Customer Reviews

Cross-Collateral

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Recorded in 1975, CROSS-COLLATERAL is undoubtably the most intense and hard-hitting of PASSPORT's fusion output. The compositions are brain-twistingly complex and fast, yet there are spacious subtleties throughout this disc. From the modal brilliance of HOMMUNCULUS, the dynamically progressive CROSS-COLLATERAL to the street-funk drive of JADOO, Klaus Doldinger showcases his quartet's ability to master difficult material, solo tastefully and comp with active group synergy and do it all with impeccable musicianship. Line-up: Curt Cress, drums. Kristian Schultze, keyboards. Wolfgang Schmidt, bass & guitar. Klaus Doldinger, saxes, keyboards, synthesizers.

This is another great album to come out of the incredibly diverse 1970s German music scene. Interestingly enough, although this 1975 album is a jazz-rock album, it is loosely tied to the German experimental rock scene (in my mind at any rate) in that Passport shared a producer with bands such as the Cosmic Jokers - namely, Deiter Dierks. The production quality by the way, is stellar.

The musicians on this album include bandleader Klaus Doldinger (tenor and soprano saxes, mini-moog synthesizer, electric piano, and mellotron); incredible drummer Curt Cress; Wolfgang Schmid (Rickenbacker bass and acoustic guitar on Damals); and Kristian Schulze (Fender electric piano and Hammond organ).

There are six pieces on the album and range in length from 4'38" to 13'38". Stylistically, the album is mostly jazz rock, but there are elements of progressive rock scattered here and there. That is to say that the rhythms and chord structures are not always jazzy, and that melodies are used more often than is characteristic of most jazz rock. There is also the choice of instrumentation, which includes the mini-moog and most notably the mellotron, which is used on Albatross Song. Although synthesizers were being used by other jazz rock groups around this time including Return to Forever, their use on Cross-Collateral seems somewhat more...British. Furthermore, the bassist's decision to use a trebly, punchy Rickenbacker bass rather than, say a fretless Fender jazz bass, was unusual.

In a nutshell, the performances by all of the musicians are superb, especially those by Billy Cobham influenced drummer Curt Cress. In fact, many of the pieces seem to revolve around the drummer! The pieces are all well put together, develop nicely, and are diverse with respect to dynamics and overall timbre. This album is highly recommended along with the 1974 release "Looking Thru". In fact, I would urge prog heads who don't mind jazz rock to check this album out - the folks on the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of prog rock page had some very nice things to say about it.

I saw them perform this album live for the first time which was also their first live show back on German soil after they were previously whistled off stage for playing their new fusion/electronic style jazz and had left Germany for a while. Undoubtedly one of Klaus Doldinger's finest musical achievements which, to my mind, ranks right up there with Volker Kriegel's "Journal" and John McLaughlin's "Birds of Fire". A timeless piece of modern european jazz that still thrills me after all these years. Horst

I also have worn out the LP, which I have owned since the '70s. I played the CD for my 22 year old music freak nephew and he was blown away. A must have.

I first heard this album in November, 1981. It was on Atco records at the time and side one consists of only two tracks: "Homunculus" and the 13 and a half minute title track. Klaus Doldinger and the boys really know how to make unique electronic jazz music. I think the title song is so exciting with it's everchanging style. It's basically a suite. In my opinion, it is best during Curt Cress' drum solo. It reminds me of Danny Seraphine's "Motorboat" solo from Chicago III. Side two includes four tracks, one of which is called "Jadoo" which sounds to me like the theme of the seventies' cop-show that never was. If you are just starting a collection of Passport CDs, I recommend "Cross Collateral", one of the best Jazz/Fusion albums ever.

This is Passports most successful early album and it's crisp,eleaborate fusion production is a good enough reason why.
The over-flowing "Homuculus" and the clanging and smooth tital
track make for an intense,powerful first side.Side B starts with
the brief but potent funk rocker "Jaboo",followed by a trio of tunes the get progressively gentler.It's memorable,musical and
impeccably constructed and the level of improvisation here will
make this palatable to jazz,funk and rock fans alike.A veritable
collosus!

No European band in the 1970s seemed capable of creating jazz-rock with quite the soul of the US bands (i.e. Weather Report and Return to Forever), but Germany's Passport came closest, in my view.

Bandleader Klaus Doldinger had a sensitive ear for musical styles which he would pick up and apply to his song-writing. Often this strategy worked, but you could get the occasional duff track -- e.g. some of the Latin numbers on 'Iguacu'. But on 'Cross-Collateral', it's all under control, and the band seems highly focussed. There's no Latin influence, and no synthesizer whimsy. It's straightahead jazz-rock, with perhaps a stronger infuence on the rock element, in terms of the beat and drum style. Perhaps the only artist who is now soing anything remotely similar is Norway's Jan Garbarek: 'I Took Up the Runes' comes highly recommended to anyone who doesn't know it.

To me the greatest song on this is the the odd one out: the final track 'Damals', a plaintive tune of regret. It reminds me of girlfriends lost and of opportunities not taken. It is a beautiful, sad song!

Passport was no doubt one of the best known fusion groups to come out of Germany. I have to say I am not big on fusion, but on occasions, I find an album that grabs me. Like this 1975 album from Passport. Cross-Collateral (1975) was not their second album, it was their fifth, but it was only their second American release. Looking Thru (1974) was their first U.S. release. They already had three albums previous to Looking Thru, Hand Made (1973), Second Passport (1972) and Doldinger (1971, the big anomaly in the Passport catalog as to having Amon Duul II members helping out).

By Looking Thru, the group finally had a stable lineup that would last them around three or four years, and of course a string of albums fans of the band most associate Passport with. The lineup consisted of saxist/keyboardist Klaus Doldinger (who was born in 1936, meaning he was knocking around the music business since the 1950s, and Passport was simply his 1970s and '80s project), drummer Curt Cress (who you'll find on nearly every other German prog rock album from Atlantis to Trimvirat), keyboardist Kristian Schultze, and bassist/guitarist Wolfgang Schmidt. I really think that Cross-Collateral is certainly a high point in the career in Passport (of the albums I've heard, as I hadn't heard any of their pre-Looking Thru albums, and I was warned about the stuff they did after Infinity Machine). "Homunculus" is a wonderful number, dominated by clavinet, and some nice themes played by Doldinger's sax. The title track is a real interesting one as it goes through several changes from wild and experimental to more mellow passages and funky passages with clavinet. It's truly an amazing piece. "Jadoo" continues on the wild, intense ride, while the band starts mellowing out with the next three cuts, which are still quite wonderful. "Will-O'-the-Wisp" features more clavinet and a nice sax theme from Doldinger. Here Doldinger includes some Mellotron. "Albatross Song" includes more nice sax playing and some Mellotron buried in the background. Most fusion groups would simply shy away from the Mellotron (like Weather Report or Mahavishnu Orchestra, although Jan Hammer did use one on his solo album The First Seven Days - but that was more of a prog rock/electronic album than fusion), probably because you can't show off on that instrument, unlike an electric piano, Mini Moog and Hohner D-6 clavinet. But at least Klaus Doldinger didn't have a problem with the Mellotron (although he used it more on their previous album, Looking Thru, and apparently earlier albums too) and that's nice to hear the instrument in this genre of music. The band really mellows out with the last piece "Damals" in a wonderful fashion, this time more piano dominated, but the sax is still there.

A must for those who are in to fusion (and even me who isn't big on that kind of music).

The best Passport that I've heard. In my top 20 of Jass fusion music. I have this in LP, cassette, and now CD.

It's great to see other fans of this album here. I've had the LP since shortly after it came out in 1975 and it's still one of my favorite pieces of music of any genre. I agree that it's Passport's best (and I have most of their work). It's creative and fun, a feast for the mind while still having great energy. Highly recommended!