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Chick Corea Memorium Poll #1: Return to Forever

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Topic: Chick Corea Memorium Poll #1: Return to Forever
Posted By: Awesoreno
Subject: Chick Corea Memorium Poll #1: Return to Forever
Date Posted: February 11 2021 at 21:19
The first in a series of polls I'll make in honor of Chick and his recent death (this one should be the least controversial). Please discuss why whatever you chose stands out as your favorite RTF record. I have an inkling that Romantic Warrior will win, though their live records are also really phenomenal. Returns is awesome, and Mothership also has Frank Gambale (in place of Al or Bill) and Jean-Luc Ponty, who should be of NO MYSTERY to PA members (had to evoke Paul there for a second). 

Hats off to the space man, may he live on in the great Scientologist mothership, or whatever. 

P.S. Not including Return to Forever (the album) and Light as A Feather as those are more like Chick solo albums. They will be included in another poll.



Replies:
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: February 11 2021 at 22:42
Hymn
Warrior
Mothership

But other than Musicmagic (and Live 78 which I've never heard) these are all basically excellent. 


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Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.


Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: February 11 2021 at 22:58
We all know RM is going to get all the votes, so I went with WHIKYB?

I love that record.

RIP Chick, one of my biggest jazz fusion influences. He has now returned to forever.


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"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021


Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: February 11 2021 at 23:43
I am the first to vote for Romantic Warrior? It was one of my first Jazz albums, and acquired during a period of major musical exploration for me. It was this same period of time I solidified my taste for progressive rock as well as classical, with a little world music via Ravi Shankar thrown in. My memorial listen right now is Five Peace Band with John McLaughlin. I have been collecting a lot of Chick recently, and he has been very active. Terrible loss.

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The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"


Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 01:12
Originally posted by Awesoreno Awesoreno wrote:


P.S. Not including Return to Forever (the album) and Light as A Feather as those are more like Chick solo albums. They will be included in another poll.


I think you're wrong (especially about LAAF), but it's your right to be wrongTongueWink
They desrrved to be here


Hymn for me.


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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword


Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 02:26
Romantic Warrior

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Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake."



Music Is Live

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.



Keep Calm And Listen To The Music…
<


Posted By: hellogoodbye
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 03:43
Did not know he died. Very sad. A big loss for music. None of these albums are my favorites. His first two with Mad Hatter are on the top of my list.   


Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 04:44
WhereHaveIKnownYouBefore.jpg


Posted By: b_olariu
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 06:06
R.I.P. - excellent musician, old school never dies, he was a romantic warriorSmile


Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 06:17
Hymn.

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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 06:40
Romantic Warrior was one of my first forays into the fusion world in the mid 70's. I was hooked after hearing it, and my passion for jazz and fusion has remained, forty-five years later. So, I'll vote Romantic Warrior.

The Chick Corea Elektric Band is also one of my favorite projects by Chick. I was lucky to see this incredible band on the Beneath the Mask  tour. A mind blowing experience. Here at PA the Elektric Band it is overlooked and rated poorly. Alas.




Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 06:44
A tribute to a great composer and keybord grand master. It's hard to choose between his albums, since they all have the magic of his genius. I voted for Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, but any of them that wins is fine with me. May he rest in peace.


Posted By: Shadowyzard
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 06:48
Romantic Warrior was my oldest jazz rock/fusion companion, so my vote goes to it/him.

R.I.P. Chick Corea


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 10:19
'Hymn of the 7th Galaxy'...the 'edgiest' imho...though most here will vote for Romantic Warrior ,the more accessible one.
Also the first 2 should also be here ....just because.   Smile


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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 10:36
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:


The Chick Corea Elektric Band is also one of my favorite projects by Chick. I was lucky to see this incredible band on the Beneath the Mask  tour. A mind blowing experience. Here at PA the Elektric Band it is overlooked and rated poorly. Alas.

The Elektric Band is one of my favorites also.  Some of their stuff I like better than RTF.  I saw them in Minneapolis MN in around 1989.  The opening act was The Crusaders.  At PA I'm not surprised that the  Elektric Band gets a 'cool' response.  As the Elektric Band is more associated with 'smooth jazz' most of the time.  (BTW I love 'smooth jazz').




Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 11:00
Originally posted by dwill123 dwill123 wrote:

WhereHaveIKnownYouBefore.jpg

My choice also.



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I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 13:08
Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

Originally posted by Awesoreno Awesoreno wrote:


P.S. Not including Return to Forever (the album) and Light as A Feather as those are more like Chick solo albums. They will be included in another poll.


I think you're wrong (especially about LAAF), but it's your right to be wrongTongueWink
They desrrved to be here


Hymn for me.

Ok, Light As a Feather IS attributed to Chick Corea & Return to Forever. However, the only member other than Chick featured on those two albums is Stanley Clarke. To me, these entries are really transitional albums from his solo material from the late 60s into this new era of fusion. And while they are certainly fusion records, I wouldn't call them jazz-rock fusion. Because of their difference compared to the other entries, however, I am going to include them in another poll of his earlier material. Though now that I think about it, they don't really fit with his sort of experimental modal/free jazz stuff from that time either... 

Regardless, I'm sticking to my initial intuition. This is not to say that they aren't GOOD enough to be listed with the rest. They are. Especially Feather. That album is not rated highly enough on this site. I adore that record. Playing 500 Miles High in college was super fun for my jazz combo.


Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 13:28
Romantic Warrior is one of the great fusion albums of the 70s. Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, Lenny White -- what a band!

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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...


Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 13:39
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by dwill123 dwill123 wrote:

WhereHaveIKnownYouBefore.jpg

My choice also.


Me too!Clap


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Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 14:01
Romantic Warrior

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i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag
that's a happy bag of lettuce
this car smells like cartilage
nothing beats a good video about fractions


Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 16:24
WHIKYB

Just listen to that.



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https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 16:42
this is my favorite Chick Corea album:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/Return_to_Forever.jpg

here an excerpt:




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A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta


Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 12 2021 at 18:08
Originally posted by BaldJean BaldJean wrote:

this is my favorite Chick Corea album:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/Return_to_Forever.jpg

Spinning that one right now! Thumbs Up


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https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: February 13 2021 at 00:12
^Be sure to vote for it in my upcoming poll.


Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: February 13 2021 at 00:14
"This next one is written by Stan Clarke, it's called "Vulcan Worlds":




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"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021


Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 13 2021 at 09:11
Originally posted by Awesoreno Awesoreno wrote:

^Be sure to vote for it in my upcoming poll.

Are you doing separate polls for Chick's solo electric albums, the CCEB and Chick's solo piano records?


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Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: February 13 2021 at 12:33
Probably. It will go in eras for his solo material, but there will be an Elektric Band poll. I have yet to delve into his solo piano stuff much, so that might come after I've listened a bit. Or who knows? Maybe I'll do it beforehand to get an idea of which ones I should listen to first.


Posted By: Machinemessiah
Date Posted: February 15 2021 at 09:43
Lots of HeartHeartHeart on my account for this beauty (way beyond RTF):



(I wonder where it is on PA's ranking  Pinch LOL  (half) joking...  Tongue ).


Listen to the upbringing Theme To The Mothership, what a beautiful song... with that sort of maritime (or space) ship, trip and/or adventure-starting motive..  fix on the bass.



Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: August 20 2023 at 12:39
Bump


Posted By: mellotronwave
Date Posted: August 20 2023 at 13:15
7th galaxy


Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: August 20 2023 at 13:43
Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

Originally posted by BaldJean BaldJean wrote:

this is my favorite Chick Corea album:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/Return_to_Forever.jpg

Spinning that one right now! Thumbs Up
Yup. His and theirs classic.

Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

Originally posted by Awesoreno Awesoreno wrote:


P.S. Not including Return to Forever (the album) and Light as A Feather as those are more like Chick solo albums. They will be included in another poll.


I think you're wrong (especially about LAAF), but it's your right to be wrongTongueWink
They desrrved to be here

Hymn for me.
Yeah I don't get it. To me there's no real solo album feel to any of them. Also I much prefer these to anything in the poll. But I like Where Have I Known You Before too so it got my vote. I find Romantic Warrior plain awful and it represents everything that went/was wrong with this sort of "mainstream fusion" in the mid-to late 1970's. Soulless, sterile w**kery.


Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: August 20 2023 at 13:59
Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

I find Romantic Warrior plain awful and it represents everything that went/was wrong with this sort of "mainstream fusion" in the mid-to late 1970's. Soulless, sterile w**kery.
I respect your opinion but it's wrong. There is nothing sterile or soulless about "Romantic Warrior". It opened the fusion door for me. I find the album oozes with extra soul.


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: August 20 2023 at 15:51

Where Have I Known You Before (1974)

I find Romantic Warrior more Progressive but also more polished, synthetic and Pop-influenced.






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                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: August 20 2023 at 16:44
Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

I find Romantic Warrior plain awful and it represents everything that went/was wrong with this sort of "mainstream fusion" in the mid-to late 1970's. Soulless, sterile w**kery.

Actually, I see similar trend in the mainstream '80's Jazz-Rock/Fusion as in Neo-Prog comparing to 70's Progressive Rock, and that is getting (more) synthetic and Pop-influenced.



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                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: August 21 2023 at 00:11
^yes, I agree with you
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

I find Romantic Warrior plain awful and it represents everything that went/was wrong with this sort of "mainstream fusion" in the mid-to late 1970's. Soulless, sterile w**kery.
I respect your opinion but it's wrong. There is nothing sterile or soulless about "Romantic Warrior". It opened the fusion door for me. I find the album oozes with extra soul.
I respect your wrong opinion as well, so we're all being very respectful here:)


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: August 21 2023 at 06:11
Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

^yes, I agree with you

And I find "soulless", not the same verve as in the '70s, also to be a good characteristic.


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                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: Easy Money
Date Posted: August 21 2023 at 06:44
Chick Corea's best music happened before he started Return to Forever.


Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: August 21 2023 at 08:29
Originally posted by Easy Money Easy Money wrote:

Chick Corea's best music happened before he started Return to Forever.
Chick's music was brilliant all through his career. One of his last projects, Trilogy, is amazing.


Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: August 21 2023 at 23:16
These beauties were written after Chick started RTF...


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: August 22 2023 at 10:45
Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

I find Romantic Warrior plain awful and it represents everything that went/was wrong with this sort of "mainstream fusion" in the mid-to late 1970's. Soulless, sterile w**kery.
Actually, I see similar trend in the mainstream '80s Jazz-Rock/Fusion as in Neo-Prog comparing to '70s Progressive Rock, and that is getting (more) synthetic and Pop-influenced.

On the other hand, some of the Jazz-Rock/Fusion around the world included elements of traditional and regional classical music with very fine results.



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                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: August 22 2023 at 11:01
I really heartily disliked Romantic Warrior (have not listened to it in many years), and it was one of my earliest forays into the JRF we have at this site back in 2004/2005 due to the acclaim it received. I hugely prefer Chick Corea's Return to Forever album, and I much preferred Light as a Feather, and also Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (not listened to Hymn much, but...)

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Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: August 24 2023 at 11:29
Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

... it represents everything that went/was wrong with this sort of "mainstream fusion" in the mid-to late 1970's. Soulless, sterile w**kery.

Very late comment, but I just like this expression very much and find it so incisive when talking about much of the '80s mainstream Jazz-Rock/Fusion. Tongue 


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                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: August 24 2023 at 11:56
I remember buying 'Romantic Warrior' in 1976 purely because of the fantastic cover artwork.

I was very impressed with the music when I got it home.

Great record! Smile


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: August 25 2023 at 04:52
Originally posted by Octopus II Octopus II wrote:

I remember buying 'Romantic Warrior' in 1976 purely because of the fantastic cover artwork.

I was very impressed with the music when I got it home.

Great record! Smile

I also remember very well Romantic Warrior at the time of its release, as I was very much RtF aficionado due to my loving of Where Have You... The Warrior was though a bit of dissapointment for me already at that time, but I surely feel some nostalgic attachment to it today. I'm also happy about my pristine vinyl copy of the original UK release of this album. Tongue



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                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: August 25 2023 at 05:45

What I also think is, ROMANTIC Warrior should sound more organic than synthetic, and more heavy - looking at the artwork. Wink


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                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond



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