WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER

We'll Talk About it Later is a seamless continuation of the hot and liquid jazz-rock that Nucleus introduced on their debut. Few people will contest that it is their masterpiece. The line-up remained unchanged and the band found an unseen musical confidence and a fluency of interaction that dwarfed their nearest competitors.

The quality of the compositions is so high that even an amateur band would have a hard time turning them into anything less then a merely good album. With the superb musicianship of this band the obvious outcome is a masterpiece. But before you dive in expecting to hear the British version of Return to Forever, it might be a good idea explaining that the superb musicianship I'm hinting at isn't about flashy virtuoso playing, but rather about restraint, fluency, space, breath, feeling and interplay. It allows the band to open up their melodious compositions with intricate improvised parts.

In the ensuing years, trumpetist Ian Carr would take a leadership position in Nucleus but on this album the band is still a musical democracy, allowing every player his place in the sun. The resulting sound is very rocking, organic and slightly psychedelic, with Marshall's intuitive drum playing taking pole position and Jeff Clyne tightening up the sound with deep bass lines. Special points go to Spedding's unique guitar contributions that sound unlike any other player in jazz-rock. Karl Jenkins adds both electric piano and baritone sax. Carr's trumpet and Smith's tenor saxophone divide the remaining space between them.

We'll Talk About It Later is a brilliant album with attractive jazz music that pairs the energy of rock with strong melodies and engaging jazz musicianship. One of my top 5 jazz related masterpieces and highly recommended to fans of Miles Davis and the jazzy side of Soft Machine.