Review
by Michael G. Nastos
The fourth edition of Return to Forever was a band that emphasized the screaming wah-wah guitar of Al Di Meola and every electric keyboard Chick Corea could get his hands on to play furiously fast runs. Where the initial, airy Flora Purim/Airto/Joe Farrell edition gave way to the second undocumented group featuring Earl Klugh, and the third band with electric guitarist Bill Connors, this RTF was resplendently and unapologetically indulgent, ripping through riffs and charted, rehearsed melodies, and polyrhythms like a circular saw through a thin tree branch. Their immediacy and visceral power is why rock audiences were drawn to them, impressed by their speed-demon vagaries as much as their concern for musicality. Thank goodness No Mystery had more than its share of toned-down acoustic moments, as well as the powerhouse fighter jet stance that most of their fans craved. It's not nearly as balanced as the previous album Where Have I Known You Before?, but expounds on those themes -- inspired by Neville not Harry Potter -- in a more progressive though louder manner. The bold, dancing, and funky "Dayride" in a higher octave and vocal-type keyboard range perfectly identifies the group sound in a scant three-plus minutes. The two-part, 14-minute "Celebration Suite" gives you a larger view of the classical Bartok/Chopin influence of Corea, and the dramatic medieval or regal stance they alchemized with so many keyboard sounds. It's pseudo-funky, Spanish in a 6/8 rhythm, wailing with Di Meola leaping forth in true guitar hero form, with some group-oriented perfunctory subtleties and complex lines. The title track is the jewel, an acoustic romp through fields of flowers with Lenny White on marimba buoyed by a beautiful, lilting, memorable melody and shifting loud and soft dynamics -- a classic in the repertoire and a fan favorite. The tromping beat of "Jungle Waterfall" supersedes Stanley Clarke's lithe lines, while noise keyboards dominate the silly "Sofistifunk." Corea's acoustic piano is featured on the chordal, grandiose solo "Excerpt from the First Movement of Heavy Metal," and in duet with Clarke. the improvised "Interplay" shows a more spontaneous rather than rehearsed side of these brilliant musicians. Over time, No Mystery yields mixed results, where initially they were viscerally driven and ultimately impressive. The next phase of the group, as indicated by this recording, would take them into even more technologically dominated music.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-mystery-mw0000192394
///////
Reseña
por Michael G. Nastos
La cuarta edición de Return to Forever fue una banda que hizo hincapié en la chillona guitarra wah-wah de Al Di Meola y en todos los teclados eléctricos que Chick Corea pudo tener en sus manos para tocar carreras furiosamente rápidas. Mientras que la edición inicial de Flora Purim/Airto/Joe Farrell dio paso al segundo grupo indocumentado con Earl Klugh, y al tercero con el guitarrista eléctrico Bill Connors, este RTF era resplandeciente y descaradamente indulgente, arrasando riffs y melodías ensayadas y polirrítmicas como una sierra circular atraviesa una rama fina de árbol. Su inmediatez y poder visceral es la razón por la que el público del rock se sentía atraído por ellos, impresionado por sus caprichos de demonios de la velocidad tanto como por su preocupación por la musicalidad. Gracias a Dios, No Mystery tiene más que su parte de momentos acústicos atenuados, así como la poderosa postura de avión de combate que la mayoría de sus fans ansiaban. No es ni mucho menos tan equilibrado como el álbum anterior Where Have I Known You Before?, pero profundiza en esos temas -inspirados en Neville y no en Harry Potter- de una manera más progresiva aunque más ruidosa. La atrevida, bailable y funky "Dayride", en una octava más alta y con un teclado de tipo vocal, identifica a la perfección el sonido del grupo en apenas tres minutos y pico. La "Celebration Suite", en dos partes y de 14 minutos de duración, ofrece una visión más amplia de la influencia clásica Bartok/Chopin de Corea, y de la dramática postura medieval o regia que alquimizaron con tantos sonidos de teclado. Es pseudo-funky, español en un ritmo de 6/8, ululante con Di Meola saltando en verdadera forma de héroe de la guitarra, con algunas sutilezas perfunctorias orientadas al grupo y líneas complejas. La canción que da título al disco es la joya, un jugueteo acústico por campos de flores con Lenny White a la marimba, animado por una melodía hermosa, cadenciosa y memorable y una dinámica que cambia de alto a bajo: un clásico del repertorio y uno de los favoritos de los fans. El ritmo trompetero de "Jungle Waterfall" sustituye a las ágiles líneas de Stanley Clarke, mientras que los teclados ruidosos dominan la tonta "Sofistifunk". El piano acústico de Corea aparece en el acorde y grandioso solo "Excerpt from the First Movement of Heavy Metal", y a dúo con Clarke, el improvisado "Interplay" muestra un lado más espontáneo que ensayado de estos brillantes músicos. Con el tiempo, No Mystery arroja resultados dispares, donde al principio eran visceralmente impulsados y, en última instancia, impresionantes. La siguiente fase del grupo, como indica esta grabación, les llevaría a una música aún más dominada por la tecnología.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-mystery-mw0000192394
return2forever.com ...
1 - Dayride - 3:25
2 - Jungle Waterfall - 3:03
3 - Flight Of The Newborn - 7:23
4 - Sofistifunk - 3:51
5 - Excerpt From The First Movement Of Heavy Metal - 2:45
6 - No Mystery - 6:10
7 - Interplay - 2:15
8 - Celebration Suite Part I - 8:27
9 - Celebration Suite Part II - 5:32
Credits:
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass, Organ [Yamaha], Synthesizer, Vocals – Stanley Clarke
Art Direction – Bill Levy
Co-producer – Shelly Yakus (tracks: 2)
Composed By – Al Di Meola (tracks: 3, 5), Chick Corea (tracks: 2, 5 to 9), Lenny White (tracks: 4, 5), Stanley Clarke (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 7)
Design – Petra Kinkele
Design Concept [Album Package Concept] – Bill Levy, Neville Potter
Drums, Percussion, Congas, Marimba – Lenny White
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Al Di Meola
Engineer – Shelly Yakus
Engineer [Assistant] – Dave Phoener*
Mastered By – Tom Rabstenek
Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano, Clavinet, Organ [Yamaha], Synthesizer [Synthesizers], Snare [Snare Drum], Marimba, Vocals – Chick Corea
Producer – Chick Corea
Remastered By – Dennis Drake
Recorded at The Record Plant, New York, January, 1975.
Originally released in 1975.
Label: Polydor – 827 149-2
Country: US
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Fusion, Jazz-Rock
https://www.discogs.com/release/5588589-Return-To-Forever-Featuring-Chick-Corea-No-Mystery
No comments:
Post a Comment