NOVA

Nova Vimana is probaby the best of all their releases with Wings of Love coming in second. The blazing guitar work of Corrado Rustici, the slamming grooves of Percy Jones of Brand X fame and Narada Michael Walden of the second incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra give this band a very strong jazz rock effort. The lyrics I found distracting and were quite sappy, affecting some deeper spiritual context which is why I didn't give this release 5 stars. Rustici has some killer chops -- right up there with the jazz rock fusion players of that era. Finding a CD for less than $50 is nigh unto impossible. Recommended.

The band start by dashing through a sprightly and up-tempo killer funky pop-rocker `You Are Light', home to nimble and frantic instrumental dashes, silken harmonies and an infectiously catchy spiritual chorus that will lodge itself in your brain for all eternity! `Marshall Dillion' is a brisk fusion instrumental burst backed to a peppy dance-like beat, then drowsy reflective vocal piece `Blue Lake', one of the album standouts, reminds of Perigeo with its dreamier hazy moods, where seductively murmuring bass duels with piercing electric guitar themes that grow in twisting intensity back and forth. `Beauty Dream/Beauty Flame' holds gentle yet stirring instrumental melodies by way of mysterious faraway flute, delicate acoustic touches and sparkling restrained piano musings, all together bringing a dusty eastern mirage-like mystery.

The flips side's opener `Golden Sky Boat' is another up-tempo funk-popper with addictive and skilfully reprising soaring sax themes and aggressive bass grumbles aplenty. `Loveliness About You' is, unsurprisingly with that title, a sparkling ballad that gently reminds of the more elegant and heartfelt Beach Boys tunes in fleeting little moments amongst some alternatively reflective and sultrier sax musings and sighing group harmonies. `Inner Star' unleashes plenty of fast-paced red- hot electric guitar soloing tearing through spirited and almost whimsically cheerful flute breaks and a soulful vocal, the track almost sounding like something from the `Borboletta'-period Santana band, and `Last Silence' is a final reflective jazzy come-down of great taste and restraint flecked with breezy Moog trills.

Some will find the smoother or more openly romantic qualities too sappy, and the music is too concerned with marrying a funky pop sound to the instrumental runs to perhaps fully impress the more intense jazz-fusion followers, but `Wings of Love' offers plenty of thoughtful and energetic music throughout the entire disc, topped off with sublime vocals, and it makes for a classy LP by a talented group of musicians.

Four stars.

This Italian band are a rare find of very impressive and pleasing Jazz-Rock material. From beginning to end, they just keep pulsating - as if there was no tomorrow.

Comparisons with Nucleus, mid-term Soft Machine (Six) on steroids would not be misplaced here. To my ears though, it's perhaps closer to IF than anything else.

There are some funky rhythms present, but not in a commercial, African-American manner, rather groovy instead.

The presence of Morris Pert (of Brand X and else fame) is a pleasant surprise and - no doubt - adds to the band's credibility enormously.

My usual gripe is the vocals. Not really bad, only excess to requirement. They may not fragment the complete works, but wouldn't be missed. Still, one could get used to (or ignore) them. With that in mind, my 4.5 rating here is rounded up to 5. Great work!

The music is indeed some Mahavishnu Orch,Return To Forever and maybe some Jean Luc Ponty without the violin but Woodwinds,sax instead.These guys made some very catchy music indeed and gives you a feel of you can walk without touching the ground.All musicians are excellent.I think the cheese factor people are talking about and I can see why,is with the singing and the lyrics.Lyrics are in the cosmic glossy eyed Sri Chimnoy vein.There are 3 instrumentals out of 8 songs here.If you like Narada Michael Walden's(producer of this album) first solo album,there's a good chance you'll like this one.

After the first high octane frantic Blink and the more mellowish and smooth Vimana,I think Nova here on Wings of Love found the right balance between the first 2 albums.

If they had smiley faces in 77,they should have been plastered all over the cover and inner sleeve.It is a really nice feel good album.Thankfully they had one more album up their sleeve with Sun City which is also a dandy.4 Super novas.

"Tailor Made" opens with strummed guitar then it kicks in quickly with a full sound including sax then vocals. A guitar outburst 1 1/2 minutes in. I don't like this track at all mainly because of the vocals. "Something Inside Keeps You Down" opens with mournful sax until almost spoken vocals arrive before 2 minutes. Drums and bass a minute later.This is better. It's pretty intense 5 minutes in. Great sound ! "Nova" opens with guitar as drums, sax and a full sound join in.The guitar is back out front 2 minutes in.

"Used To Be Easy" is mellow with flute to start along with cymbals and guitar.Vocals before a minute followed by sax. It picks up 2 1/2 minutes in. I really like the drumming here but not the vocals. Big finish. "Toy" is my favourite.This is a funky number with sax blasting over top.The guitar replaces the sax before 3 minutes. An excellent instrumental. "Stroll On" kicks in before a minute. The drumming is killer. Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in.The guitar solo after 3 minutes is incredible.The man can play with speed if he wants to. Vocals are back 4 1/2 minutes in. Guitar is back 6 1/2 minutes in this time with a laid back solo. Sax ends it.

A good album no doubt about it but not worth 4 stars in my book thanks to the vocals.

What a wonderful record, i can listen to it over and over and never get bored. I have a copy from the original LP...wish there was a reissue...

This is an album filled with magic, wonderfully concieved and executed. Beatifully sang, extremly funky... i always feel like dancing when i listen to it! Sometimes i even feel like making love, haha! Wings of Love is one of my favourites of all time. 5stars without a doubt!

"Vimana" opens with acoustic guitar and drums before we get some flute melodies that come and go. An outburst of sound 1 1/2 minutes in quickly departs as a pastoral section comes in.These drastic tempo and mood changes continue. Jones and Walden are prominant 3 1/2 minutes in before a killer guitar solo from Rustici. Some smooth sax late. "Night Games" doesn't have much in the way of a melody for 2 minutes, until the sax and drums start to lead the way. The vocals before 4 minutes are pretty good. He kind of quivers at the end of his vocal lines, probably on purpose. I like the line "Killing the time before it kills you." The guitar is again fantastic after 7 minutes and check out the drumming before 9 minutes.

"Poesia (To A Brother Gone)" is made up of piano, guitar and flute throughout. "Thru The Silence" opens with guitar and drums as the vocals arrive.The instrumental interlude includes some screaming sax and crazy percussion work. "Driftw3ood" takes a while to get going just like "Night Games" did. Vocals after 3 1/2 minutes as liquid keys and sax come and go. More great guitar 6 1/2 minutes in, as well as acoustic guitar that can be heard throughout. "Princess And The Frog" features some catchy guitar melodies while the drumming is so crisp and upfront. The percussion joins in as the guitar starts to show off a little. A change 2 1/2 minutes in as keys come in and guitar and drums leave. The birds are chirping 5 1/2 minutes in as the melody has stopped. Keys and synthesized flute end the song and the album.

This album does have it's moments, just not enough of them. It was hard to get excited about this one after hearing it a few times. Still a good record to be sure.

Six tracks all divided into two parts all giving high-energy and enthralling jazz-rock, they can be associated with the future Brand X (many members will guest in the following three albums), but also with the second stable Nucleus era (the Sutton years) and even a bit of the first Colosseum (partly due to the vocals). Obviously well coached by the production team, the four sung tracks are in very good English (all things considered), but really, this is a minor aspect as all five musos are dishing out impressive 200 MPH fusion with impressive technical abilities. But I would not actually make you believe they reach Mahavishnu or RTF's technical and virtuosic level, but they match at least the first in feeling.

Easily their better albums (at least in proghead terms) of their four, the odd thing is that with further albums as Brand X and other all-star guests will appear on themù, they will become rockier with each new album. Excellent album, almost essential, but definitely earning its fourth star.