Customer Reviews

Peaceful World

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After recording blue-eyed soul for Atlantic for years, The Rascals signed with Columbia Records and were given a new-found musical freedom that resulted in two extraordinary albums. Peaceful World and Island of Real. Both albums were a definite departure from their Atlantic hits. Unfortunately, the music buying public agreed. Both albums include significant jazz influences and are VERY well done. If you haven't heard them, you should. I frequently used the Peaceful World album, particularly the track "Mother Nature Land" when selecting new stereo components, because of the variety of instruments (and frequencies of sound) in the album. Very nice to listen to (again).

This is a long-awaited re-release: One of the Rascals' best, released toward the end of their career, finds them reaching out to soul, extended jazz jams, and Sly Stone-like funk workouts. The mood is joyful, the musicianship high (with assists from some top-notch jazz artists sitting in), and the entire atmoshphere entirely enjoyable. Standout tracks include the title track, the cosmic "Sky Trane" and the chart hit "Love Me."

I bought this album when it first came out in about 1970 and have played the title track so much, it's worn out, so I haven't listened to it in a while. I have been looking for a cd to replace the album and am glad I found it. The track Peaceful World is the kind of music you can listen to and go on a "trip" without drugs...very laid back. Most of the rest of the tracks are very good also.

Unless you've heard this disc, it is impossible to imagine what a treasure it is. On paper, it doesn't even sound like a good idea. The (Young) Rascals everybody remembers were a pop-oriented bunch of R&B dabblers. Here, Felix Cavaliere & the drummer hook up with a bunch of honest-to-goodness jazzmen/women (i.e., Hubert Laws, Joe Farrell, Alice Coltrane). Incredibly, this is not just some jazz guys making money with lightweight session work ornamenting non-jazz rock (as in Sonny Rollins blowing a nice solo fill for the Stones on "Waiting On A Friend"). The real jazz oriented stuff here is truly collaborative, & does credit to all concerned. This is the only disc I know of where that happened -- at least, to this extent.

Although there is much to like on the less-jazz-more-rock material on tracks 1 - 8, the heart & soul of Peaceful World is the material on tracks 9 - 12, comprising sides 3 & 4 on the original 2 LPs. The title track (track 12) is a masterpiece jam over 20 minutes long, where the soloists all get a chance to stretch out without taxing your patience.

Although there are about 3 cuts I regularly program past, since the total disc time is well over 70 minutes, that still leaves a more than generous amount of wonderful music. I was looking for Peaceful World on CD for years. To see it available without the import price is a blessing.

Music to float and rock to as you sail through celestial islands. Let go. New age, before there was "New Age".

A fellow Rascals fan sent me this CD as a gift. The Rascals have always been my favorite band but somehow I lost track of them around the time they released this CD. What a great feeling to be introduced to these old friends again...their music is timeless. While this CD is very different from their earlier work (and Eddie is gone), each & every song is well worth the listen.

Was it Cerphe or Damian who was the Washington DC DJ who put on side four, the track "Peaceful World," on one Sunday morning back when this had just been released? Anyway, it was an endless (two-chord?) riff that made me feel all was right in the world. It was a groovy place, then. Perhaps it might be filed under chillout or downtempo today. So back to the present and a few of the tracks sound a bit dated. But "Little Dove," "Mother Nature Land" (hey, I said it was groovy), and, of course, the endless title track, among others, hold up really well. There are some serious jazz chops on this as well as the then remaining (two?) remaining Rascals. Recommended.

Can U believe, this album is almost 40 years young yesterday...and STILL sounds as fresh as it did when released back in....ah c'mon figure it out....it was ONLY the last century!! (lol)

For sure, this was somewhat of a different direction for Rascals' Felix (Cavaliere) and Dino (Danelli), when they signed with Columbia Records for the 1st of two discs (the other being 'The Isle of Real"). And yet this release still retains PLENTY, REPEAT P-L-E-N-T-Y of the Cavaliere signature songbook from the 60's.

This is MOST DEF an album that CAN be played at ANYTIME of the day....notjust at night as some have suggested.

Hey, any Rascals disc thats starts off with the pumpin' grooves of a song like, 'Sky Train' is classic Felix all the way!!!! Dig the perculatin bass lines from bassist Gerald Gemott and esp the punctuating horns by Joe Farrell Joe Newman and company. If this doesnt get ya off ya butt and move to the groove....nothin will!!! Added extra feature is the magnificant augmentation of guitarist Buzz Feiten who supplies his own soulful touches to the tracks, 'In and Out Of Love' and 'Icy Water.' Lest not forget the gospel inspired Felix foray of 'Little Bit Of Heaven' with session giant Chuck Rainey on bass, and once again Farrell and Newman on sax and trumpet respectively...and NOT to forget the illustriouos magic of the great Pepper Adams on baritone! And for those into those entralling soundscapes pieces, the title track, 'Peaceful World", will most def be up your musical alley!!! Over 21 minutes of mystique and ambient mood changes showcasing the graceful talents of jazz flautist Hubert Laws, bassist Gemott, percussionist Ralph McDonald and of course the lovely and delightful Ann Sutton on vocals.
Oh yeah, even for those 'complaining' and wonderously longing for the days of 'Groovin' 'It's A Beautiful Morning' and the like, 'Happy Song' should more than suffice and tittilate the musical tongue for those olden golden days of....yeah you can fill in the blank(s)!!!

There is much much mo' here to explore and appreciate....so Im leaving it up to the listener to dig into the rest of the toons not discussed here. Yeah if ya got ears.......

Too bad that the record buying public rather overlooked this one heck of a musical enclave when it came out. (There was actually only 1, count em-1, single released intially back in '71...'Love Letter.' 'Happy Song' would be paired as a b-side on a later single, 'Lucky Day' from I.O.R. Unfortunate for Felix Dino and the rest of the gang.
But hey there is always a second go round to supercede that missed opportunity! Injoy!!!

You don't want to come to Peaceful World expecting the blue-eyed soul that made the Rascals one of the best, most dependable music machines of the sixties. Although if you did, you should be gentley and kindly reguided with a smile--mastery always breeds expectation.

Then again, listening to Peaceful World, you may not want to be reguided at all. The Rascals had actually started grasping at a jazzier, less formulaic use of their massive talent on 1968's Freedom Suite. Nice try and great listen, but the ideas stopped at funk-blues jamming.

Peaceful World is the jazz Rascals in full experimental glory, although it is not the progressive soul you may expect. These are long, atmospheric peices that shimmer on one or two chords with glistening keybords, and free floating instrumental contributions. Little sounds go across like tadpoles in a pond.

If anything, this reminds me of Lonnie Liston Smith, and is as good.
Completely beautiful music from one of the best American bands.

This is a tough album to review because it isn't a true Rascals release, just Felix & Dino, & it is flawed. The concept was good: taking off from John Coltrane's spiritual plane. But the jazz musicians, with the exception of Alice Coltrane, aren't good ones for the job. So it settles into an easy listening groove that almost floats away on good vibes. Yet, as early, somewhat funky new age music it ain't so bad. Every song gives up a nice riff or two. A couple of songs are first rate, particularly Love Letter. The ethereal spaces of Mother Nature Land & Little Dove are hard to resist. The title cut is very nice makeout music. Dino plays great throughout. & the price is real good for what was a double LP. No point in complaining about Peaceful World. You'll know if you need to have it in your collection. I do. But if you prefer unqualified praise, don't listen to a 20 year veteran of New York free form radio.

Bob Rixon, WFMU-FM