Customer Reviews

Way Back Home

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

 

 

OK, I know Box Sets are expensive, and you want to know you are getting your money's worth. No worry here! If you like "The Crusaders", jazz, jazz-funk, or just good music (Duke Ellington said there are only two kinds of music - good and bad!), this is an AWESOME 4 disc set of great music. Just put all four discs in your changer and groove for hours! You won't hit the skip button on a single song. This group was the epitome of jazz-funk of the 60's and 70's. I cannot say enough about this set. It was the best music dollars I have ever spent.

The music on this set is terrific and the choice of music to put here is excellent. If you have an album/CD or two of the Crusaders and are looking for an easy way to survey their career then this collection is made for you and you'll not be disappointed.

The musicianship and sound quality are first-rate throughout, no complaints there. I have two minor complaints. First the track order _may_ have made sense to whoever assembled this but not to me. Its not chronological nor is it in any other logical sequence that I can figure out. Within an indivdual CD, tracks are arranged in groups by the original release, but material from the same LP often appears on more than one CD. It may be that there was an attempt to group similar sounding tracks together--in any case, it makes it less useful as a history of the group but sounds fine. Second, the packaging is a flat box with the size of an LP--fine if you have LP-sized storage, not-so-good if your storage is CD-sized.

Despite the niggles, and they are that, this is a set of great music and I enjoy it a lot. If you like jazz fusion, so will you!

The first comprehensive package of The Crusaders groundbreaking work covers all aspects of the groups career. Spread over four CD's, this set covers their early recordings on Pacific Jazz and Chisa(when it was distributed by Motown), but the real meat of this package are the groups work that was originally released on Blue Thumb and MCA. Most notable are the seven tracks from The Crusaders inexplicably out-of-print(domestically) 1971 classic "Crusaders 1". The funky "Put It Where You Want It" defines jazz/funk, and their excellent cover of Carole King's "So Far Away" are definite highlights. Other great tracks include, "A Ballad For Joe (Louis)", " Scratch", and "Street Life". The box itself is 12 x 12 square and opens up like a hardcover book. The package was supervised by The Crusaders long time producer Stewart Levine and features a nicely annotated booklet, with photos and a great overview of the group's history. Long time fans will love this set. New fans discovering this innovative bands' work for the first time, you won't be disappointed.

I purchased this box set about ten years ago at a time when many of these tracks were unavailable. When I opened it and discovered an empty space where the booklet should belong, I thought I had a product that was improperly assembled by the manufacturer. I exchanged it for another box. When it arrived I discovered something. This box set has no book. It doesn't even have any info about the tracks. The new box was damaged in transit and had to be returned yet again for another box with no booklet. At least it was not damaged. Of course now it is easy to look up track info if you have a computer. The Crusaders are one of my favorite groups and Joe Sample is one of the greatest keyboard players of all time. I wish they had done a better job of putting together this box set.

Post script: Feb 21, 2010,
I recently purchased this box set and there is an accompaning booklet. However, pages are missing. Basically, the first section and the last section which also has the track info are missing. I don't know if they are all like this or if the error has been corrected on more recent pressings. Nick

"So Far Away", "A Ballard For Joe Louis", "Put It Where You Want It" (which was showcased in an episode of the Cosby Show),nothing comes close to the work that these guys put in to bridge the gap between jazz and funk in the late 70's early 80's. My favorite Crusaders piece is "Lillies Of The Nile" off the Southern Comfort lp which is included in this collection. The smoothness of the bassline sucks you in and the trombone solo blows you away. Like every Crusaders piece you never know what to expect but you are kept breathless in anticipation of greatness and you are never dissapointed in their groove. "Way Back Home", "Put It Where You Want It", and the standard "Street Life" make this box set a treasure.

This is a great box set with much(but by no means all)of their best material. I'm glad that they included something from the "Unsung Heroes" album, but considering their output over the years, any any attempt at a "Best Of" compilation would be like trying to stuff a 13-course Roman meal in a doggie bag, thus the inevitable ommission("New Time Shuffle", for one example). Someone reviewing a '70's greatest hits collection of theirs said any one of us could come up with our own Crusader's "greatest hits" package and it would be every bit as good as the one he was reviewing, there is that much material to choose from. That's a compliment to the group and the quality of their music.This is a very fine collection, which should also encourage anyone to seek out the original recordings(which is what I am doing now!!)

I'm glad to see that they included something from the "Unsung Heroes" album(Crossfire, fine Wayne Henderson). There was another version of "Freedom Sound" that I liked better than the one on this collection, but all in all this is first rate music by one of the greatest jazz groups of all time, one that was not afraid to actually connect with an audience musically instead of playing over people's heads(You should read the interview that they did in Downbeat magazine in the mid 70's-Stix Hooper's comments especially-they discuss this issue at length). As for the title of my review, if only every album that they have ever done was still in print....

Purchased this item as a gift for my brother, he was blown away. I've listened to some of the tracks and I have to say that it appears to me to be one of the best collections I have come across. If you're a fan of the Crusaders you won't be disappointed, this is a wonderful set that shows the talent and diversity of these amazing musicians.

the Crusaders have always been One of My All-Time Favorite Musical Acts Ever.there Fusion of Music has no limits.here you get a tight cover of the Beatles "Eleanor Rigby"(Which Happens to Be my Favorite Beatles Song they Ever did)"Sweet&N Sour",is the Jam dig that whole Built Up&Vamp.the way the horns kick In&Groove.Stewart Levine&The Crusaders Strike a Great Balance on all fronts.the Arrangements just got stronger&full of more Fusion&Risk with each passing Album&they always seem to explore another Musical Direction&Make it work.I Listen to this Box Set at least Once a Month.The Crusaders are one of the Greatest Musical Bands in any Style or Era for me.