SCHOOL DAYS

This is a very good, but not quite great album from Stanley Clarke. While there are no bad songs on this disk, in my not so humble opinion, there are onlt two great songs, "Quiet Afternoon", and "Life Is Just A Game".

Now don't get me wrong, the title track, "School Days" is built upon a fantastic bass lick, and I love seeing it performed live, but as a song, it leaves much to be desired. The same goes for "The Dancer" and "Hot Sun". "Desert Song" features a wonderful duet between Stanley and John McLaughlin, but it's lightness does not compel me to listen to this track often.

"Quiet Afternoon" is probably the best jazz song Clarke has ever written. The fact that so many other artists have covered this song is a good indication of that. And this performance or the song is perfection.

"Life Is Just A Game" is the only prog fusion song on the album. The song mixes almost romantic vocals with big band horns and progressive fusion high speed acrobatics. It's one of the best songs on any of Stanley Clarke's solo albums.