Customer Reviews

I Sing the Body Electric

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul were arguably the two geniuses most responsible for Miles Davis's development from the mid-sixties into his electric period that revolutionized jazz in the seventies. Shorter constantly pushed the music forward with his adventurous compositions for Davis's "second great quintet" (some fantastic music there) and participated in "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew" which launched fusion. Zawinul was the mastermind behind many compositions in the electric Miles period and helped define the different sounds that were to come from keyboardists in this style. Then the two left Miles to do things their own way, and thus they started Weather Report. Their first album, self-titled, was filled with fascinating quick sketches of new musical ideas capitalizing on the new palette of sounds that came from electronics. This album continued those experiments, but in a more developed and profound way. "Unknown Soldier" in particular is a masterpiece in angular, unconventional composition that manages to be beautiful and very challenging. "The Moors" features an appearance by guitarist Ralph Towner who plays an improvised introduction filled with ideas and lines nobody had ever thought of before, while managing to be extremely funky in some spots. I read that Towner was practicing some ideas for his intro, and Zawinul was concerned that he would be overly self-conscious when actually being recorded, so they recorded Towner practicing for the intro without his knowledge. It was good enough that they actually used his run-through, and when he finally said "okay, I'm ready," they told him he was already done.

The second half of the album is edited down from a performance in Tokyo, and the energy of the band in a live setting is astounding. They do an electrifying version of "Directions," the tune Zawinul wrote for Miles which became Miles's signature piece during his electric period. There's something angularly funky and otherworldly about this very simple melody and the way they play it.

The unfortunate thing about this album is expectations after the fact. Weather Report had only a cult following at this time, so the sound associated with this band from their later recordings is nowhere near what this album sounds like. This music is a lot closer to electric Miles, though it backs off a bit from the rock rhythms and focuses more on the headier aspects of the electronics. As a result, the music is very esoteric and difficult to approach even from familiarity with later Weather Report. If you find the description of this album interesting and want to appreciate it, explore Miles in the late sixties up through "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew," and then get the first Weather Report album, the self-titled one. This is very deep, exploratory music that is completely enthralling for those people who know how to listen to it. Become one of those people.

Weather Report's second album "I Sing The Body Electric" is quite different from anything else the band released in their entire career. Released in 1972, the album is probably the most experimental and varied of all the Weather Report releases. The style is not neccesarily Jazz nor is it Fusion. It would even be a stretch to categorize it as a Rock album. Above all, "I Sing The Body Electric" is can definitely be categorized as a Music album for the album indeed contains some great music.
The first half of the album contains four studio pieces. "Unknown Soldier" (composed by keyboardist Joe Zawinul) opens the album with a haunting choir of vocalists and an eerie sci-fi-like theme performed by sax player Wayne Shorter and guests Hubert Laws on flute, Andrew White on English horn and Wilmer Wise on trumpet. The overall arrangement is similar to that of Big Band music only the feeling is definitely close to psychedelic with the addition of alien-like sounds coming from Zawinul's newly acquired ARP synthesizer.
"The Moors" (composed by saxophonist Wayne Shorter) once again features the talents of guest musicians. This time, it's from guitarist Ralph Towner from the band Oregon. The sound of the guitar is rare in Weather Report's music since the band itself did not have a guitarist. After a slightly blues-based intro from Towner, the music shifts gears with a pounding tribal drumbeat with a sax melody that is definitely Middle Eastern-influenced. There is also some great drum and percussion work from band members Eric Gravatt and Dom Um Romao here.
"Crystal" (composed by bassist Miroslav Vitous) is an etherial piece of music with a wandering sax-line from Shorter along with Zawinul's spaced-out keyboards and a droning low-end/whining high-end bass part by Vitous. This is definitely a highly improvisational piece that shows of Weather Report's experimental side.
The studio material finishes off with another Joe Zawinul original "Second Sunday In August". This is a loosely-played tone poem which features Zawinul on Hammond organ as well as acoustic piano. The overall structure of the piece is based on simplicity and has patterns of long-held lead lines from Shorter's sax and Vitous's bass.
The second half of the album was recorded live in January 1972 in Tokyo. This is a heavily edited version of the first half of the band's Japanese-only release "Live In Tokyo". The music in its original context ran for 45-minutes and is edited down to 23 for this album. This Tokyo performance captured the band at their most fierce and at their rawest. Joe Zawinul's keyboard work was especially experimental as he used a distortion box, ring modulator and wah-wah pedal on his electric piano. Miroslav Vitous's bass work is also quite unique as he amplifies his acoustic bass using a wah-wah while playing with with a bow.
The second half of this album is just a brief sampling of what is on the Japanese "Tokyo" release and with its obvious and somewhat abrupt edits on the this album, this gives all the more reason to buy "Live In Tokyo" in addition to "I Sing The Body Electric".
This album has since gone on to become a well-appreciated work in Weather Report's large catalog. No other Weather Report sounds as spaced-out, experimental, raw or raucous as this one. From the varied stylings of its studio recordings to its free-form no-holds-barred live half, "I Sing The Body Electric" is an early definitive Weather Report masterwork. Fans who are familiar with the band's later work (ie: Heavy Weather, Night Passage etc.) may want to test this album before buying it. This music is definitely not for everyone. However, if you're one who can appreciate a pioneering band who recorded themselves while trying to find their musical niche, this is definitely an album of high interest.

The first half of this 1972 album consists of studio recordings that continue the collective approach of the self-titled debut, but the arrangements are better developed and the amount of loose collective improvisation is more restricted. Zawinul's genius as an arranger becomes more apparent on his compositions; he uses three vocalists and three additional horns on the ominous "Unknown Soldier" to brilliant effect. "Second Sunday in August" uses a more pared back arrangement but a memorable melody and driving rhythm make this one of their best early tunes. Wayne Shorter, not to be outdone, contributes "The Moors" -- a great eerie piece featuring Ralph Towner on 12 string guitar. (And his fierce tenor sax blowing on "Unknown Soldier" is outstanding -- he would never sound this good in Weather Report again.) The rhythm section of Gravatt/Vitous/Romao is incredible. The second half of the album features an edited 20 minute excerpt from Live in Tokyo; though the music is fantastic, you should try to pick up the imported, unedited copy. This is one of the group's best albums, though it may not be the Heavy Weather fan's cup of tea.

Weather Reports' "I Sing the Body Electric" (whose title was borrowed from sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury) was a telling snapshot of the shape of what fusion-jazz was to beome in the very near future. Unlike the group's later successes -- "Black Market" and "Heavy Weather" -- ISBE lacks the compositional structure and instrumental stylings that would eventually define the group's signature sound. One cannot help but discern, from the album's very outset, that it is a ponderous effort, searching, trying to find something that the group had yet to nail down. But the basic elements are there, albeit unrealized: Zawinul's keyboarding, Shorter's sax riffs, etc. This album can be forgiven for its lack of direction because it is, after all, an improvizational effort which is the hallmark of jazz. It is the work of several talented alums from the "Miles Davis School of Jazz Experimentation" leaving the nest, trying their own wings. For this reason too the "live" tracks on the album make sense: the club-like setting that lends itself to instrumental risk-taking is, again, a cornerstone of the jazz genre. In later albums the group would begin to jell, both as composers and as band members. Eventually, WE would come to stand at the top of a rarified heap of other j-fusion artists, having finely honed its sound with each subsequent recording. In the world of pop, the "Beatles" cut their musical teeth in Hamburg before they finally defined what would become the "Mersey Sound." Weather Report's "proving ground" was the grooves of this originally vinyl effort. As another reviewer here said, do not expect this album to be an early version of "Birdland" or anything that would come later. But if you can appreciate it for what it then was -- the musical testament of a group of master craftsmen, mainly soloists, searching for their collective identity -- then this album is an important bit of j-fusion history that is worth its price if for no other reason than jazz preservation and posterity. Like Miles' "Kind of Blue" and "The Birth of the Cool," ISBE is the sort of album that Noah might have taken on the Ark with him so that the shape of things to come would not be lost, but rather survive so that it could bloom in some future time.

Some will be disappointed in this album because when they think of `Weather Report' and `Fusion' they think of Birdland and Heavy Weather. Friends, this is not the same Weather Report that recorded `Heavy Weather', nor is it a stereotypical fusion sound. This is a unique album that, while it has been pigeonholed into a fusion moniker, defies categorization.

While there are influences from jazz and rock idioms here, there is an equally strong relationship to the experimental electronic and aleatoric music that was being written in the `classical' vein at the time. After all, when classical composers finally got around to experimenting with improvisation and other performer-determined techniques of composition, jazz musicians had already been improvising for many years, so it seems a natural fit for jazz musicians to delve into music of this type.

In contrast to some of the later Weather Report albums, this is not funky or groovy. It also sounds like the arrangements are not particularly rigid, such as the case with Heavy Weather. These are highly improvisatory compositions in the tradition of free jazz. Each tune is really a unique sound world of its own. The studio tracks are particularly successful in creating unique and intriguing soundscapes and moods. Yet despite the highly improvisatory nature of these compositions, they still seem to have a formal direction and shape. The live tracks are much more rock influenced, but maintain a high degree of improvisation.

This is not an album for the feint of heart, but it is very musically rewarding.

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 an absolute must have for any Modern Jazz enthusiast. Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter build upon their great work with Miles Davis and take it to an entirely new level. The Haunting "Unknown Soldier" and the beautiful track "The Moors" only are worth the purchase price. This is my number one favorite jazz album!

The truth is that Weather Report changed a bit with every album. I've been listening to all of thier albums recently because my son has been getting into this group heavy. This is my favorite album of WR. BTW Ralph Towner plays 12 string guitar on The Moors; Very cool!

This album is for people who like experimental concert Jazz. It is much different than the funky stuff they did later.

A relic from the past, one of the precursers of modern fusion. The studio side is mild, sit in your chair and groove to jazz while doing some- thing else listening. However, the live side is jump out of your seat and play along music! A classic from my highschool days that any jazz fan will enjoy.

This album has its moments, but what moments they are! The original idea of Weather Report, in Joe Zawinul's words, was that "we're always soloing and never soloing"--meaning that the music was improvised, but the improvisations were geared toward the overall composition, not flashy displays of show-off technical virtuosity. Added to this was Zawinul's strong compositional bent; for him, a composition wasn't just head/solo/head, i.e. a vehicle for soloing, it was a setting, a story, a drama, albeit a very "atmospheric" tale, but that was part of the style of the era. Listen to Zawinul's "Pharoah's Dance" on "Bitches Brew" and you'll hear the same approach at work.

The tales on the studio side of this album are very often achingly beautiful, but those moments can be fleeting. "Unknown Soldier" is remarkably lyrical and moving, at least before and after the "bombs away" middle section which is kind of literal and corny. "The Moors" is great, as is "Second Sunday in August": they both create lush, mysterious worlds that pull you in but remain for me, even after 30+ years of listening to them, elusive. "Crystal" might be OK, but whenever I listen to it I get distracted and laugh because I recall Zawinul's comments about Miroslav's playing an upright bass with a wah-wah: he said it sounded like a sick cat, and it was one of the reasons Zawinul fired him from the band.

The live side contains none of the lyricism of the studio side. No doubt the band is playing in top form, though Zawinul's got his Rhodes up to full distort level throughout, and Eric Gravatt, while energetic, sounds sloppy. It's more like what a traditional jazz afficiando would like, a high-energy and virtuosic display, but it's a frustration for me: the studio side started to approach a level of compositional development approaching the cinematic/narrative ("movies in your head", which is what Hendrix said he was trying to get his music to be like), which was a major leap in jazz, but it was subsequently forsaken by the band for its "funk you up" approach.

Anyway, get the album, if you don't like the studio concepts you'll be impressed by the live performance, and if you like the studio concept, there are enough good moments to make it worthwhile. And maybe you'll like both approaches.

Two bits of trivia:

1. The album title was from Walt Whitman, not Ray Bradury.

2. The introduction to the live side, the chat by the Japanese master of ceremonies, was sampled and used by rap group A Tribe Called Quest on their song "Mr. Mohammed".