Lifetime: The Collection

Tony Williams | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 27, 1992)
• Original Release Date: October 27, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000027LG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,075 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

These performances from the innovative drummer's Believe It and Million Dollar Legs LPs are often neglected, but they are essential to any fan of jazz-fusion. Includes Snake Oil; Wildlife; Red Alert and ten more! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Rock Fusion...Believe It!, July 13, 2001

By 

J. Thomas "jimmyjames8" (Out on the Lost Highway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lifetime: The Collection (Audio CD)

Tony Williams was already a legend by the time he recorded Believe It and Million Dollar Legs, the two Lifetime albums packaged together here. Having been drumming for Miles Davis and John McLaughlin for several years, Tony teamed up with guitar genius, Alan Holdsworth. This is early seventies jazz rock fusion. Nothing more, nothing less. At the time college radio stations were playing music like this and Return to Forever, it was called "progressive" music. Tony's masterful drumming and Alan's killer fretwork combine at times on this disc to jangle your nerves but if there was ever a tune that defined what jazz rock fusion or progressive music was all about, FRED is it. FRED alone is worth the price of this CD, the fact that the cd is actually two albums from the Holdsworth/Williams line up just makes it even more of a bargain. This is a must have for aspiring drummers and guitar dreamers. I've only ever heard one band cover FRED and it took 3 guitarists to do it. When this particular band lost one of their 3 guitar players, they dropped FRED from their set. I uesd FRED to close every "jazz" show I did on NC STATE radio station WKNC from '78 to '81. Tony is gone now but FRED lives on.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is IT!, August 28, 2001

By 

El Kabong - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lifetime: The Collection (Audio CD)

The pleasures of this incredible reissue CD are so numerous and deeply satisfying that just thinking about it makes me grin like an idiot. (I know, I know, I walked right into that one.) This is technically the second version of Lifetime, as the first recorded in the early 70s and featured the late great Tony Williams (he is SORELY missed), Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin and Larry Young. (Curiously, given that roster of heavyweights, it's not as godlike as you'd think.) This is the retooled 75/76 version, featuring Williams, Allan Holdsworth , Alan Pasqua & Tony Newton, and right from Jump Street these guys plant their feet and stand tall, unafraid to inject a strong dose of funk into their searing fusion. The CD combines both Lifetime II albums, "Believe It" & "Million Dollar Legs" - two of the most brain-frying, genre-warping albums EVER. Powerful and unforgettable compositions that swirl styles magically, whether metallic funk ("Red Alert"), symphonic jazz ("Inspirations of Love"), soulful prog ("Sweet Revenge") - you'll listen to this over and over with excitement and awe. This was my first-ever encounter with Holdsworth: the guy was so far ahead of his time here, it took me a year or so to begin to dig his intensely personal guitar playing. You can't take your ears off his beautiful tortured tones! Although he's had his moments since then, he's never approached the heights he scales on these two records: to those newer fans who've always wondered what the hell is the big deal about Allan Holdsworth, look no further. ...

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Holdsworth album, November 6, 2002

By 

Michael Kydonieus "Michael Kydonieus" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lifetime: The Collection (Audio CD)

Yeah, I know it's technically a Tony Williams album (and his drumming IS excellent), but Holdsworth is all over these records. As noted by another fan, this is really two albums. The first, "Believe It!" is a classic. Intensely funky jazz fusion, great tunes, and the way-ahead-of-its-time, incendiary guitar of Holdsworth. The second, "Million Dollar Legs" is another story. Put yourself in the shoes of the owner of the record company that put this out. You've just released one of the greatest instrumental fusion records EVER. What do you do? Easy--with the same personnel, add vocals to some of the tracks, water the music down into vapid R&B and tell Holdsworth to tone down his guitar playing--WAY DOWN. One of the great cultural crimes of the 70s. Despite this, I'm STILL giving five stars to this cd. Yes, "Believe It!" is that great. If you would like to read more reviews like this, check out JazzboNotes.com.