TALE SPINNIN'

Continuing Weather Report's shift to more structured compositions and away from the murky primordial soup of Bitches' Brew/In a Silent Way-esque improvisation that characterised their early albums, Tale Spinnin' finds the band still transitioning towards the style that they'd cement on Black Market and Heavy Weather, and whilst I wouldn't put it on the level of Mysterious Traveller it's a pleasant and compelling listen which manages to be accessible and approachable without necessarily compromising the artistic vision behind it - rather, the band's concept seems to have moved on from its roots definitively at this point. It's now more precise, more technical, less loose and flowing - still good in its own way, but it took a while to grow on me.