THICK

After it debuted in 1984, the quality as the music of the band might always have had the diversity of the revolution and the idea. The member of an initial band had changing places and it was 1992 established as the member of a present band.

It was only one participation though guitar player's Scott Henderson received the request from Elektric Band of Chick Corea when this band was started and participated in the recording. It might have been shown that this band was a very important band for Scott Henderson.

Scott Henderson appears in Florida in 1954. He is talking as influencing from a variety of guitar players. The style absorbs various methods and theories as a method of his performance and it is established as an unique method though it is talked that it is influenced from the guitar player of Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.

However, it might be also true in the method had been established by the Zawinul syndicate and Weather Report, etc. by which he was on the register partially of the method of use as the idea of the performance that the band does and how to assemble the tune by Scott Henderson for about four years that there was an influence in this band. It exists for this band talked Gary Willis when Scott Henderson and is always special existence important. If these two people become nuclei and the band is never pulled, Jazz/Fusion that the quality that this band does is high might not have been able to be made.

This album that spends from "Reality Check" announced in 1995 for indeed three years or more and is made has completely changed the recording used as a method till then method. The mechanism that the member performs from the method the member's having been bringing together the idea and the phrase by the improvisation is adopted. The work edited to always record the performance of the improvisation to some degree and to finish it up from the part in the tune will have been a novel method for the band. The flow of the tune that used the element of a few ethnical in addition to the flow with the tension while making the best use of the part that had been recorded as the entire impression of the album might have given a fresh part to the music character of the band. The method as Tribal Tech might be established though it has the part of the tune that is reminiscent to the part where Jazz/Fusion is good of Weather Report.

"Sheik Of Encino" shifts from the part of complex ensemble and the improvisation to Solo of the guitar. There might exactly be an element and a tension that Jazz/Fusion is good. The tune is kept a quiet as it is improvisation and reaches the top. The keyboard and Bass also contribute.

"Party At Kinsey's" has the melody of ethnical as an impression of the rhythm and the keyboard. The methodology of the music that Joe Zawinul does might be reminiscent. And, the element that adds the sound of the trumpet in addition to the part of unique of the tune expands the width of the tune.

"Jalapeno" starts by developing a complex rhythm. The part where the band was recorded by using the improvisation method will be able to be discovered exactly. The progress of the code in close relation to Solo of Bass continues the tension. The line of the guitar and Bass contributes to the tune.

"Clinic Troll" uses the part of the element and the improvisation of ethnical from the part of an intermittent sound. A friendly theme might not exist. It might be a tune as a derivative idea to the flow of the album from the part of the improvisation used that gives the part of unique.

As for "Thick", the sound of the keyboard with the line and the anacatesthesia of Bass with the tension is impressive. The tune shifts to the rhythm of Funk and advances. The flow of the guitar always keeps the impression.

The sound of the keyboard with an electronic part from the start with the tension twines round "You May Remember Me". And, it changes into a moving ballade that is reminiscent of the methodology of Weather Report. The guitar is reminiscent of the performance of Jeff Beck. The impression of the tune is kept and a beautiful flow is continued.

As for "Slick", very high-quality Fusion is developed in this album. Ad-Rib of Bass might be considerably high-quality. And, the flow that shifts from the keyboard of Scott Kinsey to Solo of the guitar might be a part where Jazz/Fusion is exactly hard. The tune gradually advances toward the top. Fast Passage is kept and the band rushes into a high-speed part. The part of Coda gets excited indeed. The band advances in union.

"Somewhat Later" is a tune with the impression that the element of country tunes intersects with the impression of ethnical. A racial melody twines round the idea of an acoustic guitar of Scott Henderson to make good use of the bottleneck.

"What Has He Had?" continues the part where the element of ethnical was used from a quiet standing up. The rhythm remains stable and rushes into the top gradually. The impression of a tune advanced as the element of Blues Rock twined might have expanded the width of the album. The tune progresses gradually from the part of the improvisation. The sound and the development of the keyboard that appears at the end of the tune will have a progressive part.

The recording method and the idea of the performance expanded the possibility further for Tribal Tech by this album.

3.5 stars. TRIBAL TECH have released 10 studio albums over the years and I have two of them, this one called "Thick" from 1999 and the followup called "Rocket Science" from 2000 which I feel is the better album. "Thick" is a good one though with plenty of variety. Gary Willis the bass player gets equal billing with guitarist Scott Henderson on the album cover as he had been getting for a few albums after starting out "Scott Henderson and Tribal Tech". Technical stuff here with Scott's unique style although he changes his style up often on here. Synths are okay but I much prefer when Kinsey plays piano, unless he's adding spacey synths as atmosphere. These guys are players so it's hard not to be impressed here.

Highlights for me usually involve Scott's guitar work but the bass is awesome too and I mentioned in my review of "Rocket Science" that this same drummer impressed me more than anyone so... yeah if your into complex playing without vocals check this band out. Scott plays in the bluesy style at times, even that country/folk style. Funk is on here too. No vocals but some freaky vocal expressions on the over 11 minute title track along with that funky and folky style. A light show from Henderson later on here which we also get on one of my favourites called "Slick". More of that on my other favourite "Jalapeno". Some misses in my opinion like "Somewhat Later", "Party At Kinsey's" and "Clinic Troll" but that's just my tastes.

A step down from "Rocket Science" in my opinion but many seem to disagree with this.