Customer Reviews

Upside Downside

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

 

 

In my opinion this and "Between the Lines" are Mike's best works. Maybe I'm biased since Dave Weckl plays on both of them. This album is filled with beautiful music that anyone can appreciate.

I've had this on cassette for years and just had to have it on CD. Mike displays his talent with super clean and very dirty guitar playing that any Stern fan, or music fan, will enjoy.

All in all this album is a must for anyone who appreciates great music performed by great musicians!

Stern was known for his work in the late seventies with Blood, Sweat and Tears and a brief tenure in the Miles Davis in the early eighties.

It was this album that really displayed the full scope of his talents. As pal Brecker put it, "Sten is a prolific composer." This album really displays his talents as both a composer and player as well as any.

While the running time is a bit short, but there's a lot to like here. Stern's guitar sings on the ballads, and is smoking hot on numbers like Scuffle.

I find this a more consistently powerful disc than some of his later releases...

Shawn

This is Stern's debut solo outing and it finds him in excellent company with fellow fusion guitarist Hiram Bullock at the producers chair. The compositions are interesting and varied. The individual performaces are very good and the album sounds like a tight band. Stern's amazing solo on the Jeff Andrews (bass) composition "Little Shoes" alone is worth the price of admission. I find Stern's overdrive tones more organic - sweeter - here than on his newer work. Highly recommended.

This is a great album! Mike Stern doesn't sound as "polite" on this album, as on his later ones. The same goes for the other players like Dave Weckl on drums. Every tune is great, chanching from ballads to screaming jazz-rock; David Sanborn is playing a beautiful solo on a ballad, and the late Jaco Pastorius is also palying on a tune where everyone seems (sounds) to have a good time. The guitarsolos are absolut killers!

there was one of the samples i had to click on mike played with jaco some years ago live at some gig in new york and they did a tune called after you the revisit of the song the way mike delves it out is superb made me realize how beautiful that song was when they shared that moment there are other tunes on the album that are fantastic you wont be disappointed if you are into jazz this is off the charts...

This is a great album, superbly played, with soulful compositions and tasteful improvisations.
I only have one reserve, and here's why the four stars: how is that most of these jazz/fusion/cjazz composers seem to only know and use 4/4 signature?
There are other time signatures you know?
This is the reason why this and other similar albums become boring after some time: there are good chord changes, good solos, but monotonous time signature. At the end of the album, this makes your ears tired.

I'll keep this short. I have seen Mike in various band incarnations, have all of his solo albums, and many of his collaborations. This album is my personal favorite! The songs, composition, solos, production, and the inclusions of Mike's long time friend (now sadly deceased) Jaco Pastorius are benchmark stuff of legend! Every song on here is so memorable, every note carries so much weight, all performances seem to be the blueprint for which the rest of his solo career would follow. I compare every new Mike Stern album (perhaps unfairly?) to this first album. This one is still the pure, undimmed beacon of genius combining great writing, inspired improvisational soloing, and a unmistakable and hard to define "sound of Jazz", in one six song CD. The first track Upside Downside is beyond description! Just a screaming, over the top, adrenaline soaked thrill ride full of tasteful playing. Mike's tune with Jaco "Mood Swings" is equally thrilling, hugely memorable, and uniquely musical. All songs on here are worth review and mention, but some things just need to be discovered for one's self. A MUST OWN for any guitarist, or serious lover of music or jazz/fusion! Too long out of print, this version is sonically transparent as one would hope, allowing listeners to bask in the genius production by now deceased Hiram Bullock. But this while you still can!!!!

upside downside is a great title for this cd. as the songs are total jazz numbers, they are played with a real jeff beck, rock attitude, and guitar tone. stern really wails, on the opening track, and lets you know right away, that he has all the chops he needs for his medium. although i have a number of his albums, this one just has that special vibe, that will put it on your list of top albums.

micawber999

Mike Stern has a long resume as a session axeman with some mean licks. There are some technically fantastic tracks on this album, but only one stands out for me, Mood Swings, with Jaco Pastorius on bass - enough said. It stands head, shoulders and hips above the others. However, all the other tracks are well produced, all sound good, and have that mid-eighties fusion feel to them that is no bad thing.

Mike Stern's debute isn't very long but still great. Scuffle is
one of Mike's best songs ever and guitarsolo is absolute tuff. Ballad's (Goodbye again and After you) aren't so wonderful but
other songs are just great, expecially Scuffle!