STARDRIVE

This is Robert Mason's second album. By this time he was recording for Columbia records, and a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, appearing on their Mirror Image album. It's likely his BS&T association that led him with a contract with Columbia, rather than continuing on with Elektra. Many of the same musicians that appear on Intergalactic Trot are still present, but not Steve Gadd or Michael Brecker. Unlike the previous album, this one's all originals. Like Intergalactic Trot, it's a strange mixture of spacy sci-fi electronic music, funk, fusion, and prog rock. Again this album is full of wonderful, intense playing, with three different "Ballad" pieces that are just simply mellower pieces to calm you down after the intense playing. Also the music can seem cheesy or gimmicky to many, like Mr. Mason's custom made Stardrive synthesizer (consisting of parts and even keyboard taken from an ARP 2500 synthesizer as well as other parts, including what looks like a knob taken from an EMS Synthi A or VCS-3). But for me that doesn't bother me. Given what he was capable on Intergalactic Trot, he obviously didn't change the formula that much (other than no covers of other people's songs here), so if you like what's done on Intergalactic Trot, no reason not to like this album. Not to everyone's taste, I admit, but I like it.