Not long after these came out (separately) in 1998, I had a chance to hear them. I was a bit more critical towards them at the time and didn't purchase either. Some years later, I managed to get out the following review (altered for relevancy):
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Jade Warrior were pioneers of the world fusion genre, though in reality, their early albums didn’t really seize the moment as they should have. Like most bands from the early 70s, Jade Warrior were finding their way in the music world, and they seemed to possess three distinct styles. One was the fun times rock and roll band. Who can forget “JO-ANNNN, goin' to have a PARTY, JO-ANNN…”? Another was the soft ballad, with flute, acoustic guitar and wispy, but non-distinctive vocals. And finally, the sound that Jade Warrior not only excelled at, but eventually focused on, a hybrid rock world music fusion informed by many distinctive cultures. Fans of the band, I’m sure, must have wondered for years if there were any transition albums from their Vertigo years of Last Autumn's Dream and prior to the Island Records sound of Floating World and beyond, as their directional change was quite dramatic. So when indeed it came to pass that there was not only one, but two fully baked albums in the can awaiting an initial release, I’m sure Jade Warrior fans worldwide were in a complete lather. Most certainly these albums would point to the new direction, while maintaining some of the old sound? As it turns out, Eclipse and Fifth Element were more like extensions of their Vertigo years, with all 3 styles as mentioned above still intact. While Eclipse is as good as, if not better, than Last Autumn’s Dream, Fifth Element proved the band had completely run out of ideas using this methodology and would need a fresh approach. Correctly assessing the situation, Jade Warrior did just that. Both albums are of high quality, and have to be considered hugely important for fans of the group. It is rare that a band will be sitting on so much production quality recorded material without a release. If you love the first 3 Jade Warrior’s, these two are a must listen, even if they’re not the best of the lot.
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On this revisit I experienced a +1 on each release, with Eclipse still maintaining the lead. My overall viewpoint of Jade Warrior has softened over the years, as they were truly unique in their era. You can tell Fifth Element is the most diverse of their albums - a final Hail Mary to see if their existing record company Vertigo would keep them around. But the label wanted nothing more to do with Jade Warrior, telling them to lawyer up if they wanted their existing contract to be honored. After this disappointment, the band shed down to a duo format, and embarked on the Island label years, a very fruitful period that I've documented a little bit in this blog as well.
Ownership: CD: 2023 Esoteric. Fine digi-pak release with a full history to accompany. Properly released as a 2xCD set, just as it should have been to begin with.
2/21/11 (RYM); 3/18/23 (new entry)
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