Search - Weather Report :: Tail Spinnin' (Mlps)

The Verdict on this newly remastered WP CD

Brian Whistler | Forestville, CA United States | 05/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This review strictly concerns itself with the quality of the remaster, not the album, which I already reviewed and gave 5 stars to.



I just A B'd the Bob Belden american remaster with this one. I noticed that Mark Wilder was involved in the dsd mastering on both projects, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that the difference between the two is not enormous. In fact, initially the Bob Belden supervised 2002 remaster sounded better, well not exactly better, but louder and more powerful on the bottom. But on closer inspection, I thought I noticed a wider dynamic range in the japanese master as well as more transparency in the cymbals and upper mids to highs in general, without sounding at all harsh.



No question, this IS a quality remaster, but if you already own the 2002 remaster, I don't think this is going to be worth it, except perhaps to collectors who might appreciate the perfect replica of the original sleeve design, including insert.



I am more curious about the WP cds in this set that didn't receive the Belden treatment, such as Mr Gone or the first couple of releases. I will report my findings as I listen to these other releases.



Last thoughts after living with these for a few months. The bass IS weaker. There's simply not enough bass energy in these remasters. I would stay away and wait for Belden to get his hands on those not yet given his musical treatment. These "Wilder" versions are clinically accurate (perhaps,) but lack the excitement in the bottom to make listening to them fun.



Because of the negative votes on my review I have decided to include my actual review of the content of the CD which hopefully, will make this review more helpful to those who are more interested in content than audio quality. As for my opinion of this remaster: I am sticking with my final assessment of this japanese reissue: The 2002 Belden version rocks it. Its simply more musical.



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I don't understand the tepid reviews of this album. It is one of my favorites of all time in any genre. It stands the test of time, sounding vibrant as ever some 30 years down the road. It is as contemporary today as ever, being the bedrock on which virtually all world jazz is built on. And for the most part, (with a few notable exceptions,) they did it more convincingly and with less self consciousness than anything being done today.



When I first bought the vinyl I back in 1975 I was hoping for the same great energy as Mysterious Traveler and was initially disappointed. It took almost a year before I revisited this album. Perhaps I had matured enough to appreciate it by then, but it eventually it became one of my all time favorites, and it still ranks up there with my absolute favorite Weather Report recordings.



This was a transitional period for the band. Miroslav was out and Alfonso Johnson's funkier bass was now driving the bottom, enabling the band to move in a whole other direction. It's a great blend of wild jamming and tight compositions. Starting right out of the gate, The Man with the Green shirt is one of the great Zawinul compositions. It is Joy itself, an unselfconscious ecstatic celebration of Life.



There are no fillers here. Luisitanos, a quintessential Shorter composition exhibits all the classic Shorter touches, angular and emotional yet cooly logical in its phrasing. It features Joe in a (then) rare acoustic piano solo, simultaneously at his most relaxed and most burning. 'Between the Thighs' is a loose, rambling space-funk romp, yet is it also full of complex tutti passages and rhythmic depth .It's got a lot of thorny ensemble writing, yet it unfurls as naturally as a peacock spreads its feathers. It's as though the whole band is hooked up here, interacting and relating as one. It takes the listener on a journey to the swamplands of the Mississippi Delta, the high desert in north africa, and winds up in a party somewhere in the tropics on Mars. I have taken that trip a thousand times, yet every time they play that dreamy part with the tubular bells it takes my breath away. I think Stravinsky (as well as Ellington) would've gotten a kick out of this music.



Badia is an incredibly prescient view into areas musicians would be exploring some thirty years hence, but this was 1975(!), and these gentlemen were already masters of world jazz, a genre yet to be named and in many ways never surpassed. 'Freezing Fire' is another burning Shorter composition, and in it's afterglow, the album winds down with the reflective and intriguing, ''Five Short Stories', another great Zawinul composition.



Because of the joy and affirmation it communicates, I play this CD on special occasions, when I am feeling like I need a boost, or when I feel most alive, and embarassing as it might be to admit it, sometimes I'll put on candles, turn off the lights and dance to it! For this is a CD that embodies the Dance of Life."