JAN HAMMER GROUP: MELODIES

"Too Much to Lose" is such a killer opening track. A show of talents, a show of excellent songwriting, specifically unto the normal goals of a "Pop song." Right off the bat, very clearly a continuation of the slickly produced, funk-inflected second-wave(?) Fusion of JEFF BECK (culminating in his mid-70s releases Blow By Blow in 1975, and Wired in 1976, the latter featuring HAMMER). And unsurprising at that, as Jeff performed alongside the Jan Hammer Group in 1976, releasing their "eponymous" release March that next year.

Very interesting to me is track 3, "I Sing", a mostly acoustic track with sharp pointed guitar trills (simply beauty captured on tape, in my opinion), soft and low background strings (I assume cello) and layers upon layers of otherwise a capella vocals. The vocals throughout this release are really quite good.

More tracks have a different Jeff Beck-inspired sound, such as "Honey 5379" and "Window of Love", hearkening back to his early work with his JEFF BECK GROUP; though technologically very clearly in 1977, not 1972, for better or for worse. That's up to you, I suppose.

I have to know, especially sparked upon hearing "Hyperspace", which is just an ingenious way of sonically building using strings (so incredibly epic, definitely one of the most interesting tracks here): Was it actually Jan, and not JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, who had the greatest affinity for "classical strings" in Jazz Fusion? Jan did so happen to continue collaborating with violinist JERRY GOODMAN outside of (and both after) MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA. Just struck me. Certainly not going to suggest that Jan's breadth or diversity is greater than that of McLaughlin. Not sure this can even necessarily be debated.

Anyways, good album. Worth hearing.

My personal highlights: T1, T3, T8, T9, T10