WEATHER REPORT

A1 "Milky Way" (2:30) an atmospheric mood-setter by Joe and Wayne. (4.375/5)

A2 "Umbrellas" (3:24) an almost-funky (Miroslav does not quite have the comprehension for that which makes funk bass play yet) composition from the three principle songwriters is saved by a sharp turn in the final 45-seconds. Drummer Alphonse Mouzon and percussionist Airto Moreira are, surprisingly, not much better at bringing the funk. (8.66667/10)

A3 "Seventh Arrow" (5:20) an interesting song that seems to succeed despite not really hitting the funk on all cylinders nor presenting any melodies worthy of "earworm" status. I like Joe's use of experimental sounds from his electronic keyboard (a proclivity that he will continue to feed for the rest of his life). (8.75/10) A4 "Orange Lady" (8:40) soft and spacious (and drumless) sax and Fender Rhodes interplay for the first 3:30. Then spacey electric bass and playful percussives are allowed to join in. Interesting. Alphonse's wordless vocalese can be heard far in the studio background starting at the end of the sixth minute. I don't know if this was composer Joe Zawinul's intention, but the song has a simple, naïve lullaby-like feel. (17.25/20)

B1 "Morning Lake" (4:23) another spacious impressionistic lullaby--this time coming from the mind of Miroslav Vitous. Joe's creatively playful electric piano play is especially noteworthy. (8.75/10)

B2 "Waterfall" (6:18) a composition credited to Joe Zawinul, this one presents a whole-band weave that is the most satisfying on the album for its solid form and generous melody-making. (8.875/10)

B3 "Tears" (3:22) A Wayne Shorter tune, this one actually kicks in and moves--for several teasingly brief passages, dropping back to complete stops every 30-seconds or so each time it does. Alphonse Mouzon's very pleasant voice (again wordless vocalese) works very well here. Nice tune! (9.125/10)

B4 "Eurydice" (5:43) the only things that set this Wayne Shorter composition apart from more conventional jazz songs is its prominent placement of both Airto Moreira's playful percussion work and Joe's equally-prominent placement of his electric piano track despite its mostly-support role. Miroslav's walking basslines are constant and perhaps more critical to driving the song forward than Mouzon's drum play. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:55

One of the things that really set Weather Report on its own is present here, from the very start: that is, the lack of guitars. Obviously, Joe and Wayne really wanted to be considered more jazz-oriented (which seems a bit ironic with so many atmospheric/impressionistic songs to their credit) than rock plus, I'm sure, they wanted the sound experimentations of their own instruments to garner all of the attention. Too bad that the electric piano Joe used predominantly at this time sounds so much like that of children's television host Fred Rogers. And too bad that both Kenny G and Najee chose to use Wayne's soprano sax as their main tools.

B/four stars; a nice exposition of fresh ideas from this group of idealistic breakaway artists--two of whom had found a partner for fruitful collaboration that would last for quite some time.

1. "Boogie Woogie Waltz" (13:03) R&B infusing Afto-Caribbean rhythm. I like the loose, airy feel of this: a "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"-like song that feels as if the musicians are adding their contributions in small doses, not constantly or into an already-established weave (other than the percussion play). Also, I see/feel this as a response to Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Amazing how consistent is the restraint shown by the four core members: bassist Miroslav Vitous, keyboardist Joe Zawinul, soprano sax player Wayne Shorter, as well as Andrew White's electric bass guitar. Might be a stretch too long, but . . . (23/25)

2. "Manolete" (5:55) a very pleasant Wayne-Shorter soprano sax-led song that shows off some wonderful experimental wah-volume-controlled electric piano play by Joe Zawinul along with some great double bass and percussion play from supplemental percussionists Herschel Dwellingham on drums and Steve "Muruga" Booker on timpani. (9.25/10)

3. "Adios" (2:59) wind-chime-like hand percussives and serene keyboard washes provide the backdrop for Joe and Wayne to issue some very relaxing waves of their own. Nice tune. (9/10)

4. "125th Street Congress" (12:13) based on a free-form funk bass "line" that, for me, seems to preview all of the rap and hip for the next 15 years. Another weave from the percussion section (and two drummers) is surprisingly open and spacious, creating the perfect groove for Miroslav and Wayne to create their magic while at the same time allowing for lots of room for meditation--at least until the fifth minute when Joe chimes in with some rather abrasive and aggressive keyboard "noise." This soon disappears, leaving the groovy percussive groove for Miroslav and Wayne to feed off. Joe's next reentries are a little less alarming and usually a little more reflective of the work that Wayne is doing though for a time becoming part of (or bouncing off of) the "percussion" weave. A very engaging and eminently entertaining song. (22.5/25)

5. "Will" (6:20) a testural weave of percussives, both hand and cymbal play, coupled with Joe Zawinul's steady chord arpeggi of wah-effected electric piano provide the steady foundation for Miroslav and Wayne to play with the presentation of their own inputs: one short bursts of creative bass chords, the other long-held sedating breaths of soprano saxophone. Very hypnotic. (9/10)

6. "Non-stop Home" (3:52) another amorphous exploration of texture built with experimental sounds over the tight drumming of Eric Gravatt. After 80 seconds, Andrew White's deep electric bass, a second drummer, and an uncredited organ accompany the main melody as delivered through Wayne's sonorous (background) soprano sax notes and Joe's electric piano. Interesting. I like it. It's like a sort of étude. (9.25/10)

Total time 44:22

As I gert to know the world and music of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter I'm coming to believe that their vision is to explore textures more than form--to see how many permutations and combinations of textures they can come up with that will calm and/or soothe the audience/listener into contentment.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion--one that explores the gentler, more hypnotic groovin' side of said fusion.

Heavy Weather was also Weather Report's best selling record. It reached number 30 on the Billboard pop chart, quickly sold nearly half a million copies, and has subsequently gone gold (signifying sales of 500,000 copies). In his January 2001 Down Beat retrospective on the band, Josef Woodard said, "In 2000, Heavy Weather still sounds like a milestone in the cultural unconscious of jazz history. By some accounts, the album is the crowning achievement of the band's recorded output, and therefore, by extension, a towering landmark of 'fusion.'"

Birdland (10/10): Aggressive and gentle jazz with several steady basses and cymbals that warn of the coming rhythmic changes, the beautiful and sensual saxophone accompanying the brilliant melodies of the keyboards and basses. In my opinion, always the most important thing to take into account in an album is the ambience of the beginning... and by God! What a splendid way to start! I was really fascinated with the beauty and magic of the joyful and fantastic sounds that all the instruments made for such a brilliant entrance.

A Remark You Made (5/5): Here we go with a piece, this time, much more sensually intoned, that starts with a bass and a saxophone that, to specify a little, would appear in a movie in which the protagonist arrives tired and desolate of everything to a bar at night, and meets the love of his life for the first time... to give us an idea. A night melody, passionate and as ardent as the summer sun. And how can we forget that excellent piano that acts as an accomplice of the saxophone during the middle of the song, or that synthesizer that enters the scene, about a minute before the end of the song, with those futuristic sounds and so "satirical (to find a suitable term). And Pastorius' unmistakable bass is one thing that drives me crazy when I listen to this again.

Teen Town (6/10): Something faster and shorter. Ever present haihat and bass throwing out random melodies with the saxophone doing the same as if to give some ambience. This is more pure experimental than anything else, so I didn't find much to analyze, heh. it's good, but it doesn't convince me.

Harlequin (4/5): A slow keyboard start, and then something more groovy and with synthesizers creating a flying atmosphere. Something to highlight is the piano chaperone that finishes and helps the keyboard between verses. Like the previous track, this is also something more ambient and experimental. All very normal... until near the end, when the drums start to "get angry" and there are abrupt and cool breaks and solos that, to be honest, caught me by surprise and made me give the song some extra points.

Rumba Mama (2/5): It would all start with fade-in clapping that continues with what seems to be some strange stomping, and well... the guy yelling things I don't understand is something that was weird and I was kind of dumbfounded. I really like the percussion that follows that weird act. And meanwhile... the guy still yelling weird stuff... he doesn't seem to learn, but admit it made me laugh a little haha. And yes, he concludes the song with more applause.

Palladium (10/10): We continue with the aggressive and super happy funk music. This song is perfect from any point of view. A sweet melody, some rhythm changes and tuning algorithms from another world, the infallible sax and Yaco's bass, the pop atmosphere that is generated in the environment, the softness with which the synth plays with the background percussion .... Really admirable the work of the band. It's been a long time since I heard something so funk that moved me so much, besides, considering what we heard before with "Rumba Mama", it was a very "voluptuous" and sensational change. I felt like I went from listening to "Anarchy in the U.K. (Sex Pistols)" to "Anonymous II (Focus)", in a way.

The Juggler (4.5/5): First thing to note, I was fascinated by the keyboard riff at the beginning. It was very addictive to finish the track and play it again just to hear that. The drums, as always, starring the changes and the fierce speed so provocative to generate all the time super fluid and interesting rhythmic breaks. The atmosphere full of tension that is generated between the drum and the keyboard I loved it.

Havona (4/5): In this last part of the album the synthesizer takes initial prominence, creating chords and hopeful melodies, so to speak, that introduce us to the last track of "Heavy Weather", another aggressive Jazz, this time more accentuated to the intrepid and subtle, rather than to the passionate. A great piece of action and melodic percussion. I really like the clash he makes when he violently combines the pianos and drum with the cymbal.

I'm not a person who listened to a lot of instrumental stuff, but this really captivated and excited me too much, considering as I said before, the immortal beginning of this adventure. I think if it had lyrics, it would be just as fascinating, but meh..... I can't complain, tremendous piece of work!

8/10, 4 stars. Some of the most sensational and funkiest stuff I've heard in a long time.

Although Omar Hakum only performs on "Consequently" and Peter Erskine performs the drums on all other tracks, the remaining part of the core quintet lineup who recorded the two direct predecessors is intact: Joe Zawinul (keyboards/synths), Wayne Shorter (soprano & tenor saxophones), Victor Bailey (bass), and Mino Cinelu (percussion, vocals). Carlos Santana makes a guest guitar appearence on the opening title track and on "Man With the Copper Fingers", and his unmistakable playing style makes those songs stand out quite a bit. It´s not often Weather Report have included guitar on their music.

Stylistically the material on "This Is This" are relatively diverse and the listener is treated to ethnic world music styled fusion, ambient jazz rock/fusion ("I'll Never Forget You"), and a furiously fast played fusion track in "Update". If you´re familiar with the last couple of albums, you won´t be surprised by what "This Is This" has to offer. The musical performances are on a high level on all posts, and the album also features a well sounding production job, so while it´s certainly not the band´s most interesting release, it´s not a bad quality release either. On the other hand the choice to disband was probably the right one, as "This Is This" and the last couple of releases before that, only offer very little new and for the most part the music is lacking the edge of the band´s 70s heyday. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

"Procession" was the first Weather Report to more prominently feature vocals and lyrics, although the band had made brief experiments with vocals on earlier releases too. The trend to include vocals continues on "Domino Theory", which opens with the stunning "Can It Be Done" (sung by Carl Anderson), but Weather Report have not abandoned their jazz/fusion instrumental work, which is as impressive as ever on the 11:10 minutes long "Db Waltz", which follows. That track also features brief moments with vocals, but no lyrics. We ´re treated to funky and jazzy rhythms and bass work, Wayne Shorter´s exciting saxophone playing, and Joe Zawinul´s always intriguing and creative use of keyboards/synths.

While some of the material are quite brilliant, there are other times when I don´t think Weather Report quite hits the mark. "The Peasant" is for example unnecessarily long and becomes a little tedious with its ambient sound, and few climaxes. "Predator" features a lot of nice rhythmic playing, but it´s also a track which isn´t really leading to anywhere. The same can unfortunately be said about "Blue Sound Note 3", which is a relatively experimental affair, but again lacking direction and catchiness, until about 5 minutes in, when some melancholic saxophone melodies come in to save the day. "Swamp Cabbage" is decent enough, but not exactly a mind blowing track. I like the dark and haunting atmosphere of the title track, but it´s another ambient track, and "Domino Theory" could definitely have been a little more interesting with fewer ambient moments.

"Domino Theory" features a detailed, organic, and well sounding production. Some people may not appreciate some of the 80s synths choices, but Zawinul is a master of his craft, and anything he touches is at least interesting to listen to. Upon conclusion "Domino Theory" isn´t the greatest release by Weather Report. It starts out strong with "Can It Be Done" and "Db Waltz", which to my ears are the two best quality tracks on the album, but from then on the highlights are few and far between. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

The band was riding high after the previous album "Black Market" which was also successful, yet it still didn't beat "Heavy Weather" in terms of sales. That previous album introduced one of jazz's best bass players, Jaco Pastorius, but this new album would feature Pastorius as a regular member. His influence could be strongly felt in the style of the band, opening them up to less stringent songs. The music not only sounded less forced, but his amazing style reminded listeners of an instrument that could speak and that fit so naturally with the direction the band wanted to go in, a freer, more upbeat sound where all of the players were important. Jaco was not one to sit in the background and play a repetitive pattern, but could prove that bass could be upfront just like any of the other instruments. You can hear his playfulness throughout the entire album, and that drive pushed the rhythm section above and beyond many of the other fusion bands of the time.

The first half of the album starts off with the favorite "Birdland" that most everyone is familiar with and the infectious groove and style of that track definitely got everyone's attention. It is interesting that the remainder of the first half slows things down to songs that are more romantic sounding, mellow, yet still intriguing songs, yet Jaco's playing still stands out, yet it never overplays Zawinul's keys and guitars or Shorter's brass. However, when the record gets to "Harlequin", the interplay between the keys and the bass is simply outstanding. The 2nd half of the album is devoted to more upbeat tracks with the album's weakest moment "Rumba Mama" opening it up with crazy percussion. It's simply the weakest moment because the track is way too short. It is recorded live, which is fine, and it works it's way up to where it sounds like it is going to just take off, and then it's over. However, the remaining 3 tracks more than make up for this with happier and groovier sounds and leaving the best track "Havona" top close it all out. The feeling I get when I get to this point is, I want to hear more.

The reissue that was released with the box set in 2014 does exactly that. Three live tracks that really bring the excitement of their live shows right to your living room (or wherever your sound system is located). There is a 9 minute live version of the previous album's "Black Market" that sounds better than ever. The biggest pleasant surprise is the live version of "Teen Town", which comes from this album in a less than 3 minute version, now stretched out to over 6 minutes. This is what the band could do in concert, even with what might be considered their less important songs. Now it takes on a new life where it becomes just as important and great as any of the band's best. The last track is a faster paced version of "Birdland", also live.

This album shows this band at some of it's best, and if you were to only own one of their albums, this would be the one to get. But make sure you pay attention to the way this band functions so well together. And just listen to that amazing bass. If there wasn't anything else great about this album, just the bass alone would merit that album's inclusion in your collection, but fortunately, everything about this album is perfect. This is one I would consider essential to any fusion lover's collection, and even any prog collection.

As a self-proclaimed prog head coming out of the 70's and appreciating more of the jazz sound in music, fusion groups like Weather Report were a natural fit for me when I discovered this album during the early 80's. (Hey, it was either fusion or groups like Wham! - I made the right decision... ;-) "Heavy Weather" made enough use of synthesizers to soothe my prog yearnings, while I reveled in the jazzy excursions on which these masters took me. Just fantastic songwriting from all members of the band, and clever execution as true virtuosos on their respective instruments. My only regret is that it entertains us for a mere 38 minutes!

For a bass lover like myself, of course I was additionally drawn to the unique and jaw-dropping craftsmanship displayed by Mr. Pastorius. With the exception of some of his work with Joni Mitchell, this may have been his best stuff.

Others here have already lavished suitable praise in critique of this album. I wish only to add my voice to the throng. This album is it. It's heavy, man.