there's a couple of numbers that throw me over the edge, and several experiments that are untypically Passport I really enjoy. A couple of them venture into that dreaded lite-fusion, especially "Louisiana", in fact it borders on smooth jazz. There are some songs on here that remind me a whole lot of instrumental Alan Parsons Project, particularly "Sky Blue" and "Loco-Motive". Given I often enjoyed many of the instrumental stuff of the Alan Parsons Project, I found these songs very enjoyable. I wouldn't be surprised if Klaus Doldinger got a hold of I Robot and decided to record music in the style of that album's instrumental stuff. "Reng Ding Dang Dong" really blows me away, a really strange, unusual electronic experiment that really sounds like nothing I have ever heard from Passport! Strange spacy synthesizers and a cool rhythm to go with it. I was surprised how much of this album I enjoyed, even if a couple of songs are cringe worthy. Much of the Latin influence of Iguacu is gone here, some of the songs here, as mentioned, leans towards the instrumental Alan Parsons Project side of things, one electronic piece, couple that sounds like classic Passport, and a couple of more lightweight numbers. By the way, Ataraxia and Sky Blue are the same release. For some strange reason, Atlantic Records in the States felt it would be better titled Sky Blue, while the international release is called Ataraxia. At least they both bear the same cover and tracklistings.

Of course, albums like Looking Thru and Cross-Collateral are their best albums, this is still worth having for the better material included here.

Miler72 This was the beginning of Klaus Doldinger's long running Passport, and it's a very different lineup to the 1973-1977 lineup that produced all the albums from Looking Thru up to Iguacu. Here he included Jimmy Jackson, Lothar Meid, Udo Lindenberg, and Olaf Kubler. Lothar Meid replaced Dave Anderson in Amon Duul II, and Jimmy Jackson had played on several Amon Duul II albums including Tanz der Lemminge and Wolf City, plus Embryo's Rache and Steig Aus, and even (uncredited) Tangerine Dream's Electronic Meditation. So you might think this might be more Krautrock with Doldinger's sax playing? No, it sounds very much like Passport, even this early on. This might be a bit more jazz-rock than full-on fusion, as organ, rather than electric piano more dominated. But it's a fantastic debut. "Uranus" features a bit of synthesizer and even a little Mellotron (no one is credited to it, so I probably think it was Jimmy Jackson as he used one on Embryo's Rache and Steig Aus, although it could be Doldinger himself, although he wouldn't be credited to one until Hand Made). "Nostalgia" is another great piece in the Passport style, with strange faint choir-like sounds, probably from the mysterious "choir organ" from Jimmy Jackson that was also featured on Amon Duul II's Tanz der Lemminge and Wolf City, as well as Popol Vuh's Aguirre (and probably In den Garten Pharoahs, although I don't believe Jimmy plays on those Popol Vuh albums, I'm sure it was his machine). "Continuation" is a favorite of mine, with that wah-wah effect and clavinet done in a trippy psychedelic nature until they get into the more typical Passport style, with Doldinger's sax playing.

Let me tell you if you enjoy all the albums they did from Looking Thru to Infinity Machine, you will want to try their pre-Looking Thru material, as they're all worth getting, and this is a great example!

seyo The 4th Passport album is a "lite" fusion music dominated by keyboards. It is not much progressive or essential in any way but jazz-rock fans should not mind having this title in their collection. Agressive keyboards work in "Eternal Spiral", nice jazz tune "Eloquence" and some excellent synth and electric piano parts of the title track are worthy checking out. On the other hand there are many dull and inoffensive "Muzak" moments along with a catchy but too simple R'n'B dance rhythm in "Rockport".

"Looking Thru" was released by Suzy label in Yugoslavia as a commercial and popular item licensed from Atlantic Records. Therefore, "Rockport" was a staple dance floor track across many discotheques in the former Yugoslavia in late 1970s, while "Eternal Spiral" was frequently radio-aired as a background music/jingle.

Doldinger's sax is somehow subdued on this album while keyboards are dominant. That alone should not be a problem, but arrangements are too pedestrian without enough harder edge or courage in playing.

seyo PASSPORT has been unjustly overlooked when talking about classic fusion style of the early seventies' music. Their debut album is however one of the better works of the genre.

Loaded with processed saxophones and flutes (sometimes similar in sound to VDGG's David Jaxon), stomping rhythm section and psyche/space passages of electric piano, organ and synthesizers, it is a very nice and enjoyable record. This line-up even features a Krautrock connection in Olaf Kuebler and Lothar Meid, once alumni of AMON DUUL II commune.

Beautiful melodies intermingle with fiery sax-laden heavy arrangements in the Crimsonesque style. This is not a light, easy first listen crossover, but a more experimental type of fusion. "Passport-Doldinger" should be considered as one of the better fusion albums together with other champions of the genre (Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report...).