j o n b

When I decided to start exploring fusion a little while ago, one of the bands I knew I had to try out was Return to Forever. As luck would have it, the only album of theirs that the I could find here in Beckley was Romantic Warrior. It's a hell of a place to start: a wonderfully rich album filled with great playing and writing that is surely one of the peaks of the genre. With the lineup present here, you would expect an impressive instrumental display. And that, of course, is true. But what makes this album so great and worth listening is the strong writing which gives the players a structure on which to build. Everyone contributes to the compositions, which gives them a nice variety in style and emphasis. "Medieval Overture" has a grand sense to it, while remaining alive and never bogging down in its own importance. "Sorceress", by contrast, emphasizes Stanley Clarke's revolutionary bass work, which brings a funk flavor to things that is lacking in other fusion I've heard. "Majestic Dance" is a guitar driven track that sounds remarkably like the Dixie Dregs to me. The two epic cuts seamlessly shift moods and textures, with each musician shining in alternate moments. They do sometimes feel a little bit overextended, but it's nothing that seriously detracts from the overall work. Also, the sound does seem a bit dated at times, particularly given those trademark late 70s synth sounds. Fusion, at its core, is, to my mind at least, when jazz guys try to take rock elements and blend then with jazz (whereas Canterbury prog is rock guys taking jazz elements). That mix is near perfect here. The effect is impressive and makes for an outstanding album. A wonderful blend of playing and writing. review by Jon Byrne — 2-11-00 —

e r i c

The big three of jazz fusion in my opinion were Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Return to Forever. From the father of fusion Miles Davis, these bands all had members who came from Miles. Fusion is a logical step if you are a fan of prog. RTF was made up of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, and Al Di Meola. If anything... these guys can play. This is just a pure listening experience. Right away the drumming of Lenny White hits me as being far beyond most drumming I have heard. Corea´s career speaks for itself, as do Clarke and Di Meola. On this disc they play funk, space rock, heavy jazz, the music will blow you away. Clarke and Di Meola playing off each other and Corea´s incredible playing are breath taking. My only complaint is that some of this sounds dated as far as the instruments (fender rhodes especially) but it does not take away much, since this was recorded over 20 years ago, it still stands up. If anything, the playing alone is worth listening to this disc. A must have in the fusion category. review by Eric Porter — undated —