Customer Reviews

Venusian Summer

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

holy crap, was I surprised at how good this record was!
i got it on a chance because i like stanley clarkes self titled solo album so much, featuring Bill Connors. i thought this might be good too, and it is!
This record features great tunes,some freaky prog stuff, and great playing, especially the guitar work. An awesome long solo by Ray Gomez, and the last track features trading leads between dimeola and coryell.
if you are into 70s fusion this is mighty fine indeed.

This is definitely one of the very best classical (mid 70's) jazz/rock fusion albums ever produced. It has everything from haunting beauty to some of the most intense yet melodic instrumental work you'll ever hear! As a DJ, whenever I played this on the radio, people would call frantically wanting to know what it was. A must-have for fans of the genre.

Ahhhh when fusion was raw and true. Why can't they all sound like this? Uncompromising, focused, sophisticated, raw, energetic, intense. With special guests Coryell and DiMeola. This is a very well-conceived disc. And once track three begins just sit back , be still, and let it soak in. Orchestrated by Dr. Patrick Gleeson this cd will not let you down and is a rare find. While Lenny may have not been the first choice for Return to Forever (Chick tried to get Steve Gadd) this album showed why he was the BEST choice for that fusion super group.

If this cd blows your mind, then acquiring another lenny white album of the time, "The adventures of the astral pirates", should become your mission in life. This is a concept album that follows a bunch of funked out pirates throughout their space adventures. It does not get any more fuseafunkafied then that! Combine the likes of Eygpt, fusion, stewed cabbage and galactic beans, some handy drum work, a plot, spaceships, and the twisted antics of the 70's and you're getting close.

This album features the fine guitar work of Al DiMeola & Larry Coryell along with the extraordinary drumming of Lenny White. One of the great lost fusion albums, finally out on CD! The duel between Al & Larry on "Prince Of The Sea" is amazing!

I have no problem giving this album 5 stars or more! The drummer from Return to Forever delivers an incredible fusion album that never got the recognition it deserves! David Sancious does his usual wonderful job on keyboards on a few tunes. And the closing finale piece has superlative playing by fusion guitar legends Larry Coryell and Al DiMeola (they each take one long solo, then they trade alternating solos at the end...an album highlight, for sure!). Billed as a concept album (as hard as it is to do that with an instumental album), this CD features influences of jazz, rock, funk, an occasional drift into classical, and just GREAT performances by all the musicians involved, although I don't remember recognizing any of the personnel other than those I have mentioned. Wonderful guitar solos are plentiful........keyboards solos pop up here and there.......there's even a flute solo in there somewhere. And of course, Lenny's drumming is spectacular, as always. Lenny wrote or cowrote most of the songs.....although his fusion mindset on this album is much different (more rockin') than the tunes he wrote for Return to Forever. Still, if you like fusion and you're a Return to Forever fan, this is an overlooked classic that you just have to hear! Take my word for it!! Don't pass this one up!!!

I've had this album in vinyl for years and loved that it came out on CD. Lenny White's playing is what is always was, and continues to be...GREAT! He brings on board for this journey his fellow bandmate in Return to Forever, Al DiMeola on guitar, as well as guitar greats Coryell and Gomez, with the late Doug Rauch playing his unique bass style. There's funk for those that want to groove and jazz fusion for those that want to hear some great improvisational playing. The track, Prince of the Sea, is a standout in my opinion, and as a young drummer in the mid 70's it influenced me tremendously. You can't go wrong with this album and it should be part of any 70's fusion collection.

Fusion at it's best!!

Lenny is one my favorite artists because he took risks. His humor, ("Chicken-Fried Steak" "Away Those Truobles Down The Drain")heart and vision ("Venusian Summer" "Prince Of The Sea") are evident on "Venusian Summer."

In an interveiw, Stanley Clarke credits White as being the main creative force behind Return To Forever. I'll agree with that!

I bought the vinyl album when it came out in the 70s as it featured some of the musicians that influenced me most around that time.
The superb bass playing of Doug Rauch and on Guitar the often overlooked Raymond Gomez (on "Mating drive")and of course then upcoming guitarhero Al DiMeola ( check out his first solo outing "Land of the Midnight Sun",still his best) and one of my longtime heros Larry Coryell(always liked his earlier jazzier stuff best)are all featured here nicely alongside the drumming of one of the great drummers of JazzRock.
Lenny White's playing is typical for the time ,long rolls over lots of heavy toms ( just like B.Cobham / Michael Walden / Alphonse Mouzon and all these guys..) and nowadays I would say maybe a bit over the top sometimes.
He is a very good player which you can easily hear on some of the swinging stuff he also played ( there is an interesting album with -believe it or not - Chaka Khan,very jazzy and swinging..)with Jazzgreats.
I think particularly "Prince of sea" and "Mating drive" (which used to make the 2.side of the vinyl album)are most creativ and show the superb Virtuosity of the guitarplayers.
I still like "Romantic Warrior" (Return to Forever) better but this is definetly a gem amongst the fusion music of that time.
It wasn't available for a very long time and I think that must have been because of some copyright situation as the LP also had "Lady Madonna",the Beatles song on it which is now missing on the CD (well,at least my LP had it).
Anyone interested in this type of music should definetly get it.

All tracks different in character -- and excellent. Players include some real heavyweights. Not lightweight stuff -- listen-to music, not elevator music. I would buy it again.