MOOSE LOOSE — Moose Loose (review)

MOOSE LOOSE — Moose Loose album cover Album · 1974 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
dreadpirateroberts
On their self titled album, 'Moose Loose,' led by guitarist Eberson, a pretty good debut is presented. 'Aggressive' is a fair description of what they do for the most part, it's a pretty powerful set of sounds, where drummer Thowsen, keyboardist Blix and Eberson himself seem to struggle for dominance. While channelling The Mahavishnu Orchestra helps establish the sense of forcefulness, there a little bit of subtlety here and there, but it’s still an album that packs a punch. I can imagine that they’d have been a great live band.

‘Eber’s Funk’ typical of their hard approach, both sonically and compositionally. It’s a great opening shot, but it seems as if the engineer was told to keep things ‘just about in the red’, so there’s a sense that every instrument (save the bass) isn’t too far from peaking. It does add a sense of rawness that’s in stark contrast with a lot of the slicker fusion the followed the early 1970s, and perhaps borrows from the rock side of the music world. Featuring a great Eberson solo and some frantic drumming, this one is a winner. ‘B.M’ reminds me quite strongly of The Mahavishnu Orchestra again, and I’d actually recommend this album from Moose Loose to fans of TMO’s debut. ‘Flytende Øye’ continues the attack and gives a lot of room to Blix’s electric keys, while ‘Skakke Jens’ is more of a jam than a showcase. The piece feels a little awkward, as though the band were just a little too excited about the ‘stop-start’ approach and pushed the idea beyond its value.

Closing the album is the almost delicate ‘O Kjød’, starting off with unaccompanied piano and featuring Eberson on acoustic guitar. He takes his time with his lead work here and the duet never becomes a race, it’s a pleasant contrast to the rest of the album.

This Norwegian group would follow up with ‘Transition’ which is less charging and has a cleaner production, but here it’s much more blistering. If you like your fusion a raw then have a look here. A good album rather than something game changing or stunning.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Symphonic Blues No. 6 Third Stream
CORKY SIEGEL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recut Jazz Related Electronica/Hip-Hop
SKALPEL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Yuval Cohen Quartet : Winter Poems Post-Fusion Contemporary
YUVAL COHEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Just Nu Jazz
JIM HART
Buy this album from MMA partners
Skrifum Post-Fusion Contemporary
JON BALKE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

SOLSTICE album release • Duo Russo - Holst
PAOLO RUSSO
js· 90 minutes ago
Akiko Yano & Hiromi - Kawarushi (Official Audio)
HIROMI
js· 1 day ago
All I Want For Christmas Is You
DAVID HAZELTINE
js· 1 day ago
Chicken
QUATUOR EBÈNE
js· 2 days ago
Det er en egen lomme
THE LEIF
js· 2 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed