As mentioned recently, I've really been in the mood for jazz fusion of late, so why not hear one of the progenitors of the movement? Even though I've owned this album for ages, it continues to improve to my ears. There are 5 main tracks here, all of them ripping jazz rock/fusion tracks, and this is the one album where you'll get to hear Al Di Meola go all psychedelic, not something he's known for. The rhythm section of Stanley Clarke and Lenny White is insane, and Chick Corea embracing synthesizers at this early stage was a prescient move. The use of funk would be further explored on their next No Mystery album. There's also 3 peaceful interludes with the title structure of 'Where Have I xx [yy] You Before' (yea been dabbling in my programming roots for my new job...). Return to Forever were the band every jr/f artist wanted to be. Few could match them.
Ownership: LP: 1974 Polydor. Single sleeve. Acquired for $1 in 2019 at the "14,000 album sale" locally that I detailed previously. Perfect mint. This copy is known as the "Chuck Correa" version (see label photo) which makes me laugh every time. "Hey Chuck, crank up those synthesizers, would ya!" Got the last name wrong too. The first copy I owned was from my roommate in college (r.i.p.), who didn't want it anymore. Why he bought it in the first place is one of the world's great mysteries that he took to the grave with him. We'll tell his story someday. It wasn't in very good condition but I kept it forever anyway.
1//14; 12//15; 1/17/22 (new entry)
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