Romantic Warrior - Return to Forever

Aug

30

Romantic Warrior - Return to Forever

≡ Category: 1970s, Essential, Fusion, Music Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING

Rating:

Romantic Warrior represents the apogee of what the second edition of Return to Forever was capable of as a band. It balances all of the elements of that group exquisitely — funk, bebop, rock ‘n roll, and progressive rock — but no one element predominates.

The excesses of individual group members are held in check, particularly Chick Corea’s sometimes embarassing Latinisms and Al Dimeola’s mindlessly macho rock swagger. The group interplay and energy is phenomenal, the result of nonestop touring for years.

The compositions are superior across the board, too. Chick Corea has the lion’s share of the composing credits, but Al Dimeola, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White all contribute one tune apiece. The themes themselves are rather simple for the most part, but the extrapolations are anything but. The arrangements are brutally complex, immaculately tasteful and flawlessly executed.

I’ve also got to give a shoutout to recording engineer Dennis McKay, who captures the sound of the band beautifully. All of the instruments are perfectly balanced and the music explodes out of the speakers. You can hear every last detail and you want to.

There are groups that I prefer to the second edition of Return to Forever, and recordings that I enjoy more than Romantic Warrior, but for what it is, Romantic Warrior approaches perfection.