Customer Reviews

Mr Gone

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The review forum here, with all its radical difference of opinion, is very revealing of how controversial this album still is 25 years after the fact. One camp claims brilliant experiments and great success, and the other claims overproduction and selling out to the pop music industry. It speaks to the polarized nature of this nation that such a drastic gap exists.

Honestly I don't think either opinion is quite right. This album, if it really is a concession to the pop music industry, is a very poor concession. I find tracks like the title track, "Pinocchio," and "The Elders" to be, if anything, less accessible to the average listener than almost anything Weather Report did after "Sweetnighter." "Pursuit of the Woman in the Feathered Hat" is of the world fusion variety, no more pop-influenced than anything on, say, "Tale Spinnin'" or "Black Market." The only overt pop appeal I can see is on "And Then," "River People," and maybe "Young and Fine." Weather Report touched on pop music much more successfully (albeit by accident) on "Heavy Weather."

As for those who sing this album's praises, I have to say that I don't find the experiments all that interesting. "River People" features an excursion on Zawinul's Prophet 5 synthesizer but the tune really doesn't take off until the band comes all the way in. The title track would be interesting if the harmonic interest was anywhere near the level to which musicians (like Wayne Shorter who was IN THIS BAND) took it in post-bop. Then "Young and Fine," clearly a successor to "Palladium," is downright boring in its harmonic loop (basically a I-VI-II-V which had existed since the 30s) and uncreative quasi-Latin groove. On top of that, Zawinul's synthesizers fill up every crack of space so the music can't breathe. But the biggest problem with this album is not the way it was conceived, it is the way it was executed. At this point, Weather Report didn't really have a full band; Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena had left, Peter Erskine was not a full member and there was no longer an auxiliary percussionist. Weather Report's success prior to this album, though largely rooted in the brilliant compositions of Zawinul and Shorter, depended heavily on the musicianship of the band and its rapport as a whole. Even if some of the tunes were weaker or somewhat cheezy, the consistently high level of playing and group interaction always carried the music. But it doesn't here; too much is done with borrowed drummers and overdubs. Then there is the matter of "Punk Jazz," which begins with an AMAZING duet between Jaco Pastorius and guest drummer Tony Williams. This gives way to almost a film-noir medium swing section that could have actually been very interesting if the chords had been voiced a little differently (and not played on a horn-imitating synthesizer) and the drums had been tweaked. Unfortunately the group rapport didn't exist and thus this tune doesn't groove except for the beginning. It could have been something.

Overall, this album is okay, but it could have been better. Zawinul had exhausted his creative capacity in certain genres at this point, although with a little digging back into the jazz tradition, Weather Report made "Night Passage," a brilliant album from 1980 which is worth checking out. "Mr. Gone" has grown on me, and is worth checking out to see what you think in terms of the controversy, but for my money it's not the best Weather Report. The musicianship and group dynamic just falls flat.

Mr. Gone captures Weather Report in a period of transition, flying high after the commercial success of their previous recording, Heavy Weather. The band also is struggling to find a drummer (Alex Acuna, Tony Williams, Peter Erskine and even Jaco Pastorius take the chair). This release initially garnered a poor review. And it is a little schizophrenic. The title cut, Mr. Gone, has an atonal melody that glides over a sinister 16-note bassline (the title was given by Wayne Shorter who, marvelling at its strangeness, remarked "Man, that's gone! That's MISTER gone!"). Punk Jazz opens with an urgent bass solo that leads into a complex but beautiful orchestration and soaring soprano solo. River People builds out on a disco beat (it was offered as a disco tune at the time of its release), but is most notable for the bassline, which constantly switches downbeats. Shorter's Pinocchio is resurrected here in a fade-in that makes it entirely too brief, but very tightly performed. Of all the songs, the least remarkable is Young and Fine, noodling on and on. Inconsistent, but interesting, Mr. Gone shows the band breaking out of its formulas and stretching in many directions, which surely confounded music critics.

The infamous 1978 album that received a one-star (out of a possible five) from Down Beat magazine got a debate going between the band and the publication, fans amongst fans and critics versus critics in a controversy that still brews today concerning the merits of the eight tracks.

That the follow-up to the brilliant Heavy Weather was certified gold got lost in the mix of the noises that challenged this experiment in sound, with the inclusion of elements as diverse as disco to avant-garde. The trio of Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius and Wayne Shorter are riding a crest of popularity after the cross-over hit, Birdland. But rather than play the rock band game of the era and crank out a clone album/single, the trio pursues a parallel trail to 1974's Mysterious Traveller.

The percussion/drummer spot is unsettled, with Manola Badrena, Peter Erskine, Tony Williams and Steve Gadd handling the duties. The 37:15 is split into two compositions each from Shorter (The Elders, Pinocchio) and Jaco (River People, Punk Jazz), with four numbers by Zawinul; The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat, Young and Fine, Mr. Gone, And Then.

That Zawinul used the studio as an artistic laboratory cannot be denied. That the "flaws" of the album are based on the group attempting to stretch the sound is a plus....and not a fallen star.

This is one mighty album by Weather Report - a great collection of music, and a great experiment of jazz - it certainly gave downbeat something to think about back in '78 (ha). Zawinul's intergration of synthesizers (ARP 2600, Prophet 5, Oberheim, etc...) into the music was, and still is quite extraordinary.

Jaco may at times be replaced by such things as an Oberheim Bass (check the liner notes under the list entitled "Keyboards"), but what youv'e got to remember is that Jaco was in high demand in during the Mr. Gone sessions of 1977 and 1978, as was Wayne Shorter, despite Shorter and Zawinul's apparently ever-failing relationship at the time - and with the both of them working on such other projects as Tom Scott's "Intimate Strangers" and Steely Dan's "Aja", it's not surprising that their appearances diminished.

This is a great album, and despite the fact that Zawinul says in the liner notes that he would never judge this against any other WR album, that's not how he appeared to have felt back in "78. The opener, "Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat" is wonderful, as is Jaco's "River People", and even Zawinul's Eccentric title track is quite interesting.

All in all, this is an amazing album. If you can't get into it on the first listen, just listen to it until you can - twice, thrice maybe - and then you will be able to see how amazing this album really is!!

I recall very well the one-star review this album received in Downbeat. The members of W.R., especially Joe Zawinul weren't too pleased with that review. Although I have never felt as negatively as that reviewer, this album nevertheless has fallen quite short of other W.R. offerings, most notably Heavy Weather, Black Market, and a good rebound effort in Night Passage. The Prophet 10 synth layers put down by Zawinul sound simply cheesy to me. Jaco and Wayne certainly shine the best they can in this setting, but the writing isn't the best, and where great ideas are introduced, they aren't developed sufficiently. Far and away my favorite track is Wayne Shorter's Pinocchio, which has truly great synth textures, and superb all around execution. But alas, it's so short. Any W.R. is a joy for me to listen to, but I agree with Zawinul that this album is their least memorable. I recommend the other albums mentioned above, far above this one.

Jaco,Shorter,Erksine and Zawinul are certainly at about the top of their musical game on 'Mr.Gone',the 1978 follow up to their classic 'Heavy Weather' album.But the albums are very different.Wheras the previous record presented a very accesible variation on Weather Report's classic sound 'Mr.Gone' has far has more variety,and also more subversive considering the nature of highly electric music such as this.
"The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat" is a your garden variety WR electric carnival,colored perhaps more then usual with Zawinul's twisted synthesizers.From my point of view the standout number is Jaco's "River People"-half of the composition is a rousing solo on the newly introduced Prophet V polyphonic synthesizer and then the tune suddenly dives into a grooving Jaco-styled bass-funk jam-a very memorable tune.Two other highlites are the electric be-bop style of another Jaco tune "Punk Jazz",one of his classics.The album comes to a close with "And Then",a very pop oriented piece featuring soaring vocals from Denise Williams and Maurice White.
'Mr.Gone" manages to be very different and in the case of "Young And Fine" very much like it's predecessor in parts.The mastering of this CD is also unusually wonderful.The only thing flawed about this CD is the liner notes written by Bill Milowski,a critic for Downbeat magazine known for it's highly critical diatribes on electric jazz of all sorts.His notes yammer on about Wayne Shorter not being heard enough on the album,it not being Joe Zawinul's favorite Weather Report album and about Pastorious's brilliant 'River People' having a 'dated' disco pulse.
As far as the last critism it is unabashadly incorrect.'Mr.Gone' is actually one of the least commercial Weather Report outings and has no real relation to pop music.It is very diverse and parts of the album sound like synthesized be-bop jazz,almost a parody in some ways that might have offended hardcore jazz critics and fans.But in 1978 that was very easy to do anyway and 'Mr.Gone' is a CD that deserves to be heard and acknowledged on it's own terms.And I myself am very proud to own this CD.

What made this album so despised more than anything was the radio format that the group chose to follow, we were used to hearing 8 0r 9 minutes of fusion jazz from these great musicians, so 3 minutes of greatness just was'nt cutting it. But it still was greatness even at 3 minutes! With all that genius in the band, I doubt they could ever put out a bad record, I'm a musician and as I analyze these little gems I'm blown away each and every time. A must have for your collection!

Mr. Gone never enjoyed the deserved critical and commercial success of Heavy Weather, nor ever explored the depths of mood or groove that early albums as I Sing The Body Electric or Sweetnighter explored, yet it offered much great music that should have entitled it to more praise.

By then, 1978, the band had found their existence difficult to maintain. Zawinul and Shorter were clearly on to separate paths--along with Joe having a strong grip on the band's choice of material--and Jaco's mental illness and drug abuse was almost hitting unworkable levels.

Yet, they were still one of the most gifted groups of musicians that had ever joined forces--both as players and composers--and this album proves that the magic had not completely faded away.

The late Pastorious offers one of his classics, Punk Jazz, which along with his other composition, River People, continued to prove his immense melodic talent and unimaginable skill, alongside the amazing swing of guest--may he be blessed whatever part of heaven he's holding the beat at--Tony Williams.

For his part, Wayne Shorter, writes to great tunes, the legendary although brief Pinocchio and the dark The Elders--played exclusively by WR's nucleus of Zawinul, Pastorious and himself--while Zawinul delights with the gorgeous Young And Fine, and And Then, a proper farewell sung by the wonderful EWF's Maurice White.

All in all, not a classic--primarily due to the strength and beauty of prior albums--yet a trove of treasures worthy of these men. You do not have to be a completist to seek this album, although if Weather Report is not a band you know well it may not be the most representative nor stellar place to start.

In 2007, the main 16 Weather Report Columbia titles were re-released in Japan with new DSD remastering in mini-sleeve format. From an audio quality standpoint, the DSD versions now supercede all the earlier standard-CD-audio U.S. releases (some of the WR catalog are available as SACD's).

Additionally, the Japan editions feature a welcome 2CD restoration of "8:30" to the original 13-track double-LP album configuration, with the proper inclusion of "Scarlet Woman", which had been edited off all domestic editions to allow for a cheaper, single-disc release.

So far, the WR DSD catalog is only available in mini-sleeve format, and all `sleeves are limited edition. If it is your desire to own the latest/greatest audio, then don't delay in picking these up, although it is always possible that Sony Japan will release them again as less expensive jewel case editions somewhere down the road. However, for the true WR fan and vinyl nut, it's great to have the wonderful mini-LP replicas of the original LP covers!

I wanted to provide links for each 2007 `sleeve edition, but unfortunately, Amazon only allows 10 per review. But, by linking to the 2007 DSD remaster of the first Weather Report album, you should be able to use the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" tool to locate the rest of the 2007 DSD titles (just make sure you verify the release date and Product Description).

Also, of note: In this same release were updated DSD remasters of the following WR-member solo albums, also as mini-sleeves:

Jaco Pastorius (1st album)
Wayne Shorter "Native Dancer"
Joe Zawinul "Di-a-lects"

And, the two Havana Jam albums, both where WR appeared live, also as `sleeves:

Havana Jam 1
Havana Jam 2

And, FINALLY: 2007 witnessed John McLaughlin finally relenting to release the full Trio Of Doom studio & live recordings, the awesome line-up of McLaughlin, Pastorius and Tony Williams, which could only be found previously on the Havana Jam albums, albeit in edited form.

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.

This is the only album I could find that had both Jaco Pastorius and drummer Tony Williams (albeit on only two tracks). One ("Mr. Gone") is pretty synth-dominated. But "Punk Jazz" opens with a bass and drum jam that is not unlike the holy grail. This blazing little track alone is worth the price of the album. If you like this check out "Heavy Weather"-- It's even hotter.