ATMOSPHERES (FEATURING CLIVE STEVENS AND FRIENDS)

Clive Steven's idea of a project had grandiose line-up and unfortunately, such a stellar membership has not done much for this album's reputation and memory, since hardly anyone remembers it and the album (and its follow-up) has yet to receive a Cd reissue. Not that the music on the album is revolutionary or groundbreaking ? this is close to an early jazz- rock ala Mwandishi, Nucleus and Bitches Brew, but we are in 74 ? but it is the type of album that consolidates the genre.

Obviously, one of the strong points of this album is the Laird-Cobham section, which is obviously used to playing together, thus giving the greater freedom for the others to improvise at lengths. Indeed, composition-wise, all of the tracks are written by Clive Stevens, but the least we can say is that this is a minimum service, since the improvs are taking voluntarily most of the space. Don't get me wrong, the album is of an excellent level, both in collective cohesion (excellent interplaying between all participants) and solo-wise, where they all shine like a thousand suns. As Clive Stevens' is the project leader, you'd expect him to grab a lot of aural space with his wing instrument, which is often the case, but he allows this two guitarists space (namely in Earth Spirit and Nova 72), and Abercrombie shines particularly in Yesterday Today & Tomorrow with his electric guitar. Towner's Rhodes playing is very much in like with Hancock or Zawinul, especially in All Day Next Week.

Hopefully someday, a Cd reissue of Atmospheres' two albums will see the light of day, but in the meanwhile, you'll have to chance on the vinyls, which I'm sure are getting scarce. Nothing groundbreaking (it actually seems to be a bit late on the ball), but certainly worth throwing an ear on it.

Raw Jazz-Rock Fuse from Bristol, England-born bandleader Clive Stevens. Recorded in New York City on February 5th, 1972, with reputedly no rehearsals (three months before the demise and official breakup of John McLaughlin's first incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra), why it took over two years for this album to be released is a mystery I'd like to know more about. Seeing this lineup of all-stars, I found myself especially curious--and excited--to hear this.

A1. "Earth Spirit" (5:30) opening with Rick Laird's bass right up front and center, then Billy Cobham's hi-hat, and Ralph Towner's dirty Fender Rhodes before Clive Stevens' soprano sax and the two guitarists join in, taking turns with Clive soloing over the top. Nice R&B-based groove, nice jam, nice melodies, not as nice sound engineering as on the band's next album. (9/10)

A2. "Nova '72" (5:52) the Mahavishnu rhythm section make themselves known right from the opening notes of this one, a fine piece of jazz-rock fusion that seems to suggest that the funk-rock direction might have been the direction half of the MO had wanted to travel when they were falling apart. Billy's drumming is rock solid while Rick Laird's bass play is fluid and attention-grabbing--as is the great Fender Rhodes play of Ralph Towner. Clive is the leader and his tenor sax is awesome though I am not much of a fan of the sax (except in big band horn section lineups); still, Clive's play is more enjoyable than 90% of the other sax players/solos I've heard. I find myself glad for guitarist Steve Khan and John Abercrombie's assignations to background positions. (9.25/10)

A3. "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" (6:40) a cool, danceable, almost-Earth, Wind & Fire rhythm track is established with Billy Cobham once again performing in his most commanding, rock channel with Rick Laird holding down the funk while Ralph Towner and the two guitarists literally flail away at their instruments beneath Clive's soprano sax solo. This one is interesting! How Billy and Rick can hold it together while Fender Rhodes and two electric guitars are livin' their best lives above! But somehow the craziness works! It blends, it fuses, it flows! Weird! (9.33333/10)

B1. "Astral Dreams" (9:21) another R&B track is established straight out of the gate while odd percussion instruments are employed with more restrained and conformed rhythm play from Towner, Khan, and Abercrombie. Nice melodies instituted by Clive on a treated soprano sax--solid enough to allow him to wander off every switch in motif into some pretty cool solos before coming back to the main melody. At 3:00 the band moves into a kind of dreamy bridge that allows them to reset before picking right up where they left off. A very melodic, almost STEELY DAN-like jam that really works for me. At 4:55 Steve Khan gets his first turn at an isolated solo--and it's decent (with special thanks going out to Billy Cobham for his awesomely dynamic support)! Rick Laird is just killing it: holding his own melody-production seminar despite all that's going on around him. Ralph is next on his Fender Rhodes before giving it up to Clive again-- with Billy again flailing wildly in the bridges. (Wish his drums were recorded better--and mixed more integrally into the overall mix.) (18.5/20)

B2. "All Day Next Week" (6:50) opening as a sophisticated multi-themed jazz pop piece, the song shifts into smooth jazz-rock at 1:15 for a different motif before coming back to the more sophisticated jazz-pop at the end of the second minute. The laying back for soloing begins thereafter with Fender Rhodes, electric guitars (Steve and John each getting a turn) before Clive gets his say. Again, the play of Rick Laird over Billy's rock-solid drumming is so important! so necessary to the freedom offered to each of the other instrumentalists. The song never really presents us with anything extraordinary (other than Rick Laird's amazing and melodic bass play), but it's still great. (13.75/15)

B3. "The Parameters of Saturn" (5:47) an experimental foray into the crazy world of free-jazz with each and every instrumentalist going off in their own directions, some quite melodically (like the anchoring effect of Clive's calming sax), some more freely without regard for melody or matching rhythms with the others. Interesting and, because of Clive's calming presence in the eye of the hurricane, surprisingly listenable! (8.875/10)

I must say that, despite poor sound representation of Billy Cobham's drums, he and fellow Mahavishnu Orchestra alum Rick Laird put on a clinic on how important the rhythm section is to the confidence and comfort of a band's individuals and whole. It is told that this was Billy and Rick's only studio session outside of John McLaughlin's torrid and demanding schedule during the entire run of the MO. Also, it's too bad that percussionist Harry Wilkinson (Larry Coryell)'s work is mixed so deeply into the soundscapes cuz we all know he can be a force.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of peak Jazz-Rock Fusion This is an album (and group)--like its successor--that deserves more attention with regards to its place in the history of the formation and evolution of Jazz-Rock Fusion.