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Weather Report | Mr. Gone – [Columbia, 1978]

Weather Report - Mr. Gone

The infamous 1978 album that received a one-star (out of a possible five) from Down Beat magazine got a debate going between the band and the publication, fans amongst fans and critics versus critics in a controversy that still brews today concerning the merits of the eight tracks.

That the follow-up to the brilliant Heavy Weather was certified gold got lost in the mix of the noises that challenged this experiment in sound, with the inclusion of elements as diverse as disco to Avant-Garde. The trio of Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius and Wayne Shorter are riding a crest of popularity after the cross-over hit, Birdland. But rather than play the rock band game of the era and crank out a clone album/single, the trio pursues a parallel trail to 1974’s Mysterious Traveller.

The percussion/drummer spot is unsettled, with Manola Badrena, Peter Erskine, Tony Williams and Steve Gadd handling the duties. The 37:15 is split into two compositions each from Shorter (The Elders, Pinocchio) and Jaco (River People, Punk Jazz), with four numbers by Zawinul; The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat, Young and Fine, Mr. Gone, And Then.

That Zawinul used the studio as an artistic laboratory cannot be denied. The “flaws” of the album are based on the group attempting to stretch the sound is a plus….and not a fallen star.

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..