RETURN TO FOREVER — Chick Corea & Return To Forever : Light As A Feather (review)

RETURN TO FOREVER — Chick Corea & Return To Forever : Light As A Feather album cover Album · 1972 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Sean Trane
With an unchanged line-up, RTF’s second album light As A Feather, released in late 72, saw a label change from ECM to Polydor, but the musical propos stayed pretty well the same as it was on the self-titled debut. So the album is still hovering with some straight jazz moments, but at times the music is red hot fusion, but also has some Brazilian bossa nova twists (Moreira) and some strong Spanish influences (Corea himself) as well and was recorded in the fall in London. Farrell’s flute and sax providing much delightful moments, this is still very much a Corea album, since he signs every track but the lengthy title track, which might just be Clarke first composition.

Opening on the most standard jazz track of the album, the bossa nova You’re Everything, where Purim and Corea dominate the propos, but overall, this might be the least interesting track on the album. The 11–mins Clarke-penned title track starts pretty much on the same mode, but veers very much instrumental and by the end of the track, you’ve had an amazing trip between flute and Fender Rhodes. The Following Captain Marvel is a 100 MPH Corea-dominated track where Purim pulls in some aerial scats.

The flipside opens on the lengthy 500 Miles High, a slow-starter with Purim and Farrell in the forefront, but once the track is in its middle section, one gets red hot Fender Rhodes-driven jazz-rock that will have burned your eardrums by the landing back on firm ground. Children’s Song is a short is a quiet Rhodes and percussion interlude. Ending on the lengthy Spain, which holds some Aranjuez Concerto lines in it, anc will later lead Corea in further solo albums developing this them , Spanish Heart to name it.

While LaaF is often not considered as a classic RTF album along with the debut, both albums are still very much worthy of investigation, even though Purim’s presence in the group does set them apart from the rest of the group’s oeuvre.

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