RELEASED

"There stands the archer, a dream within a dream." For many years I thought this was the first Jade Warrior album, and that the title was apt. I still think the title apt, but discovered that this is their second album, a fact no one would find surprising today. The album is overall more cohesive than its predecessor and has some of their most rocking songs, not the least of which is found at the very start. From the beginning we hear something a little different from their first release. The sound is much better and much harder than anything they had done before. Three-Horned Dragon King starts with a ferocious riff and the song stays in overdrive for its six minute duration. Saxophone is added to the mix but there is no shred of jazz in this tune. The second track, Eyes On You, is another rocker. While this is not surprising in itself, it is a rock album after all, the precedent of mellow, hard, mellow, set by the first album is not found here. In the history of Jade Warrior this is somewhat significant. Remember, this is a band that thrives on surprising the listener. Bride of Summer comes next, and this is a slow mellow song throughout. Whereas the eponymous first album featured a number of tunes that combined mellow and hard sections within themselves, this album does that from song to song. In that way, Released is perhaps a little easier to take for most listeners. Still, we are dealing with Jade Warrior, and things are not always as they seem. Water Curtain Cave has a much more jazzy quality. Flute and saxophone carry the main melody, but the former gives us a solo once the song really kicks into gear. Tony Duhig keeps a low profile for much of this song, but his sharp chords give it its jazziness. There is a quiet bridge once again driven by Duhig's guitar above which Jon Fields' flutes drift. It is classic JW in structure as it returns to its beginning and could have fit onto the first album although its reliance on horns is something new. Next we get Minnamoto's Dream, another rocker and one of JW's best songs. Here we are introduced to a whole new level of Jade Warrior, a song simple on the surface but more complex than it initially seems. This one hits hard in various ways, and has a killer guitar solo that can only best be described with the word "nasty." It grinds and grates, wails and wallops the ears. In short, it's awesome. The Hi-Note/Back Ground edition I have, released in 2000, features an extra version of this song. The original release fades out, but the bonus version features a sudden end. Which is better? That is up to the listener because both work. Being more accustomed to the original fade-out, I prefer that one. This song finishes up the original side one. Side two begins with JW's most straight-forward rocker, We Have Reason to Believe. No, this is not a segment for the Holy Gospel Hour, but is rather a song about a party getting busted. For all of their aspirations for sophisticated and complex music, sometimes this band just wanted to rock. And that is what they do here. The next track demonstrates why JW was such an adventurous outfit and quite possibly the one song in their now vast catalog that turned off more people than it attracted. No, it is not a bad song. Quite the opposite. It is a great piece of music but different from anything we have heard so far. Note that the Jade Warrior predilection for diversity is strong here. Barazinbar begins with a groove of guitar and congas. Horns come in with the melody. Once again, we have something rather jazzy, in a Charles Mingus kind of way. The key to this piece is that groove and the Warrior lets it drive for the long haul. Instruments are added in, including kit drum, presumably played by Fields. Duhig jams in front of this with a relatively clean tone. A pattern is set. And it goes on for an even fifteen minutes. It is not all the same, and the groove kicks into high gear at some point relatively early on. You'll notice it when you hear it. Also, we get some of Jon Fields' most raucous flute playing. Once one lets the grooves take hold, it is a fine ride. Glyn Havard has not been mentioned yet, but his vocals and bass hold their own throughout. The original album closes with Yellow Eyes, another quiet song with lovely flute, ending the release on a pleasant note, although this is a song not without some drama. After the cacophony that Barazinbar ends with, it is a welcome respite. The 2000 re-release ends with the aforementioned sudden end version of Minnamoto's Dream. Release may very well be Jade Warrior's most approachable album and thus arguably the best place for a newcomer to begin. It will still challenge the average listener though, a challenge I strongly assert is worth the effort. This is not to say that one needs to listen to the album carefully to either enjoy or appreciate it. That is far from the case. It is one of those albums that offers a great deal no matter how carefully one approaches it, and is definitely an improvement over their introductory release.