Customer Reviews

Journey to Love

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

JTL is Stanley's 3rd solo effort and shows much growth and ambition, not to mention diversity.

"Silly Putty" - Stanley and George Duke kick out the funk with TONS of melody and good vibes. Great horn charts that would do Tower of Power proud, plus, I used to LOVE playing this tune on bass myself to warm up with. Great fun.

"Journey to Love" - The one real weak track that could've been a gem if the dippy L Ron Hubbard lyrics and vocals were eliminated altogether, would've beena cool instrumental though not groundbreaking by any means

"Hello Jeff" - Stanley rocks out w/ Jeff Beck and the creative sparks fly! A fun fiercely rocking piece, great to play when driving especially! Beck just tears it up with his searing bluesy melodicism!

"Song to John Pts I & II" - Stanley, John McLaughlin and Chick Corea create a beautiful tapestry of heartfelt music that honors Coltrane and yet doesn't clone or copy him. Indescribably expressive and beautiful!

"Concerto for Jazz-Rock Orchestra" - The album's piece de resistance'. The ethereal intro was a bit over-long but once past that, when Stanley comes in with that piccolo bass, you're off on a wild ride like no other! Complex rhtyhms fly from drummer Steve Gadd, there's death-defying brass passages (I LOVE the brass arrangements on here!), Stanley underpinning the whole thing and David Sancious, who normally plays keyboards lays into some ferocious, smoking post-Hendrix guitar. Great stuff that builds to an apocalyptic end!

Despite the gaffe with the title cut, this is GREAT STUFF from a magical time when fusion was genuinely creative.

Not one bad cut. The great thing about this album is you can take each of the musicians singly and explore what they are doing. Listen to Jeff Beck...not on "Hello Jeff" (actually DO listen to that too!) but on "Journey to Love". His haunting solo fits perfectly with the mood of the song...and gives it the Beck Edge. George Duke glides throughout. David Sanctious (sp?) is a monster...not just on keyboard but guitar as well. From Stanley's original "Stanley Clarke" through this album and then to "School Days" this three album era was Stanley stepping out and rippin it up.

Alright, so the title track and Concerto for Rock/Jazz Orchestra can get a little cheesy. So what? Give the man a little credit for being ambitious. This album ranges from funk to rock to jazz to soul to orchestral jazz. The youthful energy and spirit throughout just makes you want to smile. Besides, the opening track is hilarious and funky at the same time. Song for John is by turns contemplative and spellbinding. Hello Jeff is a great vehicle for Jeff Beck. Oh, and by the way, Stanley's playing is fantastic on the whole album. It would be churlish to complain about a lack of maturity here and there. I think the guy was maybe twenty when he made this album.

George Duke, Al DiMiola, John Maglaughlin, Jeff Beck, Chic Corea, help Stanley Clarke create his masterpiece. I would call it jazz/rock. If I could only take five records with me when I go, this one would be included.

Stanley Clarke is one of the major musicians to take bass playing to another dimension, after Charles Mingus, and along with Jaco Pastorius, Victor Bailey, and the list goes on.
Would recommend this album to any music lover as an expression of bass mastery, great writing and fantastic communication and inter action between the musicians involved.

Flourishing in a musical environment where rock,jazz and funk could exist in an infinate variety of flavors and combinations Stanley Clarke followed up his self titled second album with this album. On every song his thumping,vamping as well as the fusion of both technically demanding funkiness and improvisations on both electric and acoustic bass alone would make this a truly remarkable listening experience. At the same time the high level of quality here goes far deeper than that. Although not always as fluid compositionally as some of his contempories Clarke's abilities lay in not only his own aggressive attack on his instrument but in how he melded so well together with the other musicians surrounding him. That includes the likes of David Sancious,Lenny White,John McLaughlin,Steve Gadd,Jeff Beck and the man who would become Clarke's musical brother in arms for many years:George Duke. More than anything all the music here really showcases how the combination of Clarke and Duke's electric and acoustic flair,although very different in feeling managed to create a sound that was not only distinctive but baught out the best qualities in each player. "Silly Putty" showcases both their talents on a spirited horn funk jam where Clarke thumps his way right into Duke's rubbery synthesizer flavors....well like silly putty. The atmospheric title song has Clarke playing in both styles and,while his (at best) untutored vocals on the song are not a highlite they do provide a certain level of reality suspension that provide just the right touch to this more jazzy number. "Hello Jeff" has Clarke rocking out in fine style with Jeff Beck and it really makes it clear that these two would have been served so well doing a duet album together,both in funk and rock stylings. Considering how the influence of John Coltrane was showing up all over the place in the early to mid 70's Clarke's two part tribute "Song To John" finds him improvising some of his most impressive harmonic textures especially on acoustic bass. As a long time wanna be acoustic bassist myself I find this piece particularly since 'trane has his own musical influence on myself and I really enjoy the combination of bass playing in conjunction with some of his influence. The album ends much the same way the previous album did-with a long 14+ "Concerto For Jazz/Rock Orchestra",a very proggy fusion jam which finds Clarke and his entire bad coming together to do their stuff. There's a lot of bombast here of course but in the end it's all really worth it. Considering he was only three albums into his solo career at this point the album showcases so much continual growth even within itself that his musical future was more than sufficiantly assured.

Yes it's not remastered but but why is that relevant enough to give a 1 star rating?? How is that helpful for the benefit of those who don't already have it or haven't already heard it? It's a masterpiece and one of Clarke's best albums if you enjoy his early work. Not quite the equal of School Days, which would come next, but close, and that's no insult. If you like School Days, don't hesitate, you won't be disappointed!

Nothing but Genius all over this Disc.Very Much Spirited in the Works OF Return To Forever but yet every bit a Stanley Clarke Album.MR.Clarke is one of the baddest too ever Groove on a Bass.Great Musicianship&Sound on this must have.

As fusion began to take a tight grip around the music industry - and elbow its way onto FM rock playlists and earn grudging slots in jazz formats - many young artists demonstrated the motivation and energy to hack out of the trail paved by Miles Davis and find their own way.

In arguably the finest solo effort from Stanley Clarke, an all-star lineup - that includes Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Lenny White, Jon Faddis, George Duke, Steve Gadd, David Sancious and Tom "Bones" Malone - bolsters the punch from the six tracks that clock in at nearly 40 minutes.

The 14:25 of "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" is as impressive a composition ever penned by Clarke and captures the meticulous artistry of the jazz/rock sound. Beck propels the title cut and struts with hot licks on "Hello Jeff." The two-part tribute to John Coltrane - "Song to John, Part 1 and Part 2" - has the sweet canvas painted by the touching acoustic piano of Corea and acoustic guitar of McLaughlin. "Silly Putty" is a slick kick-off with Clarke seizing the spotlight.

Having the backing of Columbia Records - which was heavily promoting jazz artists during this era - certainly didn't hurt, but the quality of this album would have found the turntables of top reviewers and fans even if it was only available by mail order.

As on Children Of Forever (Stanley's beautiful debut as a leader), Stanley Clarke's compositional prowess come to the fore on this, his third album. His previous, self-titled, album was much more about the playing and less about the songs (which in the case of that album is a very, very good thing), but here he goes back and pulls out five brilliant compositions that rival anything he would do afterward. "Silly Putty" is a standard, how many bassists have tried to show off to you by playing this one? "Journey To Love" is a great mini-epic with great, soulful playing from Jeff Beck. Forgive Stan for singing, it doesn't ruin the song. "Hello Jeff" rocks hard and starts the tradition of these two towering string giants playing together. "Song To John Parts I-II" is an awe-inspiring trio peice, and stands as the albums best peice. Mcluaghlin and Corea play off of Stanley so well you'd think they were all using the same brain (ohh, too L. Ron Hubbard, scratch that). "Concerto For Jazz-Rock Orchestra" ends the album with a, not quite so tasteful bang, but hey, it's fusion. It's a great ending to a great album. Pick this one up, you wont be sorry.