Return to Forever - The Anthology
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Free Music Notes for The Anthology
Free Music Review: Essential Instrumental Music For Every Collection
Hit: 5 Stars
Every fan of progressive music, fusion, or instrumentals should already have the stellar finale from this lineup in their collection, Romantic Warrior. It is presented again in this collection in it's entirety along with the entire version of Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy (the formative year and hardest rocking one), all of the best cuts from Where Have I Known You Before, and only minimal funk from No Mystery. I personally miss Earth Juice from WHIKYB, because it was used as a theme song for a rather sick inside joke among my crazy friends back in the mid seventies. Looking back now, it was a wise decision to leave that one off from this collection, because a monotonous march does not fit in this set. The other cuts left off from WHIKYB are the three very short piano solos that all start with the title "Where Have I...". I never owned No Mystery due to the excessive funk, and again, it was a wise choice to leave the worst of the funky cuts off from this set.
I used to call this music "instrumental music for intellectuals" rather than "jazz fusion". I used a lot of this music to help me study and get my way through college. Then one day in the late seventies, I remember reading an article by one of my musical idols who is from Philly and is a master of melody and has the initials of TR. Basically, he said that RTF was heavily influenced by Frank Zappa (to put it mildly). At first, I was appalled! Then, after listening, TR was right! The late Frank Zappa does indeed deserve credit for this music (sans obscenities).
Now, I am looking forward to finally seeing RTF live with a much better selection of keyboards to choose from some 30 years later. Chick Corea is the only keyboard player I know that can make a Fender Rhodes not sound cheesy, which is the ultimate compliment.
If I had to describe this collection in one word, it would be BRILLIANT!
Free Music Review: One of the best bands to ever walk the planet
Hit: 5 Stars
They may have not been the first fusion band to use the electric guitar as a lead instrument, but I think it's safe to say RTF was the best fusion band to come out of the post-Miles 70's era. Mahavishnu was great, but they never had the ensemble playing approach that RTF had. You can clearly hear it on this anthology. The solos are fierce, but they fit the concept of the song and not the other way around. One of the best things about this anthology (besides the price which is crazy) is that their two greatest albums are found on here in their entirety.
The remixing and the remastering is hard to fault, although as another reviewer pointed out the familiar studio enhanced ending to "Vulcan Worlds" is missing. Something as little as that can be jarring after you've heard the tune a certain way for over thirty years. However, I've never heard the remainder of the Polydor songs ever sound as good as what's found on here. You can hear Lenny White in all his power and swing like never before. For what it's worth, I prefer the Romantic Warrior album mix found on this collection too......and I never thought I'd be saying that when I first listened to it. It sounds more live and immediate here than on any other previous versions.
Opinions vary and those are mine. You really can't do much better than this for a comprehensive, sonically brilliant collection of the electric Return to Forever. They really were the best of the best.
I only hope that their re-union success this year leads to more music, either new or from Chicks' archives.
Free Music Review: Stunning
Hit: 5 Stars
This collection of songs is from the electric days (1973 - 1976) of RTF. Nothing is presented from their first two albums or final release. Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke personally selected the songs for this 2-disc anthology, two hours and twenty-nine minutes of music presented in chronological order, and it is spectacular. "Romantic Warrior" is one of my favorite fusion albums and on this collection it is presented in its entirety, as well as the entire "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy", another killer album that I haven't listened to in a long time. "Where Have I Known You Before" and "No Mystery" each have four of the best songs pulled from them.
Everything has been remixed and remastered and it sounds killer. I was worried the sound would be butchered like it has been for a lot of remastered discs. But this was done with care. The muddiness has been reduced but the lows are still punchy, and the overall volume and highs are not cranked to the point of insanity. Well done! The liner notes include a history of RTF, each band member provides some insights, and there are some cool photos. Highly recommended, and I hope they film some of the 2008 shows and release a DVD.
Free Music Review: A must for RTF fans or jazz/rock fusion fans
Hit: 5 Stars
I have fond memories of RTF having seen them whenever possible in the 70's. I had all of their recordings (in vinyl of course) but over the years the have disappeared. A few years ago I purchased Romantic Warrior on CD and I was very disappointed at the over sound quality. The recording sounded lifeless and compressed. To be honest I don't think the vinyl sounded all that much better than the CD. I now have a much better reproduction equipment than I had when I owned the vinyl but without the original vinyl I have no way to test the two. When I heard about this new edition I pre-ordered it and it's by far better. It's not just a remaster it's a complete remix and it kicks butt! Everything is more punchy and alive. Now the purists out there are probably cringing because they consider the original mixes to be sacred but I like remixes as they give one new insight into the original recordings. These guys were the best in opinion at mastering the fusion of jazz and rock. Despite all the players being masters of their instruments none of the them in my opinion have done anything comparable since RTF. I caught the show in Denver two years ago and once again they kicked butt.Free Music Review: Return to Forever's "Anthology" a return to virtuousity
Hit: 5 Stars
In the early to mid-1970s, I found that Return to Forever (RTF)was making some of the most exciting and innovative music of that time. "The Anthology" hearkens us back to that era, showing that most of the music holds up (i.e., more than 90 percent; some of the synthesizer work sounds dated, but that's a quibble). The most remarkable aspect of this compilation is how it allows ALL the members of RTF to shine: Al Dimeola's nimble facility on the guitar. Lenny White's muscular take on the drums, the most powerful percussion I have heard since Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake, etc. We relearn what a prodigy we were witnessing in Stanley Clarke. And Chick Corea's inventive compositions seem as fresh as ever, while his mastery of the keyboards was never in doubt. I urge all fans of Return to Forever and jazz fusion to buy this album either to learn what all the excitement was about or remember that we were hearing greatness.