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Passport - Looking Thru CD (album) cover

LOOKING THRU

Passport

 

Jazz Rock/Fusion

3.38 | 78 ratings

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Bonnek
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Fourth Passport album and again Doldinger assembled an entirely new line-up around him. But this time he gathered some musicians around him that would stick around for not less then 3 albums. During this period, the dominance of the sax is matched by various keyboards, marking a definite change in sound that was certainly welcome.

The basis of the songwriting is still the same, namely easy going mid-paced dub and funk rhythms with bouncy bass loops, and saxophone and synths providing the occasional catchy melody. Due to the prominent synths, the sound got bigger and brighter, a bit spacier even, much like instrumental Gong from around the same period and the later Ozric Tentacles.

While the above hints at an improved listening experience, the actual songs are generally too tame and predictable to make much impact. The previous Passport albums always made for good background music, but most songs of this album are too fluffy for comfort. Especially Rockport, Tarantula and Ready for Take Off are frustratingly poppy and mark an unwelcome change from nice background fusion to disturbing elevator jazz. Well at least for my taste.

With Looking Thru', Passport forged an interesting new sound for themselves but the songwriting simply doesn't measure up for me. 2.5 stars, the next one would tie everything nicely together.

Bonnek | 3/5 |

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