Live is the lastly album past times fusion band Return to Forever. It was recorded alive at the Palladium inward New York City on May xx too 21 1977 equally utilisation of the Musicmagic tour to back upward the album of the same name. This was the alone tour to characteristic the Musicmagic (1977) lineup, which included original members Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, too Joe Farrell, along amongst newly added member, Chick Corea's wife, Gayle Moran on vocals, pianoforte too organ, too a six-piece horn section.
Originally released equally a unmarried LP, the album was re-issued inward 1978 equally a 4-LP laid called Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert, which contained the total concert equally heard past times those who attended, including extended sections of dialogue too audience applause.
The original unloose was a unmarried LP amongst a comprehend featuring Picasso's Three Musicians. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 greatly expanded version of the album was released inward 1978 on 4 LPs equally Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert,, showcasing the entire two-hour-and-forty-minute concert. This Complete Concert unloose features a evidently black bluish comprehend amongst a stylized "RTF" logo too contains the entireties of pieces that had been edited downwardly for the original i LP release, including a version of "Spanish Fantasy"; the intro to which was previously released inward edited cast equally "Chick's Piano". Also included are spoken introductions to songs past times Clarke, including i inward which he is heckled past times the audience for announcing the concert's lastly piece.
Different versions of The Complete Concert convey been re-issued on CD - inward both 2 CD too 3-CD sets. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Japanese iii CD version, released inward 1993, contains the consummate recording precisely equally flora on the original 4 LP version, retaining "The Endless Night" too "Musicmagic" equally 2 separate parts each. Corea's introduction of the musicians is appended to the halt of "The Endless Night (part 2)". The commencement US (2) CD version was released past times Columbia Legacy (C2K 47479) inward 1992 amongst the stylized RTF logo on a blood-red background titled simply, Return to Forever Live, too was after reissued amongst a bluish comprehend inward 2000 (468923 2) titled, Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert. Both of these U.S. of A. CD releases comprise the edited versions of "The Musician" too "So Long Mickey Mouse" that were on the original unmarried LP, acre removing both the four-minute introduction of the musicians past times Corea after "The Endless Night" too several extended passages of audience noise. "Chick's Piano Solo" too "Spanish Fantasy" are combined into i track, equally are the 2 parts of "The Endless Night" too "Musicmagic". Track times differ betwixt the 1992 too 2000 reissues, due to rail intros appearing appended either earlier the vocal itself, or after the previous song; below, the 1992 times are used. Both versions convey been digitally remastered straight from the original main tapes to restore the depression frequencies which were rolled off on the vinyl version to minimise tracking problems.
In June, 2011, Columbia (Sony) released a 5-CD boxed set, Return to Forever, The Complete Columbia Albums Collection which includes the entire 1977 Live, The Complete Concert recording on iii CDs together amongst 1976's Romantic Warrior too 1977's Musicmagic. The 3-CD version Return to Forever Live: The Complete Concert, 3-Record Set was released inward Nihon inward September 2011 equally a Blue-Spec CD express boxset reproducing the original Japanese 1978 LP boxset. However, this 2011 reissue features "The Endless Night" too "Musicmagic" equally i rail each, instead of the original splits too fades of each song.
Return to Forever Live – The Complete Concert (1978): This is effectively the lastly Return to Forever album released and, perhaps, i of its most significant. It was recorded alive at the Palladium inward New York City on May xx too 21, 1977, equally utilisation of the Musicmagic tour, which led the grouping to run across President Jimmy Carter the next month.
Needless to say, in that place is a plethora of fantastic playing to live heard hither that RTF’s studio albums likely prohibited, amongst inventive interjections from nigh all concerned, waxing eloquently over or then really long passages that are sufficiently to a greater extent than worthwhile than their studio counterparts.
How tin i review perfect music? what is perfect music? I justice it is a really personal thing... for me it is non just chops or clever arrangements, it is music that speaks to the heart, that has the mightiness to uplift too touching on the listener. I larn that feeling from Return To Forever Live, it captures that vibe perfectly, fifty-fifty meliorate than the studio record. If I had to compare it amongst or then other album, I'd alternative Santana's Lotus, or then other album amongst that inspirational, devotional quality. This music comes at the summit of Chick Corea's creative powers (many musicians experienced that creative peak betwixt 1970 too 1977) too is seasoned amongst soulful vocals from Gayle Morris too Stanley Clarke, a richly colorful brass band, too a battery of keyboards that include the Moog, the Fender Rhodes, the Mellotron too the Hammond B3. The alone thing missing is the guitar, but Chick's extended solos are then spectacular that they brand you lot forget that Mr. Di Meola is no longer utilisation of the band. No fusion fan volition live disappointed amongst this album - specially the prog-heads, who beloved 20-minute epics too lengthy solos, volition swallow it up. However in that place are or then moments that are closer to "straight jazz" - a twain of jazz standards, too a long "unplugged" piece, Serenade. Overall, though the album definitely leans towards the progressive side of things, too somehow it feels similar a goodbye vocal to an entire era. Maybe foreseeing things to come, Chick decided to give it all he had, mayhap more, too nosotros tin consider ourselves fortunate to convey a beatiful document of that spirit.
My favorite jazz deed of all fourth dimension -- then glad to finally obtain a consummate (enough) version of this alive set. Having seen&heard them alive inward concert during their MUSICMAGIC tour, too Chick alive inward other concerts, I am ever returning to their music. Fast, slow, soft, difficult -- doesn't matter. This laid dazzles no less than whatever previous experience, alone you lot larn more. Their jamming is commencement rate. 40.0 megatons of the most liberating too exhilarate music ever created! When I seat this on to hear, I ofttimes replay it for days!
This too the similar a shot really difficult to notice to notice (on CD) "Chick, Donald, Walter too Woodrow" correspond Chick Corea's best writing for Big Band. You'll notice that Chick cannibalized himself somewhat for the Woody Herman recording, but it genuinely is a tighter representation of a groovy serial of ideas too should non live seen equally "derivative". I never thought the "Romantic Worry-wart" tape was their best effort. The sonics of "Warrior" are extremely problematic. The technology scientific discipline on this tape is much to a greater extent than balanced. The Horn Section is absolutely stellar. Musicmagic should live looked to for a novel appreciation equally it represented a lot of the music existence presented here. Seek it out, I'd much sooner reckon this existence given the Mo-Fi handling than a whole lot of the 90's popular stuff they've focused on inward the lastly yr or so.
I would nation this was the best alive recording ready past times chick corea ever.Very departure from the others RTF's materials but far meliorate inward most agency (i would say). Most of the songs from Musicmagic are featured hither amongst fantastic extended solos too intros(could larn enough). These are the tunes that commencement turned me on to the music of c corea ever since. I owned the original 4LPs laid too also bought the cd-set amongst the blood-red cover. In the RTF blood-red comprehend cds, surely percentage flora on the LPs were omitted from the cd including the utilisation when chick introduces the musicians- which was genuinely disappointing, equally the answer too reaction betwixt the audiences too the band created an upheld feeling equally tho you lot were in that place at the show. Also the extended intro to 'so long mickey mouse' besides was cut. However, it was yet really proficient consider or then of the materials needed to live removed to allow the 4 LPs to gibe into the 2cds set. I promise this novel unloose amongst today's tech.would comprise the consummate recordings. If 'quality' too 'timeless' tunes are what you lot looking for, larn commence it. Been listening to them for over 25 years, yet audio groovy too fresh today. ..A t the same time, I was longing for Chick to test or then of these songs inward the Elektric band format, that would live hear blowing esp. for melody similar 'endless night'.
Track listing:
CD 1
1 Opening '77 7:09
2 The Endless Night 20:30
iii Chick Corea: Spoken Intro Of The Musicians 3:43
4 The Musician 14:04
CD 2
1 Stanley Clarke: Spoken Intro To Hello Again / So Long Mickey Mouse 1:38
2 Hello Again 6:02
iii So Long Mickey Mouse 10:51
4 Musicmagic 27:57
CD 3
1 Come Rain Or Come Shine / Fire And Dandy 3:55
2 Stanley Clarke: Spoken Intro To Serenade 0:58
iii Serenade 13:56
4 Chick Corea: Spoken Intro To The Moorish Warrior And Castilian Princess 1:05
v The Moorish Warrior And Castilian Princess 18:16
6 Stanley Clarke: Spoken Intro To Chick Corea's Piano Solo 2:01
seven Chick's Piano Solo 14:39
8 Castilian Fantasy 11:21
ix On Green Dolphin Street 9:30
Personnel
Gayle Moran – vocals, piano, organ
Joe Farrell – tenor too soprano saxophone, flute
James Tinsley – trumpet, piccolo
John Thomas – trumpet, flugelhorn
Harold Garret – trombone
Jim Pugh – trombone
Ron Moss – trombone
Chick Corea – keyboards, vocals
Stanley Clarke – electrical bass, acoustic bass, vocals
Gerry Brown – drums
EmoticonEmoticon