Customer Reviews

Cosmic Messenger

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Cosmic Messenger" was the folow up to "Enigmatic Ocean". On it Jean-Luc has a collection of songs but there isn't a suite/concerto like on "Imaginary Voyage" or "Enigmatic Ocean". This doesn't mean that the disc was bad because it still is very good. Jean-Luc,once again, surrounds himself with world class musicians and does create some incredible music. "Cosmic Messenger" is a Ponty showcase piece. It is ethereal in nature and Ponty does show a different side to his writing than on his previous discs. "Egocentric Molecules" is a hyperdrive tune that has guitar, bass, and violin solos in it and is incredible. If you can find the live version of this or see Jean-Luc play this you will be stunned. The bass line and soloing by Ralphe Armstrong is unbelievable. The rest of the songs on the disc are more examples of Ponty's ability to write and imrovise in his own brilliant style. If you are a Jean-L:uc fan or want to discover the world of Ponty "Cosmic Messenger" is a disc for you.

That's right. Guitarists. Jean Luc does get ample space to show off his elegant 4-stringer, but the first time I heard this back in '78', the first words out of my mouth were, "who is that great guitarist?" Turns out it was actually two. Before that, I had never heard of either Peter Maunu or Joaquin Lievano. The double leads on PUPPETS DANCE still blows me away 24 years later. There is a good blend of energetic jazz fusion blasters and softer beautiful pieces like ETHEREAL MOOD. Like another reviewer, I agree that the bass playing is simply phenomenal, and though I can't remember who played the drum kit on this one, it is top notch also.

While quite different from the larger scale of "Imaginary Voyage", the tunes on this release stand on their own. That is due to Jean Luc giving plenty of room for the other musicians to stretch out and solo, thus not turning it into an album "just about his violin" and nothing else.

For me, this rates 5 stars, but I'm only giving it 4, since I know that with a 5 star rating system, 5 should only be for the albums that are the most timeless (hmmm.....Miles' KINDA BLUE and some of Coltranes best come to mind)and have stood the test of time, to listeners, musicians and critics alike.

This is my favorite JLP and I'd say it's his best effort ever. Not that his other stuff isn't good, it's just that a masterpiece like this is hard to compare to. The sweeping ethereal melodies and jazzy touches blend to produce one of the finest instrumental recordings ever made. This is music that crosses boundaries too. It can be enjoyed by most anyone, and that is a real testimony to a fine product.

This CD has spellbinding rhythms in the more ethereal tracks - the kind of relatively slow-paced tracks that artfully establish early on that 'moment of connection to the music' that somehow liberates the listeners's soul as the artist's vision behind the musical track comes to life and we are transported to another place. On the whole it's a unique blend of the familiar and the exotic - the ethereally exotic rhythms wedded to the lucidly logical melodic lines. This often-tried experiment is, here, quite successful. Other tracks are high energy - very inspired, and all are infused with a brilliant, pleasingly-structured, readily-identifiable sense of jazz fusion. Stylistically this may be Ponty's singularly most cohesive work. Given his output, that spans well beyond his most prolific stint during the 1970's and '80's, that may well be saying something. I haven't heard everything by him, but, if your looking for something else that, IMHO, gives "Cosmic Messenger" a run for it's money, may I suggest "Mystical Adventures" - another knockout of his. If you look at it like I do, an unresolved toss-up of this magnitude is nothing but a blessing for music fans in general, fans of Jazz fusion in particular or anyone curious to know just what a five string electrified violin can do. I also enjoy "A Taste For Passion", "Civilized Evil" and "Enigmatic Ocean". In any case, Ponty is arguably THE world champion of the five string electrified violin. Not that this instrument is the only feature of merit on the album. Ponty, in this time frame, surrounds himself with truly comparable talent on percussion, an incredible electric bassist and, here, two superb lead guitarists. I don't truly know for myself yet if this is Jean-Luc Ponty's best album, but, so far, I can say it's my favorite. Highly, highly recommended.

20 years ago I was a d.j. in college. Every night when my show started, I began it with 'Cosmic Messenger'. I remember how many comments I received on it, people were loving it. I first heard it on a Phila, PA radio station and it has been with me ever since. It is definately music that will take you places.

I picked up this CD after not having listened to my vinyl recording of it for many years - the turntable pooped out a decade ago and I just never felt like buying a new one, since my CD collection pretty much replicates all my old stuff. I'm sorry I waited so long to re-aquaint myself with JLP. If I were a rock guitarist listening to this CD for the first time, I might feel very humbled. By comparison, the range available to a violinist is just incredible. Makes you wonder why more musicians haven't explored the possibilities of this instrument for contemporary music.

Even after 20+ years, this collection is still quite remarkable. His band was really tight here, and all the compositions are interesting. One thing that struck me was how JL has the talent and discipline to select only the right notes to play, rather than try to constantly impress you with his technical prowess. On a few tracks, his violin is barely even there at all, allowing the other members of the ensemble to stretch their wings. But when he does let loose - look out! Tasty stuff here.

This is a must-have for any Ponty fan. In my opinion, this shows Ponty at the height of his abilities, demonstrating his amazing flair for melody, flawless technique, and dazzling virtuosity, all within the context of a tightly knit tapestry of sound that is his unique brand of fusion. (Ditto for his Enigmatic Ocean, by the way.) This is also a great intro to his sound in the '70s, before he started cut back to a leaner style of composition/arrangement.

Yes, there is some nostalgia-factor working here, as I owned a cassette copy of this album when it first appeared years ago. Hearing it again, now on CD, makes me realize how powerful and timeless this album is. If You like Ponty for his strength and for his beauty, You will Love this album. I remember feeling how profound some of these tracks were when I first heard them. Guess what. They still impart that feeling. This album is an off-the-chart "10."

I was a freshman in graduate school when my assingned roommate was out of the dorm room. We had carte blanche on each other's albums. I never heard of Ponty, but the album cover looked really cool, so I gave it a shot. Wow! I couldn't believe it! I had to hear it again, this time at maximum crank. That bass and synthesizer kick-in near the beginning of the title track is the most powerful I've ever heard, even to this day. This album is so well- engineered, you'd never believe it's from the 70's. I'll never forget the pounding on my dorm door and the yelling from the hallway before the dorm manager chewed me out big time about never playing anything that loud again (it's a true story.) So that was my intro to becoming a Pontyfile, and I now have most of the Ponty albums on both vinyl and disk. Believe it or not, Cosmic Messenger is not my favorite Ponty album, but that doesn't make it any less stupendous. It's unreal.

When Frank Zappa saw a European jazz global tour in L.A. in the late '60s, he was immediately blown away by the young violinist from Paris. He quickly set about the task of convincing Ponty to move to the US so he could sign this newfound genius up with The Mothers of Invention. The rest, of course, is history! I don't want to talk this album to death. There is a reason why FZ was so impressed. There is a reason why Ponty quickly rose to the status of fusion royalty in the '70s. There's a reason why this is one of his most remembered and beloved albums of all time! He was "in the zone" during this time period. From the opening title track with its effects and echoes to effect Ponty's tantilizing violin technique.....to the closing almost encore song "Egocentric Molecules" (a rocking album highlight)..........all the elements are there. Great guitar solos, the awesome keyboard work of Alan Zavod, fabulous bass played by Ponty's friend from their days together in The Mahavishnu Orchesta (Ralphe Armstrong), and of course, Ponty's fiery and passionate violin work... it all comes together in a breathtaking fusion package! Everything is perfect!! So, turn up the volume, sit back, close your eyes and take a ride!! Check out why Frank Zappa was blown away by this incredibly talented man! THIS IS FUSION AT ITS BEST!!!!!!!