THE ELEVENTH HOUSE: LEVEL ONE

The second Eleventh House album is not much different from the debut. Trumpet is less prominent as the player has changed so there's more spotlight for guitar and keyboards. The sounds is a bit more polished. Intensity stays the same, there are two-three high-intensity fusion numbers.

The title track starts off on the Mahavishnu Orchestra theme and is well composed. "The other side" is already a typical Eleventh House track with plenty of jamming and pulsating rhythm by Mouzon. Interplay is fiery. "Diedra" is a catchy, almost commercially friendly track. "Some greasy stuff" will be denied by many fusion purists due to its funky and simplified execution, it's closer to jazz-funk than fusion. "Nyctaphobia" is a 100mph excellent tour-de-force with all players flying in the clouds. Catchy main motive and captivating solos by guitar, trumpet and finally also the keyboard player. "Suite" is the most complex piece even having prog-rock elements and compositional complexity. Coryell is excelling with intensive playing. Rock'n'roll comes into play with "Struttin' with love" but things somehow don't get fired up until the end. "That's the joint" improves the impression by getting back to busy fusion and a bit bombastic sound.