Fusion [Import]

Fusion [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Svens Long Overdue Full Length. This CD Has it all Flavors and is a Must for the Underground Heads.

Tracks:

Babalao
Agolo
Naima - Carlos Santana
Wombo Lombo
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Yaki Yaki
We We
Shango
Sound of Drums
Never Know
Open Your Eyes - Kelly Price
Malaika

Album Description

Import exclusive compilation from the Benin-born Paris based world music star features 12 tracks. 2005.

Average customer rating:

5+
McLaughlin at his best.
Shakti & McLaughlin's Very Best
More than a handful of beauty
I am shocked and baffled.

A Handful of Beauty
Shakti
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Natural Elements
Shakti with John McLaughlin
Remember Shakti: Saturday Night in Bombay
Remember Shakti: The Believer
Electric Guitarist

ASIN: B00000JM4S
Release Date: 1999-05-17

Tracks:

La Danse
Du Bonheur
Lady L
India
Kriti
Isis
Two Sisters

Album Description

Reissue of 1977 album by legendary jazz-rock guitarist McLaughlin with his world music group Shakti, the second of three records he cut with them. Six tracks.

Customer Reviews:

5+.......2007-03-12

I saw this group live when I was 16, on accident, while obligating my job as a theatre usher in a Berkeley Ca. theatre. I stayed the entire concert and walked out afterwards, blown away forever... To this day, there has been few concert experiences which have touched the power that this occasion displayed. I'll never forget. This album captures this- better than the first Shakti Live and Natural Elements or any Remember Shakti CD. It is somewhere inbetween the two original Shakti albums; live spontanaeity and planned recording, but there is a shot of infinite soul and unmatched inspiration in the solos, emotion and feeling which is not as present in the other 2. Shakti Live is intensely raw but less refined in musical craft and recording. Natural Elements is so crafted and beautiful but almost too controlled... with not enough free time to take it to the level they were all capable of.

This recording captures a phenomenally innovative group at the height of their improvisational power- bar none.

McLaughlin at his best........2005-06-17

Shakti's second album, and first studio album, in my opinion is the best album John ever recorded. John's guitar skills are masterful as he intertwines his leads with Zakir's tabla and Vikku's ghatam. Shakar's violon on La Danse Du Bonheur is awesome. Check out Lady L for one of John's best solos. Kriti is also awesome. Buy this album if you are a guitarist, jazz fan, indian fusion fan, or actually just buy this album because it is genius. It is unfortunate that Shakti only released three cd's but I am thankful for the music that they gave us.

Shakti & McLaughlin's Very Best.......2004-08-21

So you've heard Remember Shakti, and now you want to hear more. Every time I listen to the new material I think the band should be called Remember Shtickti, because that's what it's about these days. Their shtick? Slow, meditative beginnings...the introuduction of rhythm...fiery solos...finally, call and response climaxes. Be that as it may, the guys that do this these days - McLaughlin and his South Asian comrades - are all top-notch virtuosos, so even that sort of predictable music is wildly entertaining (unless you really know and dig Hindustani music, which makes Remember Shakti sound like Indo-Enya or Indo-Yanni). However, when you hear "Handful of Beauty" you will be hearing a work of true genius. Every cut is amazing. There is an epic, forlorn quality to this music that's very much missing from their modern stuff. John McLaughlin's playing (my opinion, obviously) reached its absolute peak in this time period. The guitar he cradles on the cover was like an extension of his brain. He's obviously well-versed in Indian aesthetics and technique, as he never descends into "exotic-sounding" playing, i.e. dipping into chromatic and harmonic minor scales, a la Roger McGuinn, Yngwie Malmsteen, or even Jimmy Page. Some of his most virtuoistic, soulful and sincere playing is to be found on this recording. While perhaps not on par with that of the greatest Indian musicians in an Indian context, it is still exceptional. Then again, he's not *trying* to be an Indian musician, but rather, apply his knowledge of Indian music and filtering it through his years of jazz, rock and fusion experience. No duh, right? Anyway, this is a true gem of an album. It surpasses their debut and subsequent album as well. As wicked as songs like "Joy" and "What Need Have I for This? What Need Have I for That? I Am Standing at the Feet of My Lord...All is Bliss...All is Bliss" are, the muddy production and thin-sounding instruments of the first album seriously detract from the album's overall quality. The third album ("Natural Elements") is good, but the songs are shorter and some are a little hokey too. They never quite reach the heights they seek, though one song on "Natural..." does feature one of McLaughlin's coolest-ever funky strumming riffs, one that cleverly uses both his normal six strings and the eleven drone strings. "Handful of Beauty" reaches into the stratosphere and stays put for the duration. The quiet longing and classic McLaughlin harmonies in the last piece, a violin/guitar duet, are an amazing finale. Did I mention violinist L Shankar? He's monstrous on this album. So are Zakir Hussain and Vikku Vinyakaram, but they're not the focal points for this album, though it would be incomplete without them. BUY THIS!!!!!!

More than a handful of beauty.......2004-08-13

This is a world of beauty, not just a handful! It is Shakti's best album in my opinion, showcasing some of the greatest skill and sweetest music. If you have just heard about Shakti and want to try their music, I would recommend "Natural Elements" above this one, as it is easier to "get into". But if you like that, you must DEFINITELY buy this one, you are gauranteed to just love it.

I am shocked and baffled........2003-02-26

For the most incredibly intense percussion performance ever in the entire world (WIN), you must hear "Isis" from this CD. Ok, go buy it now.

Average customer rating:

Can we say that this is Miles's real comeback album?
We Want Miles LIVE!!!!
as good as it gets
we want more and more miles
THE BEST LIVE MILES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD

We Want Miles
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Man with the Horn
Decoy
Tutu
Agharta
Get Up with It

ASIN: B000026KPV
Release Date: 1992-01-20

Tracks:

Jean-Pierre
Back Seat Betty
Fast Track
Jean-Pierre
My Man's Gone Now
Kix

Album Details

Recorded in 1981 and originally released as a 2 LP set (contained here on one CD). This album features sidemen such as Mike Stern (guitar), Marcus Miller (bass, guitar), Al Foster (drums), Bill Evans (saxes) and Mino Cinelu (percussion). Includes the songs: 'Jean Pierre', 'Back Seat Betty', 'Fast Track', 'My Man's Gone Now' and 'Kix'.

Customer Reviews:

Can we say that this is Miles's real comeback album?.......2006-09-30

This album is a live version of The Man with the Horn in many ways. The Man with the Horn was the first Davis album I got, and I was always disappointed in it (the Miles Davis albums I picked up after that got significantly better). We Want Miles is superior to The Man with the Horn in every way. The long version of Jean Pierre (I saw Miles perform this tune on SNL, of all places) sounds like Fat Time from Man with the Horn, including a blistering guitar solo by Mike Stern. This version sounds looser and it is much more alive and intense than Fat Time. The version of Back Seat Betty here is quicker and looser (no pun intended), but the best track is Fast Track. This has the melody line from MWTH's Aida, but here it's twice as long, and the groove that Miles and his band create reminded me of his fantastic, acid funk jazz albums in the 1970's (Al Foster is the drummer here, and he was the drummer on the 1970's albums). The last two, My Man's Gone Now and Kix, are excellent as well. The crowd really gets into the former, and Miles seems to be enjoying it. This album was kind of forgotten after the disappointment of The Man with the Horn, and that's a shame. We Want Miles is a great album.

We Want Miles LIVE!!!!.......2006-06-05

I agree with the others, I bought the import 2cd version around 7 years ago. Its' a shame Columbia hasn't remastered the best live Miles Davis Album of all time. It won a grammy folks, that's how good it was and still is. Of all the miles that columbia has released, they are stuck on his 70's stuff. Why don't they remaster "The MAn with the Horn" or "We Want Miles" which are classics. Because Sony/Columbia people are pathetic! Anyways, Mike Stern was born to play with Miles. On (Fast track/Adia) he is smokin!!! He was scary back then folks. Miles is just as scary on the trumpet and by this time in 1982 he had gotten his chops back! I wish they had released the whole version of Back Seat Betty, one of my favorite miles peices. I bought the 17 disc Montreux Box set of Miles which is the best box set out of any of Miles's box set. For some reason from 1981-1983 they didn't play at the Montruex Jazz Festival. I wish this band which featured the now legends Marcus Miller, Mike Stern and Bill Evans could have been on that box set. Oh yeah Al and Mino are legends as well. But you have a chance of hearing this group in prime time. We want Miles!, well I got'em alright.

as good as it gets.......2005-09-14

The title "We Want Miles" refers to the excitement and shroud of uncertainty upon Miles' return from few years of absence. His first studio album in years, "The Man with the Horn", pointed to exciting new direction yet Miles playing was frail. It was the uncertainty related to Miles future at that time that prompted Columbia to follow and record him live everywhere he played. The material issued on this recording comes from mostly, relatively small, club settings (including Boston's "Kix"). On some tracks you can hear the audience and the club's clutter. It's a fantastic collection. Again, Miles the voodoo master, brought the best in his bandmates. You can hear Marcus Miller at his best, Mark Stern's guitar never again had so much fire. My favorite track is Gershwin's "My Man's Gone Now". Clocking at about 20 minutes it offers, alternatively, classically swinging treatment of the theme and funked up solo passages. Somewhere at half point Miles lays off and it's time for Mike Stern. He, together with Marcus Miller and Al Foster slowly builds his solo to such a driven climax that it gives me goose bumps. The pulsating funk groove coming from Foster and Miller is unsurpassed. Miles must have liked what he heard because few minutes later Stern's solos again. I find this recording to be Miles Davis best from his final period; an absolute must!

we want more and more miles.......2005-08-06

Yeah, this is a funky album that owes as much to his band as to the Man. But that's what made Miles, was his restraint. Miles knew he had a capable band that could blow, and that they do on this offering. It's as if Jeff Beck played on this, because there is some smoking guitar work on this record, and the rythym section is solid. When Miles lets go, he does it in true fashion. This is as much a group effort as anything I can think of from the Miles catalog.
I especially like Fast Track, as the groove is solid, and Miles introduces the middle, before letting it go. This is a very accesible recording relative to new jazz. I've been digging on this for 20 plus years, and as a certified Miles freak, I rank this one of his best.

THE BEST LIVE MILES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD.......2005-06-20

When you ask some Miles fans, what are his best LIVE recordings? Most would say, get the LIVE AT THE PLUGGED NICKEL sides or LIVE EVIL from the BITCHES BREW era. Or get the dark Sivad Selim side of Miles on DARK MAGUS or AGHARTA. I tell them to get WE WANT MILES first, then buy the others.

Miles was continually changing sidemen and experimenting with his sound. Coming out of retirement, Miles was looking for that new combination of rock, funk, and avant-garde, that would take him into the 80's. Miles would always rehearse his musicians LIVE before taking them into a studio. My God, if these guys were just rehearsing I can't imagine what they might have produced if they'd have stayed together. They did one other recording after this called STAR PEOPLE, but it didn't quite sound as awesome as this LIVE outing. Some of the cast like Bill Evans on soprano sax, Al Foster on drums, and Marcus Miller on electric bass had played on his previous THE MAN WITH THE HORN. Miller and Foster continued to play with Miles for a few years. But the man who really made this session stand out was Mike Stern on guitar. Say what you want about John McLaughlin (and John was great), this guy was born to play with Miles.

What you get is the thundering drive of rock and funk under Miles and Stern, who play blistering solos on a lot of open trumpet and electric guitar. Evans takes his turns on sax too. (But Miles upset Evans to no end by continually making him lay out on his performances.) Like a stripped down jazz rock sound with two horns, an electric rhythm section, and Mino Cinelu on percussion. There is no sign of the electric keys that often muddied the waters of Miles' more unusual compositions. IT'S GLORIOUS. Miles was know for laying out and letting the rest of his band stretch out and improvise long passages in a LIVE context. Not at this show. While Stern gathers a large portion of the spotlight (because Miles loved guitar), Miles turns in some of the best soloing I've ever heard from the man. At the time of this recording, Miles was making a comeback after maintaining a seriously dark coke habit. The playing on this shocked many critics who felt that Miles had lost his chops and was finished as a musician. His chops never sounded better. Some of his high notes are breathtaking. And, you can usually tell when musicians are psychically tuned in to one another, but these men were reading each others minds that night. THIS RECORD SMOKES!! BIG TIME!!

This is my favorite Miles Davis recording. Even over BITCHES BREW, KIND OF BLUE, and any other Miles favorite you might happen to mention. And I own a lot of Miles. MILES AND HIS BAND WERE IN THE ZONE. This is meaningless, but it also won a Grammy. If you don't own it, I urge you to buy it and TURN IT UP as loud as possible. I'm sure it will at least become ONE of your favorites. I'd give up The whole 8 CDs of THE PLUGGED NICKEL BOX SET for 8 CDS of this LIVE band. I know you think I'm crazy, but it's that good. (Wait, maybe I would give up something else.) AND I CAN'T SEEM TO GET THIS OUT OF MY CD PLAYER.

This was originally released as a 2 record set. Now it's on one disc. There are very expensive IMPORTS of this recording and it's supposedly out of print. But, search it out. I found a copy for 12 bucks a week ago at Tower Records. If you have to - beg, borrow, or steal it, because you have to have it. THE BEST 12 BUCKS I EVER SPENT.

AND AS MILES WOULD HAVE SAID, "WE WERE ALL UP IN THAT S#%T LIKE A MUTHAF#%KA. IT'S CLEANER THAN A BROKE D#%K DOG."

Average customer rating:

Retroglide
Level 42
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at Wembley
Live at the Apollo, London
Songs to Remember
Influences
River Sessions

ASIN: B000INAW8O
Release Date: 2006-10-16

Tracks:

Dive into the Sun
Rooted
Way Back Home
Just for You
Sleep Talking
Retroglide
All Around
Clouds
Hell Town Story
Ship
All I Need

Average customer rating:

A Fusion Hero!
Distorted gem
Ferocious
This Made A Believer Out of Me!

Believe It
Tony Williams
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Emergency!
Turn It Over
Sixteen Men of Tain (Spec)
I.O.U.
Road Games

ASIN: B0001O2BY8
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

Snake Oil
Fred
Proto-Cosmos
Red Alert
Wildlife
Mr. Spock
Celebration [*]
Letsby [*]

Customer Reviews:

A Fusion Hero!.......2007-05-11

Tony turns it up and rips loose on this album! This is an oldie but goodie! Excellent choice for young drummers just finding out about fusion!

Distorted gem.......2006-09-01

Musically, this is a great record, a unique snapshot from the jazz-rock fusion scene of the 1970's. It is energetic, raw, full of brilliant and truly original musicianship, not least from Williams and Holdsworth, with its focus on groove and improvisation. From a musical point of view, I'd definitely give it four brightly shining stars.

Technically, however, this 2004 remaster is a disappointment. Following the current "the louder, the better" trend, it has been compressed and limited to death. The dynamics of the original recording are completely lost and life is sucked out of the music. Worst of all, as a result of this headless pumping-up, nasty digital distortion is all over the place, making listening to it a tiring, painful experience.

If you care for the music of this Lifetime gem, do yourself a favour and get "Lifetime: The Collection" instead. It was mastered in 1992, and although the analog to digital converters of the time may have been slightly less refined than they are these days, the dynamics and the over-all listening experience are far superior.

Ferocious.......2005-07-12

When my hormones and testosterone were raging like weeds in spring, oh, at about age 14, but, still, my brain was into musical stuff my little underdeveloped friends couldn't even hope to understand, well, that's when this thing dropped. It's not that "Believe It" scared me, but it blew me back against the wall with a shock so powerful, it never stopped reverberating. Here, after forays into all sorts of strange jazz-rock-funk places, the late great drummer stripped it down to a ruthless core and amped up everything until the precision monster was ready to be unleashed. His drum attack is nothing like the amazing, poly-rhythmic extrapolations of the Miles Davis years. This is hurricane power of another kind. There is nuance -- roar, low roar and simmer-to-boil. Williams and guitarist Allan Holdsworth simply crackle together in a way they wouldn't come close to matching on the pathetic bid for record sales that followed, "Million Dollar Legs." They just beat each other up for six tracks (bonus ones, I see, on the CD) while bassist and keyboardist plodded along and tried to stay out of the way. Check that: Alan Pasqua has a couple nice moments, but mostly it's a two-man show. I don't think this group was onto anything because they were already depleted by the second release. It had less to say than contemporaries -- say, Mahavishnu Orchestra, for example -- so petered out quicker. But this is a cornerstone of fusion, whether you've heard of it or not. Big, crisp, bludgeoning with fireworks of the best kind. While compositionally a cut below, it stands next to Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" for raw power.

This Made A Believer Out of Me!.......2004-09-15

They just don't make 'em like this anymore! 28 years after its original release, this album STILL sounds as invigorating as the day it was released. Tony Williams, much like his mentor Miles Davis had a knack for picking great talent for his bands, especialy young upstart British guitar virtuosos.

As if John McLaughlin wasn't enough, he went and found the soft-spoken and ridiculoulsy innovative Allan Holdsworth, who spun melodic and fluid solos with the ease of a saxophonist. Already having stints with Tempest and Soft Machine under his belt, Holdsworth's style was jumping to the next level already, and Tony Williams did nothing to stand in the way, in fact, Allan was heavily encouraged and cheered on in his explorations by his bandmates here. Allan did things that just sounded absolutely impossible on a guitar at the time, and I remember so vivdly hearing this album at age 16 and having my jaw scraping the ground in amazement!

Armed with nothing more than a Gibson SG and a Marshall amp, Allan H just roared in an destroyed the place with his emotionally charged soloing and exploratory compositions, and a finely tuned musical sense to make te compostions of his bandmates come alive! Marrying this to William's inventive powerhouse drumming, Tony Newton's funky slithering bass and Alan Pasqua's glassy keyboards, this version of the Tony Williams Lifetime was a force to be reckoned with.

The other thing that still grabs me about this album is the open. raw live sound with minimal overdubbing, as honest and accurate in capturing this band's power in the studio as you could hope for. There's not one weak cut on here, ranging from the stomping funk of "Snake Oil" to the ghostly chord melody of "Fred" and the rip snorting brilliance of "Mr. Spock" (especially with the section where Williams and Holdsworth switch roles, Tony putting forth the solo of his life and Holdsworth bashing out angry Black Sabbath-like power chords underneath before roaring to a great close). The bonus tracks are a VERY worthwhile addition as well, "Letsby" is a slightly different take on "Mr. Spock" and "Celebration" get's more funky while still snarling like a panther (thanks again to Allan Holdsworth's raging guitar).

A serious fusion classic if ever there was and definitely worth adding to your library. Turn it up to 11 and let your jaw drop again!

Average customer rating:

They are our past...
6 starz
Wacky, wacky group!
A PIECE OF EDEN
Deep Forest

World Mix
Deep Forest
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Boheme
Comparsa
Essence of the Forest
Deep Forest
Pacifique

ASIN: B0000264JN
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

Deep Forest
Sweet Lullaby
Hunting
Night Bird
First Twilight
Savana Dance
Desert Walk
White Whisper
Second Twilight
Sweet Lullaby [Ambient Mix]
Sweet Lullaby [Round the World Mix][*]
Sweet Lullaby [Apollo Mix][*]
Deep Forest [Sunrise at Alcatraz][*]
Forest Hymn [Apollo Mix][*]
Forest Hymn

Album Description

Reissue of the internationally flavored, French da nce act's remix album. Feauting 15 tracks in all. Highlights include, 'Sweet Lullaby (Ambient Mix), (Round The World Mix), (Apollo Mix), 'Deep Forest (Sunrise At Alctraz Mix)', 'Forest Hymn (Apollo Mix), 'Hunting', 'Night Bird', 'Desert Walk' & more.

Customer Reviews:

They are our past..........2003-05-23

...and maybe, maybe they are our future. I have been listening to new age music since I was in the 5th grade but this was mostly the first one I ever listened to. I remember hearing a few songs my dad played when I was very young. But this was the first one that I bought. Deep Forest is the name used by french keyboardists Eric Mouquet and Michael Sanchez but they don't just use keyboards they also use afican vocals. It is an excellent combination and so far the best one that I have heard from world music.

In my opinion, every song is worth listening to. My favorites on the album are: Sweet Lullaby[ambient mix], Night Bird, Desert Walk, White Whisper and The Second Twilight.The extra features on the album are different mixes from Sweet Lullaby, Deep Forest and Forest Hymn. This is just like a special edition of the original album called Deep Forest which as I know it now is out of print. But I am glad that I was able to get a copy of this one.

I would recommend this album to anyone who likes tribal rythems with new age music. I loved the album and I hope you do to.

6 starz.......2003-05-10

I'm a fan of Deep Forest. I love it. Deep Forest (along with Enigma) is #1 new release I am watching for in stores and/or on Amazon.com and as soon it comes out I buy it. Along with Deep Forest I also love Enigma, Amethystium and few others. Deep Forest is one of the best New Age "artists". I recommend all Deep Forest CDs to every New Age music fan and not only.
Wonderful and exotic music for your ear and soul!

Wacky, wacky group!.......2002-09-20

Wild, Wild World Mix Music. What is "World Mix Music"? Can't really explain it. All I know is that I heard one song and bought the album. The pygmie yodeling song got to me. (I actually heard it in my sleep!)

Listened to it so much, I can't anymore. It's different, if you like that sort of thing.

A PIECE OF EDEN.......2002-03-29

Like in the Bible, this CD is a trip inside a forest, where the past, represented by primitive people, could be felt like a return to the beginning of Genesis, where world was just a Sweet lullaby during the firsts twilights, and humans and trees, animals and even the wind sung togheter. It is also a description of a wanted future. Best Songs: Sweet Lullaby, Sunrise at Alcatraz, Forest Hymn

Deep Forest.......2001-12-08

Great group if you like ambient tribal rythyms ;-)

Average customer rating:

Magic
Billy Cobham
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Adventures of Astral Pirates
Streamline
Street Beat
Joy of Flying
Procession

ASIN: B0001O2BXE
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Average customer rating:

Straight To The Brain!
scary...
The Early Weather Report, Rare and Live!!
sensational early Weather Report!
Intense, electrified free jazz!

Live in Tokyo
Weather Report
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live and Unreleased
Procession
Sweetnighter
I Sing the Body Electric
Weather Report

ASIN: B000024XGM
Release Date: 1998-01-23

Tracks:

Medley: Vertical Invader/Seventh Arrow/T.H./Doctor Honoris Causa
Medley: Surucucu/Lost/Early Minor/Directions

Tracks:

Orange Lady
Medley: Eurydice/The Moors
Medley: Tears/Umbrellas

Album Details

Recorded live in Tokyo, 1972. Features the line-up of: Wayne Shorter (saxes), Joe Zawinul (keybooards), Miroslav Vitous (bass), Dom Um Romao (percussion) and Eric Gravitt (drums). Complete concert recording on two CD's.

Customer Reviews:

Straight To The Brain!.......2004-04-20

This album is a sample of what the Miles Davis Alumni learned with him. It's so intelligent like many of the Miles' Recordings. Also, in this album you will appreciate Miroslav Vitous as a bass player, let's recognize it: Jaco Pastorius is a really good bass player but Miroslav Vitous is so good as him (and sometimes i think that he's better) because of the really good tone that Vitous gives with is acoustic bass. Eric Gravitt and Dom Um Romao make an excellent percussion and rythm section, Wayne Shorter plays an strange, but good, form of free-fusion jazz and Joe Zawinul is here at his peak of experimentation using ring modulators, rhodes, wah-wah, and some other paraphernalia, its sound sometimes makes you think that there is a guitar player in the stage, but no, it's just Zawinul!. Amazing album with music that makes you follow every single sound, finding so much things every time you listen, that's really, music that goes straight to the brain!

scary..........2003-12-29

... straight up scary. "Lets hit them hard, right from the first note" is what Zawinul is said about this recording. And they (Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, and Miroslav Vitous) do JUST that.

The Early Weather Report, Rare and Live!!.......2003-12-20

"Live In Tokyo" captures the Jazz-rock fusion band Weather Report in a stunning performance at Shibuya Hall in January 1972. The band line-up for the concert consisted of Joe Zawinul on pianos, Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Miroslav Vitous on bass, Eric Gravatt on drums and Dom Um Romao on percussion.
Segments from this album were released as half of the band's second album "I Sing The Body Electric". On this album however, it is a complete 90-minute performance consisting of five lengthy tracks (four of which are continuous suites containing different pieces).
The band was definitely on a musical high during this particular concert displaying a sound that is raw and full of fierce improvisation. Joe Zawinul's keyboard work is at its most experimental here as he modifies his electric piano with a distortion box, wah-wah pedal and a ring modulator. This sometimes gives the impression that there's a guitarist on-stage during the performance when in fact there is no guitar to be heard. His acoustic piano work is also experimental as he sometimes plays it from the inside striking its strings by hand instead of with the keyboard.
Miroslav Vitous's bass work is also at its best here, alternating between acoustic and electric. There are several moments during this album (especially in the opening medley) where Vitous grabs the spotlight with his unique style. His work with the bowed bass on "Orange Lady" is particularly strking and haunting.
Wayne Shorter's sax playing is at its most free form here. It's not exactly like Ornette Coleman or John Coltrane but it is highly improvisational and momentous. His work on the band's studio albums tends to be more refined and subdued but here, Wayne lets it rip and tear.
Drummer Eric Gravatt is a sadly underrated drummer but nonetheless does an outstanding job here. His extended drum solo is the first thing heard on this album. Throughout this performance, he pushes the rhythm with full force.
Percussionist Dom Um Romao also has some moments in the spotlight here. Besides spicing up Gravatt's rhythms with various percussive toys, Romao also has a solo moment in the album's second suite using whistles, a thumb piano and using his own body as an instrument. There is a similar moment in the intro to "Orange Lady".
Overall, the "Live In Tokyo" performance captures the early Weather Report at its very best. This music is extremely agressive and loud. The other live albums from the band ("8:30" and the recent "Live and Unreleased") are a lot mellower compared to this one. "Live In Tokyo" is definitely an essential title if you're a Weather Report fan. If you're new to the band's music, this may not be the place to start, however it certainly is not unlistenable.
This album has yet to be released in the U.S. even after its intial release in Japan over 30 years ago. Hopefully, that will all change in the near future. This is some great music and a great live performance from a great band. Definitely worth checking out.

sensational early Weather Report!.......2001-08-09

On the heels of the slew of 2-disc electric Miles, Sony has released from the vaults the full live Weather Report concert from November 1971 in Tokyo! With Shorter and Zawinul fresh out of Miles' band, this is definitely in that vein -- funky avant jazz fusion, not the catchier radio-friendly "Birdland" of a few years later. I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC has always been one of my 2 favorite Weather Report records, along with MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER, and if you like I SING you're sure to like LIVE IN TOKYO as it's the source of the live portions of that record.

You can clearly hear why the sections that were lifted for I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC were chosen -- they include some of the tightest, punchiest moments of the concert. The highlights of what was left out include Zawinul imitating Miles' muted trumpet with synthesizer in a duet with Gravatt on drums, a dramatic shift from frenetic electric piano to dramatic acoustic piano on one of the first disc medleys, and Shorter cutting loose on the live version of "The Moors." Zawinul's impressionistic "Orange Lady" and Shorter's bop piece "Eurydice," which lead off the second disc, are the least compelling.

This is not "free jazz" -- no need to be quite that intimidated. While LIVE IN TOKYO lacks strong melodies, can be harmonically complex, and is definitely rhythmically complex, Weather Report sticks with Miles in NOT following Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor and the late Coltrane. This quintet can be intensely funky, but they don't stick with the groove as the group would later -- that's part of what makes the overall effect more abstract. Great to hear, after 30 years!

Intense, electrified free jazz!.......2001-04-01

In principle, this live concert from 1972 follows the same approach as Weather Report's self-titled debut: ensemble improvisation where pretty much anything goes. But whereas the debut is a dreamy, laid-back affair, Live in Tokyo is a fierce, aggressive document of a band that was more "free" than "fusion". (Compare this to Miles Davis's 1970 Fillmore concerts, which have a similar point of departure.) Zawinul's playing on the Fender Rhodes is dissonant and processed with primitive electronics, and on the acoustic piano he's all over the place -- from Bill Evans-like meditations to messing around with the piano's innards. Wayne Shorter, little more than sonic wallpaper on some later albums, blows like a madman on the tenor and soprano saxophones. And the rhythm section (Miroslav Vitous, Eric Gravatt, Dom Um Romeo) is the most spontaneous in WR's catalogue, and arguably the most exciting. The music is organized into 5 lengthy medleys, containing some material from Weather Report's debut as well as otherwise unreleased stuff. There's also a compact, blistering version of Zawinul's "Directions". This music is not for the faint of heart (fans of Black Market and Heavy Weather won't find much to like here) but showcases a band at the peak of its abilities. This essential live recording isn't available domestically so snap it up while you can!

Average customer rating:

Jazz Meets Cuba
Klazz Brothers
Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000C889S
Release Date: 2006-07-03

Tracks:

Summertime
Mambo Influenciado
In a Sentimental Mood
Conception
Samba Zamba
Amigos
Au Privave
So What
Dynamita
Girl from Ipanema
Konga Solo
Mondongo
Elegia
Take Five
Summertime

Average customer rating:

EXCELLENT!
Best Concert Ever
Another great Dregs album
Stop Over
The Dregs' best album, and few bands were ever better

Unsung Heroes
The Dixie Dregs
Manufacturer: Import [Generic]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Major Impacts

ASIN: B000006YCX
Release Date: 1996-05-27

Tracks:

Cruise Control
Divided We Stand
I'll Just Pick
Day 444
Rock and Roll Park
Attila the Hun
Kat Food
Go for Baroque

Album Details

Southern Fusion/Rock Virtuosos the Dregs' 1981 Release. For this Joint, the Group Featured Steve Morse on Guitar and Banjo, Andy West on Bass, Drummer Rod Morganstein, Allen Sloan on Violins and Violas and T. Lavitz on Keys and Sax. Includes 'go for Baroque', 'Day 444', 'Atilla the Hun' and Five More Instrumental Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT!.......2005-10-17

I have seen The Dregs about 5 times and as someone who has been going to concerts for 30 years and has seen many of the best, The Dregs remain one of the premier live bands I have seen. This kind of music just doesn't get much better and I enjoy it even more because I know there is no studio trickery involved, they can pull this off live with gusto!

The version of 'Cruise Control' that they do in concert is extended and contains a middle part where the guitar, bass, violin and keys trade riffs and it is a site to behold. As the solos go around they get shorter and shorter until it seems they are passing a hot potato among them, and they never miss a beat. An incredible display of superior musicianship!

One of my favorite tracks from this disc is 'I'll Just Pick', a sweet country/bluegrass track that will have you toe-tapping in no time. You cannot go wrong with this CD, just get it already!!

Best Concert Ever.......2005-09-02

I actually saw the Dregs in concert to support this album. The CD sounds polished and well produced. Unbelievably they sounded the same live!!! This is the best assembly of musicians to record together. You will not regret owning this album.

Another great Dregs album.......2004-01-08

I've been a Steve Morse fan for a long time and own several Dregs albums, so my expectations were pretty high. I was not disappointed. This is among the best of their work. Traditionally, there is usually at least one barouque piece and one Country piece on any given Dregs album, and "I'll Just Pick" is by far the best of the Country efforts on any of the other albums I've heard. T Lavitz's piano work is inspiring, and Morse's playing is as great as always. Other notable efforts include Steve's nylon-string on "Go For Baroque", Andy West's work on "Kat Food", and the way-cool syncopation on "Day 444". My only complaint was the price. It totally cheezes me off that they have to import Dregs' albums from Japan! But that's not the band's fault, so I still give them 5 stars.

Stop Over.......2003-09-27

I guess it was back around 1982,The Dixie Dregs were performing in Philadelphia somewhere and had a future engagement in New York in a couple of days.When the owner of the establishment that I was employed by at the time(in the quiet little town of Kingston,NJ) managed to book them for a night- in the smokey little stripmall bar (that many of us at the time called home away from home)next to a Shop Rite supermarket.Back then everything was top 40 and
arena rock,I tell ya when I heard these guys for the first time I was blown away,I've never seen nor heard any band that was tighter than these guys,they were promoting "Unsung Heroes" at the time.After we heard them many of us ran out and collected there earlier work.When your in a small venue (600 legal limit 300)and you hear
Cruise Control,Twiggs Approved,Ice Cakes,Take it off the top,and Divided we Stand,you are spoiled from then on!the owner of the bar managed to book them the following year,and also the year Industry Standard was released,same little bar, Blood Sucking Leeches!! the rest is history,I have an autographed Unsung Heroes vinyl and an Industry Standard vinyl with Mark O'Connors'signature,if you follow country music at all he has become a fixture at the Grand Ol Oprey.
T.Cala, Brick,NJ

The Dregs' best album, and few bands were ever better.......2003-05-12

The name Dixie Dregs was misleading--it always made people assume the band would sound like the Charlie Daniels Band or Molly Hatchett. So for "Unsung Heroes" the name was changed to "The Dregs". The music remained the same, instrumental rock played by five virtuoso musicians in a dizzying array of styles, with music and arrangements as intricate yet insanely catchy as anything either progressive rock or fusion has ever produced. Solos are kept short, and at some point during an album you're bound to hear every possible combination of two instruments play in unison (listen for the violin and bass on "Attila the Hun").

This is the Dregs' best studio album, with a fantastic set of compositions by Steve Morse, the world's greatest guitarist. By now, the formula for a Dregs album was pretty well established: a couple of rockers ("Cruise Control" and "Rock & Roll Park"), a couple of progressive rock tracks ("Divided We Stand" and "Attila the Hun"), a ballad ("Day 444"), and some bluegrass ("I'll Just Pick"), funk ("Kat Food"), and baroque ("Go for Baroque"). "Divided We Stand", "Kat Food", "I'll Just Pick", and "Go for Baroque" are the best songs the Dregs have done in each of their respective genres. In fact, "Divided We Stand" is perhaps the Dregs' best track ever, and unlike anything else you've ever heard. "Cruise Control", which had previously appeared on the "Freefall" album, is reborn in a stripped-down, harder rocking version. "Rock & Roll Park" gives keyboardist T Lavitz a chance to show that he can also play soprano sax. The climax of "I'll Just Pick" has Morse repeating an 8-bar melody, as one by one, bassist Andy West, Lavitz, and violinist Allen Sloan join in with counterpoint melodies. This was Sloan's last album before leaving to become an anesthesiologist, and his simple yet gorgeous solo on "Day 444" is the highlight of that song.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

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