Reviewed: 2019-10-12
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: This disc, multi-instrumentalist Gibb’s 12th, is difficult to describe and even harder to pigeonhole. It consists of five musicians playing, collectively, about forty instruments with voices added from time to time to amplify the impact. In his words, the musicians channel "all the influences [that] encompass all the . . . ethnicities of people [whom] we have known from all over the world, filtering their different heritages, life experiences, art [and] customs.”
If You Like: Return To Forever, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, Egberto Gismonti,
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
(Disc 1)
1/ The Calm Before The Storm (2:09) – organ starts> chorus joins> midtempo jam> builds in volume & intensity> quick stop
**2/ The Journey Begins (6:24) – wordless chorus & piano start> slow jam swings to midtempo> Rhodes
solo> uptempo jam> synth solo> uptempo jam> slows to fade
*3/ Music from The Universe (5:30) – piano/synth starts> fast tempo jam with chorus> slows to slow tempo> slowly builds back to fast tempo jam & fades
**4/ People (4:19) – organ/chorus start> uptempo jam> builds in volume & intensity> spacey instrumental break> chorus to crescendo & fade
*5/ Dance Of The Freedom People (3:42) – vibes start> fast tempo jam with chorus> cascading & swirling> builds in volume> quick stop
**6/ The Streets (5:16) – bass starts> midtempo jam with chorus swings uptempo> electic piano solo> uptempo jam mellows to midtempon, then swings back up> fade to stop
7/ Oh Yeah! (4:19) – chorus starts> fast tempo jam> Rhodes solo> fast tempo jam & chorus> quick fade
8/ Boys Sent To Die (2:19) – Rhodes starts> slow jam> flute solo to end
9/ Messengers On The Run (2:11) – Rhodes starts> uptempo jam> chorus joins> synth solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
10/ Chick Corea (1:44) – calliope starts> short uptempo jam> quick stop
*11/ Friends Before We Were Friends (Part 1) (4:45) – synth starts> midtempo funky jam with chorus> electric piano solo> midtempo jam with chorus swells in volume> slows to fade
12/ Friends Before We Were Friends (Part 2) (0:39) – Rhodes starts> brief midtempo jam with chorus> slow fade
***13/ Flying On The Wings Of Fantasy (2:21) – electric piano starts> fast tempo jam with intermittent chorus> synth solo> Moog solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
14/ Volkswagons, Peace Signs, & Dashikis (2:09) – chorus with spoken word starts> swells into uptempo celestial jam with chorus> melody shift> quick fade
15/ Mike & Lenny (1:08) – synth starts> short uptempo jam with drums up front> quick stop
***16/ Thrasher People Blues (4:23) – drums start> uptempo jam> electric piano solo swings into fast tempo jam with occasional chorus> flute solo> fast jam> vibes solo> fast jam> quick stop
*17/ Memories Of Home (3:30) – synth/chorus starts> slow space jam> shifts in melody> slow fade
***18/ The Final Message (6:39) – Theremin/chorus starts> midtempo space jam swings into rocking uptempo jam with heavy chorus> swings to fast tempo, increasing in volume & intensity> crescendo> melody shift into midtempo jam with chorus, builds in volume & intensity> crescendo & slow fade
19/ We Now Return You Back To Your Reality (1:29) – synth/chorus/spoken word (like a radio broadcast) starts & continues through the track> quick fade