Record Reviews

JEFF BECK ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS SONY 888751056329 (Barcode: 888751056329) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1971 - 1977 Released: 2015 This Box Set collects reissues of five albums by the legendary British guitarist / composer / bandleader Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist, originally released on the EpicFind albums on this label label between 1971 and 1977. They are: “Rough And ReadyFind albums with this title” (1971), “Jeff Beck GroupFind albums with this title” (1972), “Blow By BlowFind albums with this title” (1975), “WiredFind albums with this title” (1976) and “Jeff Beck With The Jan Hammer Group LiveFind albums with this title” (1977). Those are the third to seventh albums recorded by Jeff Beck, except the two albums (one studio and one live) recorded by him as part of the short lived Beck, Bogert & AppiceFind albums by this artist trio. The first two albums included here were recorded by the second incarnation of the Jeff Back GroupFind albums by this artist (the first incarnation recorded the first two Back’s albums “TruthFind albums with this title” and “Beck-OlaFind albums with this title”), which included vocalist Bobby TrenchFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Max MiddletonFind albums by this artist, bassist Clive ChamanFind albums by this artist and drummer Cozy PowellFind albums by this artist. Stylistically these were transitional albums between Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was Beck’s main interest in the years that followed. The next two albums present some of Beck’s most admired work as a guitarist, both being purely instrumental and clearly moving deeply into Jazz-Rock Fusion, but with the unique characteristics of his superb sense of melody and fabulous improvisational abilities, which have but a few equals among the world’s guitar heroes. Beck is accompanied by Middleton, bassist Phil ChenFind albums by this artist and drummer Richard BaileyFind albums by this artist on “Blow By Blow” and Middleton and Czech keyboardist Jan HammerFind albums by this artist, American bassist Wilbur BascombFind albums by this artist and drummer Narada Michael WaldenFind albums by this artist on “Wired”. The live album is a full-blown Fusion affair on which Back is supported by Hammer and an all American team of violinist Steve KindlerFind albums by this artist, bassist Fernando SaundersFind albums by this artist and drummer Tony SmithFind albums by this artist. Not surprisingly the music sounds not far from Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist. Overall this is a real treat to all guitar fans and undeniably some of the most exciting music recorded in the 1970s. Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 31/07/2021Posted: 31/07/2021

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

RITUAL ART ORCHESTRA ~ ATMOSPHERE RG 103 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 - 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Polish ensemble Ritual Art OrchestraFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. R-A-OFind albums by this artist), which already released an album under an earlier moniker (Ritual Duo). The current lineup of the ensemble consists of American violinist / composer Steve KindlerFind albums by this artist and Polish multi-instrumentalist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist and percussionist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, five by Kindler and four by Raatz. The music is an interesting amalgam of Ethnic / World Music elements, Electronic / Ambient influences and Jazzy improvisations. Although performed by just three musicians, it is heavily overdubbed and often reaches orchestral proportions. The Ethnic influences originate from many different Cultures, like Middle Eastern and Far Eastern, Balinese, African and others, which makes the music diverse and avoids the repetition and sameness that many projects of this kind suffer from. All three members of the ensemble display their individual talents, which although are quite dissimilar, work very well together. Kindler uses a 9 string violin, which has a very unique sound. Raatz plays guitars and a plethora of ethnic instruments like oud and sitar, each contributing a unique layer to the overall sound tapestry. Mackiewicz adds the rhythmic layer, again using several different instruments, which also enriches the overall sound. The music is very well recorded and the album offers excellent sound quality. Overall this is a musical journey around the world, which Jazz-World Fusion enthusiasts should find quite interesting and entertaining. It offers many improvised passages and subtle melodies, with a certain New Age flavor, which characterized recordings of this kind in the 1990s. It is definitely worth listening to by people who like this kind of music already, but also an opportunity for others to discover this idiom.

Updated: 26/06/2018Posted: 26/06/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

WARM TRIO ~ MOUSE PARADISE RG 107 (Barcode: 5902693143468) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the second album by the Warm TrioFind albums by this artist, which comprises of Polish guitarist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist, bassist Grzegorz KorybalskiFind albums by this artist and American drummer Calvin WestonFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, including one bonus track that does not appear on the LP edition of this album. All the music was co-composed by the trio members, except one track which features American violinist Steve KindlerFind albums by this artist, who is also listed as co-composer. The trio offers a phenomenal “power trio” Fusion, based on excellent melodic themes and superbly hard driven performance by all three musicians. The guitar is obviously fronting the line, with a sound every Hard Rock group would wish to call their own, but which these days hardly ever happens. The powerful rhythm section drives the music mercilessly forward, with a power of a nuclear submarine. The resulting wall of sound effect is simply overwhelming, in the best sense of course. Overall, this is superb follow up to the debut album and a great piece of music for listeners who want their music loud and hard, but intelligent and diverse enough to keep them interested for the duration. Fusion on steroids and an absolute must to guitar lovers, who might need resuscitation along the way.

Updated: 01/05/2022Posted: 01/05/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend