Customer Reviews

Extrapolation

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4 star:		(2)
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I remember listening to this intriguing album when I was in college in the mid-70s. I didn't buy it until after John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra was familiar to me, even though this album predated that band by more than 2 years.

I liked this album 25 years ago. I like it now. Even though this was McLaughlin's first album as a leader, a lot of the elements that he would bring to Mahavishnu were part of his skills at this point: thoughtful compositions, a collaborative, tight band with outstanding players, able to thrive even over odd meters (time signatures), rubato time (no pulse at all), moments of great collective intensity.

There are other elements, too. McLaughlin shares the solo spotlight with the adventurous John Surman, a reedman well-known among musicians but not particularly well-known among the public. Surman shares the solo spotlight on baritone and soprano saxes. In fact, other reviews have suggested that Surman surpasses McLaughlin in the solo spotlight. However, that's not the real essence of this music. The essence of this music is the band's collaboration. McLaughlin and Surman are joined by Brian Hodges on bass and Tony Oxley on drums, all performing capably and sounding as if they had played many times with each other before.

This album is very important historically. The All Music Guide reports that it was recorded in January 1969, 8 months before McLaughlin's participation in Miles Davis' seminal B*tches Brew recordings and more than 2 years before his first Mahavishnu recording, the Inner Mounting Flame. I find comparing his playing on the three albums and hearing the development in his playing over those recording to be enlightening, as Mclaughlin become more electric and busier in his solo and ensemble playing and later, in his compositions.

The compositions on this CD are all McLaughlin's and most were not recorded again. They share almost an ethereal perspective, which like all improvised jazz, functions as a springboard into the solos. There's a good range of rhythms, tempos and dynamics. Total time is over 40 minutes.

McLaughlin's solos range from sparse deliberation to flashes of his future intensity to moments of great melodic beauty. McLaughlin is heard both on acoustic and electric guitar.

John Surman is a delight. Well in command of both his baritone and the soprano, he, too ranges between moments of fury and intensity and moments of great lyricism. Baritone and soprano sax, for a number of reasons, are an unusual double. Surman has unusual speed and range on his baritone, which is difficult because of the size and nature of the instrument. On soprano, while his sound tends toward the outside, there are still moments of great beauty in his note choices and tone. I am baffled that he never became a public star - he certainly had the ability to do it.

At times, I wonder if I "get" the free music. My perspective is from mainstream jazz, although I do occasionally enjoy freer music. Of the walls of notes by Surman, I wonder as to how many of them have the volitional aspect that Trane had with his sheets of sound, versus just "running the fingers". Sometimes, I "get" more of McLaughlin's solos than other times.

Still, this recording is a satisfying listen and does stand up to repeated listening. It does not sound dated in the least. In fact, due to the freer elements mentioned before, repeated listenings will enhance the enjoyment of the recording. Those freer elements will challenge many listeners. While I enjoy this music, I find that I enjoy the Inner Mounting Flame, the first Mahavishnu recording, slightly more.

I strongly recommend this recording for fans of the progressive jazz and fusion movements of the 70's, to fans of McLaughlin's work on B*tches' Brew, in the Mahavishnu Orchestra and later. Realize that his playing becomes more developed as his career progresses and realize that this recording will challenge and the listener will do well with this.

I can't even tell you how many times I've listened to this record. It never wears on you. After you're done listening to everything else and want something that really digs deep, you always end up coming back to this. It is the definition of cool. It has a unique, simmering atmosphere that captures the spirit of the 1960s within an ultra-sophisticated progressive jazz format. John Surman's wild baritone is uncannilly brilliant while McLaughlin, having written all the compositions, plays it cool for contrast. The tunes are economically compact, forests of densely packed passion opening to the skies. "Binky's Dream" later metamorphosed into a Mahavishnu tune. The only other records I've heard that are on this level of cool while maintaining a rock edge are Dave Holland's "Extensions" and Miles Davis' "Filles de Kilimanjaro." Holland was originally scheduled to play bass on "Extrapolation," but had to leave England to join Miles. "Extensions" is his tribute to opportunity lost made some 19 years later with Kevin Eubanks filling the Mclaughlin spot. Holland did play with McLaughlin and Surman on "Where Fortune Smiles," quite a different record than this one, though only a year apart. It is an amazing avant-garde cacaphony of everyone playing at the same time and making a wall of noise unheard of before or since. It makes Mahavishnu sound tame. I don't think that's available anymore, but that's strictly for when you want something completely different. "Extrapolation" is for everyday healing.

This disc showcases John McLaughlin's proficiency as a Jazz musician and composer when he was still living in the UK, before he joined Miles Davis and the formation of the legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Although the music here dates back to about 1968, it is at least 30 years ahead of its time and it sounds just as fresh and inspiring as it did when it was first recorded. John's playing is fluent, melodic and inventive. His chord-voicing and use of harmony is unique in this setting, which is more akin to Bop, than Fusion style. There is an excellent balance of moods from intense, fast playing, to warm, sensitive ballads. John also included two accoustic tunes, which hint towards some of his work on "My Goals And Beyond." "Argen's Bag," dedicated to the Dutch Bassist, was later re-named "Follow Your Heart" and appeared in various incarnations on some of John's later albums.

McLaughlin wrote all the tunes and is ably supported here by John Surman (baritone & soprano sax), who matches the guitarist's speed in unison runs and also comes up with some great solos. Brian Odges plays double bass and Tony Oxley is on drums.

This is a historical record, a must for any fan of John McLaughlin, as well as anyone who enjoys listening to a unique, inventive and stimulating style of Jazz. I've had this record for 36 years and still get a buzz listening to it today.

No need to make this review long-winded. This album contains a gentle mood of soulfullness like no other I have experienced. It is a just plain beautiful extroadinary fantastic delicate album...

Listen to "Arjen's Bag" on a cold winter day... it is remarkable.

I believe this to be a very essential album in the McLaughlin collection. I began listening to it just after I picked up Bitches Brew(My first true jazz album) and see it a one of my favourite albums of all time. Many people may not agree, thats my opinion.
I see as a very basic and complex album, it is able to jump from complex melodies to simple comping in a second then back again. This album allowed me to appreciate jazz for what it really is, Freedom of music! It's bluesy, popy(?), even rock, funk and classical in my opinion. McLaughlin leads, but is assisted by Surman, who is far more controlled than his other works, and Oxley, Burges. All seem to put there life and soul in to this great mucial adventure.
If you are intrested in Mclaughlin or anyone on this album, get it NOW.

I can't say enought about this other than is special!!!!

It just sounds better and better each time I hear it, starting twenty years ago with the LP. It is warm, emotional, engaging, imaginative, energetic, crisp ensemble work with bursts of improvisational edge. Just wonderful. It still feels fresh, even though each chord is familiar. Among the over 2000 CDs and LPs I have, this is in my top ten.

When I was about 16 I bought my first 3 jazz albums: "In a silent way" by Miles Davis, "Spaces" by Larry Coreyll and "Extrapolation" by John McLaughlin. These recordings blew me away for life and I still think of them as a group. They've aged so well and I love them just as much now.

"Extrapolation" is one of McLaughlin's best recording. He is very creative, the band is very tight and each track contributes to the whole. It sounds more like English Jazz than Mahavishnu's fusion. It has a lot of soul, some wonderful themes, some experimentation with odd meters and great solos.

Story has it that the recording was noticed by Tony Williams immediately upon its release. It led to John being invited to the States to join the Tony Williams's Lifetime group, and within days of arrival, Miles Davis asked him to play on "In a silent way".

If you are a John McLaughlin fan you will definitely want to check this one out. If you're not a McLaughlin fan yet, you will be after you hear this. That is if you like music that swings hard. A contradiction in terms? Maybe. I don't know how else to describe the sonic textures on this album. John Surman's baritone sax is not a tone that you hear on a lot of albums. It has a rough insistent quality, but it's loaded with feeling and is quite lyrical at times. John's guitar work is somewhat more understated here in contast to his viruosic work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This may be due in part to the fact that this was his first recording date as a leader. Perhaps he didn't want to tip his hand right away. That said, his playing is fantastic on this album. I particularly enjoy the comparison of this version of "Spectrum" with the version that he recorded only a short while later with Tony William's Lifetime. Very cool. I also think that the beginning and ending tunes on this album ("Extrapolation" and "Peace Piece") perfectly balance the album. A solid listen from start to finish.

McLaughlin acheives a Gabor Szabo type of sound on this 1967 recording.No fuzz drenched wailing Les Paul's here. He's using the same instrument set up as Gabor i.e. an acoustic jumbo guitar fitted with an electric pickup and heavy gauge strings. This is why the sound is so clean with an Eastern ring to it. Not as many difficult time signatures for the listener to deal with as on the Mahavishnu Orchestra records. The ballads here are wistful with some gorgeous additional soprano sax from John Surman (on "It's Funny" "You Really Know"). The prescence of Graham Bond can be felt strongly and i'm sure he wasn't far from the proceedings.
In lots of ways i prefer Johns playing on this album more than at any time during his career. Maybe it's because this album had a pivotal influence on other artists like Jeff Beck and it's possible to trace the evolutionary concept in some of Beck's mid 70s albums . Whatever the reason, McLaughlin sounds exceptional on this CD and the additional musicians are perfect for the job.
Highly recommended.

John McG was associated with Jack Bruce (Cream), and appears on Jack's first post-Cream solo album "Things We Like" which is about as far from Cream as you can get: Experimental jazz-rock tunes and free-jazz explorations; Jack is on acoustic bass throughout. Sound familiar? This album had the exact same instrumentation: Bari Sax, bass, drums and guitar. They're also British jazz scene dudes and play in a similar style as the Bruce band. Was Johnny McG influenced by the Jack Bruce session? Good question. The feel of Extrapolation is similar, but the tunes are more organized. Indeed, if you refer to the original LP, side one and side two are arranged as suites, with one song running into the next, a complete live performance. The is preserved on the CD, which has excellent sound, with the only break coming at the end of where side one would have been. After this it was Johnny McG, fusion God. A very honest album, no frills or excessive musical gymnastics. It has dated a little, but it is a rewarding listen and well-recorded. If you find it interesting, check out Things We Like as a sort of doppelganger of this album. By the way, Jack and John appear together on Escalator Over The Hill by Carla Bley, and Tony William's short-lived band, Lifetime (with Larry Young on organ).