AMG Review by Richard S. Ginell (2!):
On Mr. Gone, Weather Report becomes merely a cover name for a Joe Zawinul/Jaco Pastorius jazz/rock/funk record production, with several guest drummers (Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Peter Erskine), no resident percussionist, and Wayne Shorter as a still-potent solo saxophone threat. This album was denounced in its time as a sellout, probably on the reputation of Jaco's pulsating "River People," which is as close as WR ever came to outright disco. But there is lots of diversity and adventure here, as the creative core of the band uses the latest electronics to push out the boundaries of sound while maintaining tight control over structure. "The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat" is quintessential Zawinul; the Third World-centered groove is everything, no chord changes to impede this rush of layered electronics, percussion and voices. Shorter's spare "The Elders" flirts with the electronic avant-garde and he retrofits his Miles Davis-era "Pinocchio" in rapid-fire electro-acoustic garb. In other words, the multi-flavored WR stew continues to cook at a fine boil.
***** amazing!!!
This is one mighty album by Weather Report - a great collection of music, and a great experiment of jazz - it certainly gave downbeat something to think about back in '78 (ha). Zawinul's intergration of synthesizers (ARP 2600, Prophet 5, Oberheim, etc...) into the music was, and still is quite extraordinary.
Jaco may at times be replaced by such things as an Oberheim Bass (check the liner notes under the list entitled "Keyboards"), but what youv'e got to remember is that Jaco was in high demand in during the Mr. Gone sessions of 1977 and 1978, as was Wayne Shorter, despite Shorter and Zawinul's apparently ever-failing relationship at the time - and with the both of them working on such other projects as Tom Scott's "Intimate Strangers" and Steely Dan's "Aja", it's not surprising that their appearances diminished.
This is a great album, and despite the fact that Zawinul says in the liner notes that he would never judge this against any other WR album, that's not how he appeared to have felt back in "78. The opener, "Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat" is wonderful, as is Jaco's "River People", and even Zawinul's Eccentric title track is quite interesting.
All in all, this is an amazing album. If you can't get into it on the first listen, just listen to it until you can - twice, thrice maybe - and then you will be able to see how amazing this album really is!!
Billboard 1978 No.1 Jazz Album |
