ROMANTIC WARRIOR

Take 4 "out of this world" musicians and provide them with all the self expression freedom and research prog genre can give; add of course a dose of good taste and inspiration; result : "Romantic Warrior".

This record is a landmark for many reasons. 1st : Not only Germans (Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerck) were experiencing electronic music; in USA Mr. Larry Fast ground-broke with "Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra" (1974) (and in France Jean Michel Jarre did it too with "Oxygen" (1976) - hey, forget the commercial Jarre, "Oxygen" is first class electronic prog ). Larry Fast also upgraded NEKTAR in "Recycled" (1975) with his innovative use of synthesizers. In my modest this side of the world opinion, CHICK COREA was influenced by this trend, as "R. Warrior" presents "surrealistic" prog specially in awesome tracks 1,2,5 and 6.

I read Sinkadotentree review and he seems to like more the previous RETURN TO FOREVER albums than "R. Warrior". It's easy to understand his opinion as the 3 previous records I'm also fan from 1973, 74 and 75 presents breathtaking technical skill performance melted with top sentimental prog inspiration. We are talking about gifted musicians. But "R. Warrior" incorporates a different vanguard sound.

2nd : Mr. Lenny White and Stanley Clarke ( How can they do that ?! ) who really knows how to GO WITH A SWING. Before BEATLES here are the roots of all future rock acts : the Black American music. Prog came from Europe which music scale comes from classic music composers (Bach, Mozart and so on), they are always within 7 harmonic notes, no matter how difficult is classic music execution, we are inside an harmonic scope, we are safe with beautiful soundscapes. So Jazz breaks it with the dissonant note expanding and opening horizons to create. (Is this why Keith Emerson who use jazzy elements goes where Rick Wakeman don't step ?)

So in "R. Warrior" we have the authentic happy and free swing rhythm section meeting beautiful emotional arrangements from classic music. Ad to it aesthetic breaks, synth innovations, mid 70's top sound quality and cover productions; incredible as always Al di Meola on guitars; surely RETURN TO FOREVER made a little revolution to metamorphose Jazz-rock into prog with "R. Warrior" !