WAVES

Waves is the second of the Island releases and one of the main reasons for controversy with the Elements anthology. The album begins with some very quiet drumming, helping to create an atmosphere of a distant exotic land. This ends and is followed by the slowly growing roar of a large wave going by. The Elements anthology cut the birds and drumming for the sake of space. The band was not happy with the choice, for the whole mood is shifted by the omission. Still, it is overall an excellent album and any one not familiar with the original would probably not notice anything amiss. Waves differs from its predecessor, Floating World, in that it is organized in two extensive suites, both clocking in at over 20 minutes on the original release, rather than a series of individual pieces segued together. This makes it a more cohesive album, although it too runs the gamut of JW styles. We get acoustic jazz, some floating ambient sections, as well as some sections that rock out. On the surface this sounds much the same as the earlier release, but there is an emphasis on rhythm that sets it apart. In fact, there are sections of the album that just simply groove in ways not found on any previous JW album. There is an emphasis on melody as well. This, tied in with the strong rhythms, make for a more memorable listening experience. In other words, where Floating World did just that, float, Waves moves along deliberately, sometimes gently and sometimes with power. Again, the band consists of Tony Duhig and Jon Field who both play a variety of instruments besides their regular guitar and flute/percussion, respectively. The rhythmic nature brings Jon Field's musicianship to the forefront. His flutes are highly melodic and enhance the rhythms. More so, almost all the lead melodies enhance the rhythms. Thus, the album is a very solid work. Other musicians appear, not the least of which are Tony's brother, Dave (again) on lead guitar in one section and Steve Winwood on moog and piano, throughout. Graham Morgan also appears playing drums. Other than that, it is all Field and Duhig continuing what they began on their first Island outing: using instruments to generate particular sounds and not relying on the same arrangements and orchestrations. Winwood's role deserves special mention. He became a champion for the band and was instrumental in them getting their contract with Island Records. Although he is not listed as such, I do believe he assisted with the production. Part I begins with the slow and powerful movement of a wave in deep water and ends with a light, delightful groove. In between is some of the best JW music yet. Life is good. Part II begins with bird and a short and very quiet drumming session, a reprise of the edited opening for Part I. A crescendo demonstrates that the distant land is waking up again, perhaps after an afternoon nap. The centerpiece of Part II is the powerful groove I describe in the proceeding paragraph. My two favorite sections are Part I, starting at 15:50, which lasts for a few minute to close out the first suite and Part II, starting at 4:50, which runs over six minutes. Each of these sections represents the best this album has to offer in terms of rhythm and melody blending together. The section in Part II begins with a chimes and some soft guitar before moving into some ominous chording to set the stage, and then a powerful groove featuring Dave Duhig on his ferocious lead guitar comes in. Tony Duhig's rhythm guitar really gets it moving. By the time Field's rhythmic flutes come in, the section is at full groove. Winwood plays a cool moog solo. The music winds down and we are in gentler waters. The music moves through a number of positively lovely sections, beautifully segued, and ends on an unexpected spacey note. Still, the exotic atmosphere remains, only now it is nightfall instead of sunrise. It is like we have spent a day on a tropical island somewhere. Life is still good. Waves is aptly titled, as insinuated above. Each of the two parts moves along from one section to another quite gracefully even if a little abrupt at times. The concept of rhythmic flowing is central to the recording. In fact, I don't think I have ever used that word more often in a review. The trademark JW sound explosions are softened here and function as crescendos rather than eruptions. With it's construction in two long suites, its emphasis on flow, and the solid cohesion between lead and rhythm, Waves is perhaps the most consistent and strongly built of all Jade Warrior albums. For me, it stands on par with its predecessor on Island (which also means it is very different from the earlier phase of the band with Glyn Johns), and signifies that the band had hit a new plateau. Not to be missed.