Chick Corea Question
ebad...@kean.ucs.mun.ca
on like elektric/akoustic band, Weckl's and Patittucci's albums(I
think). My question is : does anyone know much about his Return
To Forever days ? Is the stuff listenable?!? Much as I think the man
is GOD, I have some of his earlier stuff (for example, the songs of
singing) that leads me to believe the man must have been doing some
heavy drugs.....(though some other early stuff like My Spanish Heart
is really bitchin'....)
info appreciated
Nat
Jeff Beer
> Is the stuff listenable?!? Much as I think the man
>is GOD, I have some of his earlier stuff (for example, the songs of
>singing) that leads me to believe the man must have been doing some
>heavy drugs.....
no, he was just into heavy playing.... and not heavily into
scientology....
Jeff
Gidi Avrahami
>[...] I have some of his earlier stuff (for example, the songs of
>heavy drugs.....
Nat, you're stepping heavily on many toes here. I am one of those who
believe that Chick Corea's best work was done before the k-bands
(akoustic & elektrik, or however he spelled them.) Whether or not
drugs were involved (I don't know nor care) -- the trio works like
NOW HE SINGS and TRIO MUSIC, and the Braxton/Holland CIRCLE projects
are among his more adventurous and more beautiful. Immensely more
creative and original than the k/k jobs -- which, in my opinion, are
pretty hackneyed.
Return To Forever is perhaps the ladmark 70's fusion band (along with
the Mahavishnu Orchestra, I guess.) I'm basically a non-fusionist so
I am not really familiar with their heyday, which is supposed to be
the records with Al Di Meola. I do know the 73-74 stuff, with Joe
Farrell, Stanley Clarke, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, e.g. the
eponimous record on ECM, and the super-classic LIGHT AS A FEATHER.
They are very very good, strong & smooth (but not slick). Actually,
all of his 70's work on ECM -- like the Gary Burton duets -- is good
like that.
I guess this doesn't help you at all since we obviously have different
tastes, but what the hell.
--Gidi
carleton walker `93
>on like elektric/akoustic band, Weckl's and Patittucci's albums(I
>think). My question is : does anyone know much about his Return
>To Forever days ? Is the stuff listenable?!? Much as I think the man
I think the stuff is very listenable, especially the weird
electric stuff the group is best known for. But this is only half the
picture. Albums like LIGHT AS A FEATHER feature some reaaly good
improvisation in a lighter setting (also see MUSICMAGIC).
The main difference between RTF and the Elektric Band is
packaging. The Ele. is tighter (for better or worse) structured.
What I like best about the "weird" stuff is its constant and
unpredicatable change. The group will lay into a steady groove, and
then throw some "classical" figure as shown in (like ROMANTIC WARRIOR or WHERE
HAVE I...).
I think I have all of the stuff that RTF recorded. If anyone
wishes to contact me via EMAIL, I'll give a more detailed description.
Carl Walker
--
Carl Walker "Hectic days ahead of us,
Bucknell University Rotten ones behind,
Lewisburg, PA Keeping plastics in our pockets,
Children never mind." - K, S, & W
William Tsun-Yuk Hsu
>ebad...@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
>>[...] I have some of his earlier stuff (for example, the songs of
>>singing) that leads me to believe the man must have been doing some
>>heavy drugs.....
>Nat, you're stepping heavily on many toes here. I am one of those who
>believe that Chick Corea's best work was done before the k-bands
>(akoustic & elektrik, or however he spelled them.) Whether or not
>drugs were involved (I don't know nor care) -- the trio works like
>NOW HE SINGS and TRIO MUSIC, and the Braxton/Holland CIRCLE projects
>are among his more adventurous and more beautiful.
Being one of those whose toes were stepped on :-), I have to agree with
Gidi here. (I also own just about all the "outside" Corea projects from
the '60s and early '70s, and none of his records from after '72, so there.)
Why is it, when many people hear a piece of music that they consider
"weird", that they immediately assume the musicians were "on some
heavy drugs"? When I hear music (or read fiction, or see film) that
doesn't do anything for me, I'm perfectly willing to concede that the
musician knows what s/he's doing but I'm having problems following her/him.
(This is not to imply that there are not instances where it's quite
clear the musician doesn't know what s/he's doing.)
Bill
Christoph Lell
|> I'm a big fan of Chick Corea. I have all the recent cds that he plays
|> heavy drugs.....(though some other early stuff like My Spanish Heart
|> is really bitchin'....)
|> info appreciated
|> Nat
I would suggest you listen to CIRCLE on the ECM label. This is very very good
and includes the great Dave Holland on bass, Barry Altschul on drums and
either Braxton or Sam Rivers (I forget which) on sax.
It is also easy listening music :-).
YES of course Chick Corea was on drugs when he played his early stuff. Don't
people realize that as soon as the music is not as easy to listen to
the musicicians must be abusing certain substances.
Comments like these are just beyond me. Anyway, I really WOULD buy CIRCLE,
(but Nat certainly wouldn't enjoy it.)
Christoph
--
Christoph Lell le...@wu-wien.ac.at, le...@awiwuw11.bitnet
Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien |
Augasse 2-6, A-1090 Wien, Austria | "Free your mind and your
Tel. (43) (222) 31 336 x4449 or x4443| ass will follow!"
Jon S. Wood
>ebad...@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
>>[...] I have some of his earlier stuff (for example, the songs of
>>singing) that leads me to believe the man must have been doing some
>>heavy drugs.....
>
>the Mahavishnu Orchestra, I guess.) I'm basically a non-fusionist so
>I am not really familiar with their heyday, which is supposed to be
>the records with Al Di Meola. I do know the 73-74 stuff, with Joe
>Farrell, Stanley Clarke, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, e.g. the
>eponimous record on ECM, and the super-classic LIGHT AS A FEATHER.
>They are very very good, strong & smooth (but not slick). Actually,
>all of his 70's work on ECM -- like the Gary Burton duets -- is good
>like that.
>
>
>
You are absolutely correct Gidi, Return to Forever was an excellent
group. I caught them in London in Feb 76 about the time Romantic Warrior
was released(?). Billy Cobham sold a lot of solo records after RTF.
Excellent drummer. What I never could figure out about Billy is how
he could play so fast and technically accurate with the arms of
a heavy weight boxer? The last I saw or heard of Cobham was about
1979 at the Longhorn Bar in Mpls.
Don't ask where I've been........
Woodman