GO: GO TOO

As I wrote before, when I reviewed the two previous albums of The Go Project, the first time I heard to talk about this musical project was in a broadcasting station in my country, following the release of their first album. I became very impressed with it, and soon as I could I bought the three albums. Unfortunately, I only could purchase "Go" some years ago, "Go Live From Paris" to a couple of years and "GoToo" was only purchased very recently.

The Go Project was born in very strange and troubled times to the progressive rock music. As many of we know, the years in late of the 70's were years of deep changes in the progressive rock world. These were the years of the revolution made by the punk movement. The punk explosion was reminding to everyone of the visceral thrill of the first principles of rock. So, projects such as Stomu Yamashta's "Go" were somehow unthinkably and weren't a commonplace in those times. Jazz meets the avant-garde at the disco? This was a very strange thing, indeed.

Anyway, Yamashta, scion of the Japan National Symphonic Orchestra, had built up a sufficient and very solid reputation as percussionist, composer and bandleader in 1976 and he was able to call upon the services of a hand full of great musicians such as Steve Winwood, Al Di Meola, Michael Shrieve and Klaus Schulze, forming The Go Project, one of the unlikelier super groups of the era.

The line up on the second studio album of this musical project is also very extensive, as happened with their first studio album, and was formed by some the musicians who had already participated on their debut studio album of the musical project, which are Stomu Yamash'ta (synthesizers, piano, tympani and percussion), Michael Shrieve (drums), Klaus Schulze (synthesizers), Al Di Meola (lead guitar) and Brother James (percussion). However, there were many other musicians who also collaborated in this second studio album. So we have Doni Harvey (vocals and guitar), Jess Roden (lead vocals), Paul Jackson (bass), Linda Lewis (lead vocals), J. Peter Robinson (keyboards) and The Martin Ford Orchestra. All the music was written by Yamash'ta and all the lyrics by Michael Quartermain. Paul Buckmaster once more made all the orchestral arrangements.

"Go Too" is the third and the last album of the Stomu Yamash'ta's Go project and was released in 1977. I must say that it isn't properly the continuation of their first album "Go". All the main musicians of their project are here, but unfortunately it lacks to it Winwood and his unmistakable voice. I don't know the reason why he doesn't participated on this second studio album. It was by his own free will or because he wasn't invited by Yamash'ta, who wanted to make something different on this album. Anyway, the lack of his presence is very noted, and whatever the reason, this album is much weaker than the previous one. However, it doesn't mean that we are in presence of a bad album. On the contrary, "Go Too" is really a good album, despite being clearly a very eclectic album, but is probably too much influenced by many and diverse musical styles such as rock, jazz, funk, electronic, pop, disco and new age.

Often considered the poor relation to the first "Go" album, the album is a totally different proposal to its illustrious predecessor. Possibly because of the time in which it was released and due the involvement of Linda Lewis, the album has received many put downs and the worst of all is that it was considered an album of electronic disco music. This is so far from the truth and is certainly a slanderous thing. It's true that gone is the fusion, gone are the solos, gone are the signature licks of the musicians and that "Go Too" saw also the Winwood's departure. But we can say that he saw the arrival of the criminally overlooked ex Alan Bown vocalist Jess Roden and the ironically unsung Linda Lewis, utilising all five octaves of her extraordinary range to stratospheric effect on madness. In truth, the album is a bizarre but generally pleasing combination of contrasting elements, ranging from the plangent balladry of "Mysteries Of Love" to the oblique Zappa harmonies and logic defying Di Meola guitar solo which fuel "Seen You Before".

Conclusion: As I said previously, when I reviewed "Go" and "Go Live From Paris", The Go Project is, in my humble opinion and unfortunately, an underrated project with very few reviews and rates on this site. Obviously, "Go Too" isn't an essential album in any progressive rock musical collection, but I sincerely think that it deserves really more than 2 stars. It represents the end of one of the strongest musical cooperation of the 70's. "Go Too" is a fine addition to the previous two albums by the ensemble and although not as interesting, progressively speaking, as the first studio album, it's still a release that offers a lot of enjoyment with great performances and, for the romantics amongst you, two excellent ballads. Still, if you are a progressive fan and a beginner with this musical project, you must start with their live album "Go Live From Paris", which is their hidden masterpiece, and avoid "Go Too", as a first listen.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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