MR. GONE

Yikes...what got into Weather Report for this one? While some jazz fusion outfits continued to push the limit (notably Bruford, but others as well) near the end of the seventies, Weather Report seem to be regressing quite a bit here. There really are no new musical ideas, and they appear to have been pursued with little energy or inspiration. The result is a very stale sounding album that would fit right in half a decade later, but is quite a disappointment for any time period.

The highlights are few and far between, including the beginning of the incorrectly titled Punk Jazz (where Pastorius really cuts loose on the bass) and the uptempo, fusiony Pinocchio (unfortunately the only energetic part of the album lasts just over two minutes).

There are many lowlights, from irritating chanting (The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat), cheesy handclaps (River People), and meandering drones and noodling (The Elders).

Basically, there's little that's inspiring or interesting, and much that can be boring or even irritating--especially if you can't help but pay close attention. Avoid this album: those who don't "get" jazz are likely to find it annoying, and those who are familiar with the genre will be bored out of their minds by this simplistic, robot-like performance. Even Pastorius can't save this one.