JERRY GOODMAN & JAN HAMMER: LIKE CHILDREN

After the collapse and dissolution of the original Mahavishnu Orchestra, the band's multi-instrumentalist violinist, Jerry Goodman, and multi-instrumentalist keyboard player, Jan Hammer stick together for a while in order to hash out some of the collaborative magic they'd been suppressing.

1. "Country and Eastern Music" (5:34) acoustic piano opening is joined by a breakout of full-spectrum rock band power motif which, after establishing itself over then next 30 seconds rests while Jerry's acoustic string quartet and Jan's percussives perform a little classical string quartet for the next 35 seconds. Then the rock motif returns within/over which Jan's moog solos with some violin support just behind. Boisterous choral vocal scream-chanting starts at 2:35-- still within the heavy rock motif. At the three-minute mark there is a return to the string quartet motif while multi-track vocals continue, only now in a softer, more GENTLE GIANT-like approach. Return to the rock motif at 3:53 for some dynamic electric (and, later, acoustic) violin soloing. In the second half of the fifth minute Jan takes a turn in the lead with his Moog--which ends up, briefly, duelling with Jerry's violin--before everything de-escalates into the "string quartet" motif for the finish--with Jan's recorder-like Moog soloing over/within. Interesting and very UK-like! Also Todd Rundgren's UTOPIA. (8.875/10)

2. "No Fear" (3:28) a solo keyboard and sequencing exhibition by Jan. I can't really determine whether or not Jerry is participating at all in this as most of the sounds heard are synthetic: it seems to me to be just Moog over sequencer from start to finish. Even the long-held bent-notes that could be violin I am willing to bet are coming from the Moog. I quite like it, though. It's kind of like a preview of 1980s Jean-Luc Ponty. (9.125/10)

3. "I Remember Me" (3:47) violins and soothing electronic keyboard sounds, chords, and gentle guitar arpeggi supporting from below with barely a rhythm track implied! Impressive and pretty but, ultimately ,kind of forgettable-- like a New Age song. (8.875/10)

4. "Earth (Still Our Only Home)" (4:15) a funk rhythm track from bass and drums with distorted rock electric guitars emerging from the background eventually support some interesting vocals: part rock anthem, part SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE/OHIO PLAYERS-like funk-R&B declarative. The violin and synth solos are top notch, it's the main rhythm track that I find myself wanting to change, shift, and/or develop more. Also, the shouting-choir approach to the delivery of the vocals leaves me with an even more difficult challenge of deciphering the lyrics. (8.75/10)

5. "Topeka" (2:57) another rather simplistic rock motif that feels more useful as a warm-up or étude eventually shifts into a more straightforward vamp vehicle over which Jerry and Jan take turns soloing, each using multiple instruments to do so (violins and guitars for Jerry; a variety of Moog sounds for Jan). Even the chorus is a little dull and "by the numbers"--all just providing the set up/foundation for the solos to exist. (Which makes me wonder what the solos would sound like without any rhythm track. I have the feeling they would have the exact same impact. (8.75/10)

6. "Steppings Tones" (3:29) Moog bass and moving electric piano chord arpeggi give this the feeling of a slowed down or Mahavishnu Orchestra riff or more-typical Jean-Luc Ponty motif. It does build in both fullness with layering and drum and cymbal intensity, which is nice, but it never really seems to "launch"--I find myself waiting for the "break out" moment. (8.875/10)

7. "Night" (5:48) ominous synthesizer bass and echo-reverb electric violin duet for the first minute. (Jan does supply numerous incidental percussive accents.) Moog steps in to take the place of the violin in the second minute before Jerry's highly-processed violin rejoins and croons its melody like some 1950s Stéphane Grappelli. The whole thing has an eery, fog-like spell cast over it, but does eventually amount to some very impressive Moog and electric violin solos. A song that could easily have accompanied a scene in Alan Rudolph's 1987 film, The Moderns. At 4:20 there is a development (Yes! Development!) as Jan's drumming suddenly takes off (despite the continued drag of the morbid bass line) carrying us off down the speeding mountain road as Jerry and the Moog try to keep up. Cool ending! (8.875/10)

8. "Full Moon Boogie" (4:11) another rock motif is quickly set up that sounds as if it could have come from The Talking Heads' 1980 album, Remain in Light. The chorus motif, though still retaining a kind of David Byrne/Brian Eno style and sound, ti's a cross between "Standing at the Crossroads" and "The Great Curve." It gets a little funkier in the instrumental passages. Pretty cool though eerily prescient. (9/10)

9. "Giving in Gently / I Wonder" (4:47) what starts out as an innocuous little song with more "normal" ROBERT WYATT/RICHARD SINCLAIR/TODD RUNDGREN-like vocals from one of the dudes (I'm guessing Jerry due to the lack of any kind of accent in his pronunciation of the English words in the lyrics) turns quite nicely as it goes instrumental. A very standard hard-rock guitar solo (think George Harrison or Eric Clapton) occurs in the fourth minute. The song feels very Beatles and Clapton-like with tinges of Todd Rundgren-ness. And it does get better, stronger, as it moves into the second half (the instrumental half). Plus, Jan Hammer is a very good drummer. (9/10)

Total Time: 39:16

The biggest surprises in this album listening experience for me were: how impressive Jan Hammer is as a drummer; how cutting edge are Jan Hammer's sequencing equipment and abilities; how good Jerry Goodman's guitar skills are; how "second rate" some of the foundational motifs are--in order to accommodate/bolster the soloing being done over the top, and; how advanced and "futuristic" are the sounds and styles achieved by this duo in 1974!

B/five stars; an excellent addition to any prog and j-r-fuse lover's music collection.

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