FunkFreak75 My first exposure to the liquid bass sound of European jazz great Eberhard Weber. Side One of this album has been a mainstay fixture in my life since 1979, harboring two absolutely perfect songs, rendering its whole as that incredibly rare phenomenon: a perfect side.

1. "T. On A White Horse" (10:52) (20/20)

2. "Moana I" (10:10) (20/20)

3. "The Following Morning" (12:04) far more spacious and less melodic and less flowing that the previous two rather lush and sweeping song. The piano and double bass are more bare and authentic sounding--more jazzy--and less processed and engineered--the very thing that makes the album's sound feel like proggy fusion. I have, however, grown to like this one. Rated down for so much "empty" space. (21.875/25)

4. "Moana II" (7:42) this one is just a weird variation of the other Moana--with Rainer doing things that make him sound bored and Eberhard sounding as if he's just trying anything that comes to mind--like the first practice session out which "Moana I" came. Kind of unprofessional sounding filler. (12.25/15)

Total time 40:48

The arrival of this music--including Side One, a "perfect" side (an all-too-rare feat)--caused a profound awakening, such a dramatic transformation in my listening adventures and tastes, that I will forever be indebted to Eberhard and Rainer. Side Two is, unfortunately, far below the level of breathtaking beauty and much more experimental with 'soundscapes' than Side Two. Otherwise, this would be one of my favorite albums of all-time.

Wait a minute! It still is! I just turn it off after "Moana I"!

NO DRUMS! What a joy! What a revelation: that music doesn't have to have a 'beat'--or that it doesn't have to be provided by a standard drum kit. Hail to Brian Eno for turning off the drums! Hail Peter Gabriel and his WOMAD! Hail to Bill Bruford and his Simmons electronic drum kit! Hail to Zakir Hussein and his non-Western percussion! Hail to Mickey Hart and his ethnic musicology! Hail to Glen Velez and his hand drums!

If you want a trip to some of the most beautiful, peaceful inner mindscapes you could ever imagine, program "T. on a White Horse" and "Moana I" to play and repeat, over and over and over. I call this blissful place heaven!

I also love the orchestral support throughout the first two songs (something sadly lacking on Side Two's offerings). I'm really having trouble giving this album less than five stars, for it is such an unusual music listening experience, yet, the third and fourth songs, as mentioned, are far less appealing and engaging than the transportive first two. "T. on a White Horse" and "Moana I" are, IMHO, an essential experience of the mastery of truly 'progressive' music. This will be one of those rare times when the pieces of an album will earn the album a high rating despite the true 'adjusted rating' of the whole. A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of pristine jazz-rock fusion. For me, The Following Morning represents the absolute peak of the wonderful Weber-Brüninghaus-ECM relationship.

Steve Wyzard NOT BAD...JUST NOT MUCH

When looking through the Eberhard Weber discography, let it be said here that Little Movements (1980) is for completists only. It's certainly not a bad album, but Weber has set such a high standard that this one only just barely passes muster.

For the uninitiated, this is the third album by the Colours group, with Weber on bass, Charlie Mariano on soprano sax and flute, Rainer Bruninghaus on keyboards, and John Marshall on drums/percussion. "Bali" and "A Dark Spell" are both dynamic masterpieces: the group interplay is especially strong, and these two would be among the best recordings they ever made. "The Last Stage of a Long Journey" and "Little Movements" are a bit more problematic: experimental, phlegmatic mood pieces that don't quite work. "'No Trees?' He Said" is pleasant in a Pat Methenyish way. There are distinguished performances throughout, and if you own everything else Weber has ever done, you'll find this one coming off the shelf every now and again. Still, Little Movements absolutely pales in comparison to the previous two group albums, Yellow Fields (1976, with Jon Christensen on drums) and Silent Feet (1978). Both are flawless, timeless classics from beginning to end, and contain everything that made this such an outstanding ensemble.

After Little Movements, Weber would continue to make phenomenal albums with seemingly casual effort (more masterpieces: 1982's Later that Evening, and 1993's Pendulum) and also became a part of Jan Garbarek's group. John Marshall would go on to play with Arild Andersen and John Surman, while Charlie Mariano and Rainer Bruninghaus (outstanding players both) would be heard from a lot less often. There's definitely a feeling of finality on this album, as if the group realized their best days were behind them. Where, if anywhere, could they have gone from here? At the very least, the album cover, by Weber's wife Maja, is especially cute.

julie_hosier My opinion is probably of less use, since I am not an avid listener of jazz, but this has to be my favorite album of all times.

It's almost like Weber's bass has a tone that is so unbelievably serene that no one could come close to mimicking it, like Jaco's bass guitar, or any guitar Pat Meheney uses. The interplay between this tone and Bruninghaus' piano work practically glues the two together, creating a feeling of synthesized nostalgia, a longing for a home you didn't know you had. My favorite track absolutely has to be the first one, More Colours.

Steve Wyzard LATE NIGHT CONTEMPLATIVE

This is definitely not Eberhard Weber's most accessible album, but it is one of his very best. In fact, it can stand head-and-shoulders next to masterpieces like Yellow Fields and Silent Feet in spite of being very different from those two albums. This otherworldly music is produced entirely by Weber himself with the assistance of an echo unit, and the results are unlike anything you've ever heard. Don't expect a typical bass soloist album: at times, it sounds like there are at least five different players/instruments (including percussion) performing at one time. Much thought has gone into the final product, as these are wholly-conceived compositions, not rambling solos.

From the fluid virtuosity of "Street Scenes" to the hauntingly nostalgic "Silent for a While", every track is a show-stopper and a world unto its own. The sometimes dreamy atmospheres and textures could elicit accusations of "new age", but the material never settles for simple prettiness. Conversely, don't let the scratching, searching arco performances scare you: there are experimental explorations, but they never degenerate into ugliness or contemptuousness. With Pendulum, Weber reaches his absolute peak as a composer, performer, and sound-painter, and if you have any familiarity with his group albums, this album is a quintessential must-own. One would be hard-pressed to find a better, more fascinating ECM release from the entire decade of the 1990s.

HURBRET Silent Feet is a darn good album. It's slow paced, certainly, but it pays off. For every seemingly static moment, there is beauty. Weber only takes one solo, on the albums longest and worst track, Seriously Deep. This is a good track, but it's not the most remarkable on the album, and is what costs it a star. Silent Feet is a work of genius. Starting with a nice piano solo, it moves into the head of the whole piece, which is an amazingly peaceful yet driving bit, segueing into a soprano sax solo on different chords. I don't normally care for soprano solos, and this is no different, but the solo is compositionally extremely complex and really good. Then it goes into a quiet section, then it finishes with the head again. This is the album's masterpiece, and may even be Weber's. Eyes That Can See in the Dark is an awesome piece, starting with a bizarre flute solo, going into a solo-only two chord vamp. It's pretty darn cool how it suddenly switches from the energetic solos all the way back to the slow beginning. So, there you have it. I don't know European jazz too well, but I know what I like, and this is where it's at, if it is indeed anywhere.