Depending on who you talk to, 1975's Mystic Voyage is either a classic or an example of a talented musician lowering his
standards in order to make more money. Many
funk and
soul aficionados consider Mystic Voyage a classic, and the album has been sampled extensively by hip-hop and
acid jazz artists. But
jazz snobs have about as much use for Mystic Voyage as they have for
George Benson's Breezin' and
Patrice Rushen's Pizzazz, both of which found artists who used to specialize in straight-ahead
jazz burning up the
Billboard charts with more commercial music. Mystic Voyage doesn't pretend to be
jazz; its primary focus is
r&b, and it must be judged by
r&b standards instead of
jazz standards. Judging Mystic Voyage by
jazz standards is like ordering a pizza and complaining that it doesn't taste like Vietnamese food; pizza isn't supposed to resemble Vietnamese cuisine, and similarly, Mystic Voyage isn't meant to impress
jazz's hardcore. The only tune on the album that has anything to do with
jazz is the title track, a laid-back pop-jazz instrumental that became a favorite with the
quiet storm crowd. But Mystic Voyage is dominated by vocal-oriented
r&b, and that includes gritty
funk items like "Funky Motion," "Evolution," and "Spirit of Doo Do," as well as
Ashford & Simpson's mellow "Take All the Time You Need." Although Mystic Voyage is a favorite among
Ayers fans, it isn't the best
r&b-oriented album that he recorded in the 1970s -- Vibrations and Everybody Loves the Sunshine are actually stronger and more essential. But it's definitely enjoyable and pleasing if you fancy 1970s
soul and
funk and aren't a
jazz snob. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
