ELECTROMAGNETS

Texas had something to prove. They weren't only the home of a special brand of blues or twanged out country music. They had some boys who could shred with the likes of John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Beck and Al DiMeola. Texas was home to Eric Johnson. A guitar wunderkind, tone-master and a very melodic tunesmith. The entire band was fabulous on their respective instruments. Kyle Brock laying down tight, heavy bass lines. BIll Maddox churning out crafty back-beat fills, and Stephen Barber giving Jan Hammer and Joe Zawinul a run for their money.

Each tune sets the stage for creative soloing by Johnson and Barber. The tracks have a live feel, as the timing seems to swell and grow elastic. The music never drags, it engages the mind and soothes the ear. Johnsons tone is so sweet, he seems to always choose the right spaces, never overplaying. I actually wish some of the tunes could have been a little longer, to stretch out the solos.

Motion has that soft sensual fluidity in it's overall effect on my senses. Chris Geppert, better known as Christopher Cross guests on vocals. Hawaiian Punch is a funky piece of playful Jazz Rock that would have sounded at home on a Tony Williams Lifetime album. Dry Ice is a hard driving electric piano tinged workout, with Johnson just tearing notes into teeny pieces. Kyle Brocks bass gets some space to take a few leads as the threesome trade bits over Maddox's hyper-active groove. Blackhole adds more jazz into the mix, with a tight rhythm, tasty guitar licks and deft keyboarding. Salem slows the pace and Stephen Barber takes the lead on Fender Rhodes and vocals. Thomas Ramirez adds his sax to Minus Mufflers and giving the tune a heavier jazz inflection.

Four stars is maybe a stretch, but not by much. Everyone should check it out. It's definitely a "MUST HAVE" for fans of Jazz-Rock Fusion.

"Electromagnets" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by US, Austin, Texas based jazz-rock/fusion act Electromagnets. The album was released through EGM Records in 1975. Although Electromagnets only released this debut album before disbanding in 1977 (they recorded a second album in December 1975), which was shelved until 2006, when it was released through Vortexan Records), guitarist Eric Johnson later on worked as a session musician for artists like Cat Stevens, Carole King, and Christopher Cross, before launching a solo career in 1986 with the release of his debut solo album "Tones".

Stylistically the material on "Electromagnets" is a soft, fluent, and organic sounding jazz-rock/fusion style, delivered by a well playing band. The music is almost fully instrumental (male vocals appear but are sparse) and it´s centered around the guitar playing of Johnson who is supported by the well playing (and quite busy) rhythm section of drummer Bill Maddox and bassist Kyle Brock. Keyboardist Steve Barber also has a place in the soundscape and provides a lot of texture to the tracks, although it´s definitely Johnson´s guitar theme melodies and solos which are given most space and time.

The album features a raw and organic sound production, which almost sounds like the band recorded the album live in one take. It´s not the best sounding release and a little more clarity and details wouldn´t have hurt. On the other hand the unpolished nature of the album also provides the listening experience with an honesty and charm which a more polished, clean, and professional sound production wouldn´t have given to the listener.

Upon conclusion this debut album from Electromagnets is a decent quality jazz-rock/fusion release. The band are very well playing and that´s the greatest asset of the album, but the songs could have prospered from a bit more work on in the catchiness department and while Johnson is arguably a skilled and incredibly well playing guitarist, his playing style doesn´t stand out much from a lot of other contemporary artists playing a similar style of music. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

Great Jazz Fusion album. A great music performances with great improvisations. A happy conception that made a great Jazz stuff. Great guitar performances and great bass performance with lot's of Weather Report influencies but we can listen some John McLaughlin parts to. To me, one important USA Jazz Fusion band of seventies, with a one of most great album but unfortunately unknown. In Progarchives List, just appears one albun but I have Electromagnets II that it's so great that the first. A mandatory addition for those like Jazz Progressive Fusion because it's a great stuff. Not the best of USA Jazz fusion but an important band that I recomended heard. Please enjoy all Fusion fans and I give 4 stars.

A little-known jazzy prog band from Austin,Texas, Electromagnets were formed in 1973 by Bill Maddox (drums), Steve Barber (keyboard) and Kyle Brock (bass),while they were collaborating with many percussionists and horn men during their early days.A year later the horn section is abandoned and Eric Johnson jumps on board.In 1975 their eponymous debut was released.

And this really powerful,progressive-linked and complex Jazz-Fusion with many different approaches.From energetic groovy rhymths to (mostly) fiery guitar-based fusion tracks with sudden breaks and from sax-driven mellow jazz to electric-piano centered smooth Jazz Rock ala WEATHER REPORT.Often the tracks have an improvisational mood with Johnson delivering excellent jazzy solos.Fantastic rhythm section with heavy bass lines and furious drumming,while Barber's clavinet will definitely bring you GENTLE GIANT to mind.The 1998 Rhino/Wea CD reissue contains two live bonus tracks already presented in the original album,a good documentary of the band's live activity back in the 70's,but with a very raw production.

Again,this album is strongly recommended - surpassing many better known bands than Electromagnets - not only to Jazz or Fusion fans but anyone looking for some true energy thrown in his prog menu...3.5 stars

This release is among my top ten fav discoveries in 1999. Back in 1975, a little-known, Texas fusion band released an album that has become the stuff of legend and one for the collectors' bins. And 23 years later Rhino unearths it all for us on CD. Wonderful! This is precisely what '70's jazz rock fusion was all about, great tunes like this. Keys are delightfully dated Hammer/Zawinul/Hancock/Corea-ish, funked superb, bass ultimately Clarke/Pastorious, pumpin' fusion-driven tough, drums supremely right on and who is this on guitars?!! Eric Johnson, teenager Johnson was ripping it up in classic jazz rock fusion style back in the early seventies. Amazing. Frankly, he had 90% of all his chops down pat way back when and I actually prefer his stylings and riffs better in his ancient fusion mode. He kicks some serious hindparts, pulling out all the stops. He burns the frets with ferocious efficiency. Have mercy! This stuff is the ticket for a free time machine ride right back into a glorious time in the days of The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Forever. Why the Electromagnets didn't gain wider recognition is puzzling -- some things just don't happen.

This is simply great keys, wonderful bass, excellent drums, and extremely hot guitar -- all set firmly in a solid jazz rockin' fusion-fired groove. High recommendations! What fun!

Here is an amazing example of what happens when guitar prog fusion riffs goes genius, and along with it there is an inspired team of drummer, bassist and synth players. Even though the compositions intend to give plenty of space to the guitar, it's easy to notice the width of the abilities and techniques of the other musicians. Elaborate and surprising harmonies, and also some different noises, notes and tones made by all of them gives this an uniqueness on the genre. I'd say that they put together the structure of jazz-rock prog, but using some spicy seasonings of canterbury musical school.

There are vocals only on one track, Salem.

4,7 stars for side A, more prog-rock oriented, 4,1 for side B, it has more jazz elements.

DREGS / Weather Report- (and NOVA) -like jazz-rock from Austin, TX. Very nice, crystalline sound engineering.

1. "Hawaiian Punch" (6:00) the Bill Connors/Al Di Meola-like lead guitarist (Eric Johnson) is the lead instrument pretty much throughout this song despite its tight and very expressive and competent musicianship from all four of the band members. The heavily-syncopated final 90 seconds is quite revealing and supportive of this claim. (8.875/10)

2. "Motion" (4:45) a much more smooth palette and more contemplative ECM/Narada Walden-like song construct with lots of lovely space and no hurry to finish or move anywhere quickly--and yet this is by no means a slow sleeper: there are dynamic flourishes and sudden and surprising contributions flitting in and out of the ethereal weave throughout the nearly five minutes of this--and axe-master Eric Johnson is nowhere near the dominatrix that he was in that opening song; no, this is a song of shared feeling and inspired spontaneity--and very interesting! (9/10)

3. "Dry Ice" (5:05) this one has a heavier, much more JEFF BECK-like palette and feel with drummer Bill Maddox being given full exposure for the first two minutes before Steve Barber's clavinet, Kyle Brock's bass, and Eric's guitar become more domineering. Great jazz fusion of the highest caliber--in line with Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Return To Forever, Jan Hammer, and even Frank Zappa (and preceding Jeff Beck's landmark Blow by Blow album by a few months). (9.5/10)

4. Blackhole" (6:51) a very powerful and emotional song of the Mahavishnu style with very noteworthy-yet-cohesive performances from each of the individual musicians. RTF were rarely this united and interconnected (and Mahavishnu Orchestra never)! Again, the sound engineering is absolutely stunning as every instrument, every sound nuance is so crystal clear! I don't see how J-R Fusion ever got any better than this song! And why isn't Eric Johnson mentioned in every sentence with Al Di Meola, Bill Connors, and John McLaughlin?!!! (15/15)

5. "Salem" (4:30) slowing it down a bit and even taking on a little mediæval/folkish palette despite Eric Johnson's continued bold electric lead guitar, the band takes an unexpected twist with the central presence of vocal (whose John Wetton similarities give the music a more KING CRIMSON sound and feel). The drumming is so tight and precise! And Eric's solos are every bit as sharp and concise as Al Di's or Jan Akkerman's. There is also what sounds like a bowed instrument in this song--perhaps an electric violin--but it is not among the song credits which makes me think it could be either Eric Johnson's guitar or Kyle Brock's bass. (8.875/10)

6. "Minus Mufflers" (7:36) a more syncopated song structure gives this quite the Herbie Hancock/Miles Davis feel. Plus there is the presence of Tomás Ramirez' saxophone from the start. Quite the funky keyboard and bass work though Eric's lead guitar is still very fast and furious--reminding me quite a bit of Corrado Restuci's work on the NOVA albums as well as some Larry Coryell. Interesting! (13.5/15)

7. "Novia Scotia" (3:38) an evenly-paced, smooth-flowing construct that reminds me of several non-American bands of the era, like Focus and Allan Holdsworth. The staggered play of the four instrumentalists in the third minute is quite extraordinary and noteworthy--and then the band goes soft and smooth again. That back-and-forth shift of dynamics is quite reminiscent of Al Di Meola's future work as a solo artist. Seriously good! (9/10)

8. "Crusades" (8:01) Another song whose unusual form and structure lead me to compare it to Al Di Meola, Return To Forever, and Focus. Very cerebral and concentrated into the loosely-connected individual performances--much like NOVA and WEATHER REPORT were fond of doing. By the congealment of the middle of the song everybody is aligned in order to support the pyrotechnical exploits of guitarist Eric Johnson on his multiple tracks of axe play. Then, with about three minutes to go, the music shifts rather radically toward a cruising groove in order to support a frenetic solo by keyboard wiz Steve Barber. Despite Steve's wonderful display of skill and creativity, one cannot help but be distracted by the rhythm and lead flourishes of Eric's flashy guitar: he just has that Johnny Mac/Al Di "it factor." Weird mishmash of a song that is essential for its soloists and suite-like organization of multiple musical styles. (13.333/15)

Total Time: 46:26

There is such a "later" (i.e. late 1970s early 1980s) quality to both the sound production and scope-creep of smooth jazz palettes in this music--sounds that really didn't exist back in 1973-4 even in the ECM or early Weather Report days. Were they really this much of

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of highly-developed and creatively-constructed jazz-rock fusion from four top caliber musicians.