Customer Reviews

Planet End

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

 

 

This is my first Coryell album, and overall, I think it's a good listen. I don't know if the other Coryell albums are better, but I hope they are. The sound is somewhat compressed for a fusion album, almost sounding like you're listening to the band through a wall even if you crank up the volume. (I'm thinking of reselling my copy so I should probably rate it 2 stars, but I'm not sure.)

The first song, "Cover Girl", has plenty of funk in the mix plus some trumpet and spacey keyboard sounds, played by his Eleventh House band. (It's my favorite song on the album, but fairly brief at 5-and-a-half minutes.)

"Tyrone" is the longest song on the album at 11-and-a-half minutes, and starts with an ascending-descending bass line with guitar soloing. Chick Corea plays electric piano in an abstract manner, with alot of chords, like the keyboard he did for Miles Davis. They work into a frenzy at about the 4 minute mark before returning to more doodling (perhaps to fill some album time because they didn't write enough songs? maybe so, but it's nice to hear Corea on this one track). At the 6-minute mark, it kicks into some louder jazz-rock electric guitar jamming before quieting down for more guitar soloing. It basically goes loud then soft then loud then soft, etc., and Corea becomes more active with some keyboard soloing.

"Rocks" features the Eleventh House band like the first track, and has a similar fusion-funk sound, but this one has a robotic feel with a very fast drum beat and keyboard line.

"The Eyes of Love" serves as a breather after the frenetic pace of the previous song. It features Coryell alone on acoustic guitar.

"Planet End" begins with a catchy jazz guitar line before the bass begins a jazz rhythm. It has a trad jazz feel compared to the other songs though some louder fusion-type passages are intermixed. It has the guitar playing of Coryell and John McLaughlin, but no keyboard. Thankfully, that catchy guitar line returns toward the end.

This is hardcore jazz fusion at its finest. From the thundering opening riff of "Cover Girl" to the free-form departure of 'Tyrone" this CD is a guitar player's dream and a certified classic!