Romantic Warrior (Return to Forever) | Extended Play Lounge, Ep. 46
Added 2023-06-17 00:29:26 +0000 UTCIt's my first video back from vacation, and I had an absolute blast with Romantic Warrior. The proggy, jazzy, rock-ish, fusion sounds of this band are just so infectious. This is immediately one of my favorite EPL episodes, and I hope that it's one of yours. Enjoy!
Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/837057155/d8761ee263?share=copy
Comments
Perhaps you could check out their 2008 live reunion album ‘Returns’ . It’s just gold. There is also a Blu-ray of one date from that tour recorded at Montreaux. Possibly have some of that on the EPL channel?
Neil Adam
2024-11-24 11:45:46 +0000 UTCThis album is kinda' mind blowing. Prog-Fusion on a whole diffurnter level. 🤯
Robert Thornton
2024-03-29 21:59:37 +0000 UTCMy favorite album from them and my favorite songs from them are Sorceress and The Magician.
Wolverale12
2024-02-21 13:00:39 +0000 UTCDoug, you really need to check out the early Al DiMeola albums, they are fantastic! Also a classic Return to Forever tune to check out is Spain, from the Light as a Feather album… ✌️
Steve Hartke
2023-12-06 07:04:08 +0000 UTCAny of the early Al albums would be awesome!!
Steve Hartke
2023-12-06 05:49:26 +0000 UTCI always noticed the dedications on the Elektric Band albums, didn’t know this is where it started…
Steve Hartke
2023-12-06 05:47:41 +0000 UTCNot too long after this, Al Dimeola made a solo album ‘Elegant Gypsy’ which I think you’ll like too. If not for a EPL, then just for the sake of the music. Highly recommended.
Frits van Voorst
2023-06-20 21:37:42 +0000 UTCThis foursome is mindblowing. I suggest the album Where Have I Known You Before would be a great 2nd album to listen, from the same lineup. Another gem.
Jean-Michel LaFontaine
2023-06-20 06:39:45 +0000 UTCI think it's Chick on all the keyboards.
R. Douglas Helvering
2023-06-19 21:24:10 +0000 UTCAnother fine review, Doug! This band just blew me away when I first heard them back in the '70s. They were an extraordinary group of THE MOST technically gifted musicians of their time or perhaps anytime in popular music. As far as bassists go. I confess that I haven't much of Pastorius, but I haven't heard anyone like Stanley Clarke. He's just amazing!
Gerard Dion
2023-06-19 19:14:27 +0000 UTCHugely enjoyable album.
Dave waterford
2023-06-18 08:08:34 +0000 UTCI like the comment "They are still using tonal ideas".
Marla Diane Christensen
2023-06-17 21:41:00 +0000 UTCbefore this Al di Meola was in Go, Stomu Yamashta's band with Stevie windwood
Brian Rolfe
2023-06-17 21:34:15 +0000 UTCOr, perhaps, a Harp?
Marla Diane Christensen
2023-06-17 20:30:59 +0000 UTC*album.
Marla Diane Christensen
2023-06-17 20:30:31 +0000 UTCHey Doug. Do you know if they have a Harpsichord player performing in this albumn.
Marla Diane Christensen
2023-06-17 20:28:58 +0000 UTCRight around 28:50, um, your reaction. Keys, though, I believe there is a harp joining in later.
Marla Diane Christensen
2023-06-17 20:24:17 +0000 UTCThis was my introduction to Jazz Fusion and like you Doug, I was stunned and this album still leaves my mouth hanging open. I also have a hard time comparing Jaco with Stanley but in the end I prefer Stanley.
Tom Brophy
2023-06-17 17:19:49 +0000 UTCI had forgotten just how good this album was. Maybe just a *little* over the top, but back around this time, we all dug that style, i.e. musicians showing off their chops because it was pretty damned exciting. Some of Corea's soloing sounds as if it could have been Igor Stravinsky playing jazz. It's just gorgeous in parts. I might remember incorrectly, but I believe Stanley also plays piccolo bass on the album, particularly on the high unison parts in "Medieval Overture". Great job, Doug, and thank you ! (Can 'No Mystery' or 'Musicmagic' be far behind ?)
Peter Tutak
2023-06-17 13:57:30 +0000 UTCI've been hoping you would do this album (among hundreds of others...) for a long time, so thank you, Doug! I have a couple things to relate about this album. Firstly, I was fortunate enough to see this music played live, by these very musicians. It was an extraordinary evening - a cold snowy one in Cincinnati, at the Taft Theater. They performed every one of the pieces on this album (plus a few others in an acoustic set in the middle of the concert that culminated in "Romantic Warrior") note-for-note. Yes, Stanley Clarke does indeed play his acoustic bass with a bow on that one. He's very tall and long-legged, and when he played his electric bass, he would sort of strut around the stage, all the while playing the massively complicated music you just heard. Smiling all the while. Never ever looking at the neck of the bass. Also, on "Majestic Dance" what you thought was a double-tracked guitar, was in fact Chick answering Al's guitar with a synth. Before I bring up this last thing, I'm going to assure everyone that I am not judging or ridiculing anyone's belief system. The idea for this album was Chick Corea's. Both he and Stanley (at the time of the making of this album, at least) were members of a group of people who feel very strongly about a man named Hubbard. It was Chick's desire to bring into being an album that was a tribute to the man he so greatly admired, whom he envisioned as a "Romantic Warrior." Pursuant to that, he asked the other members of the band to write music in keeping with that theme. Lenny and Al were very much not members of the group that Chick and Stanley belonged to. Their individual beliefs had never been an issue in the band prior to this, and Mr. D and Mr. W bristled a bit at being pressed into service for a tribute to someone who didn't necessarily deserve it in their eyes. Nonetheless, each contributed kick-ass pieces to the album. Chick Corea's version of their breakup was certainly provably true, given the facts of what happened after RTF broke up. But the seed of the breakup was sown in that problematic album dedication, and was why only Stanley was in the next RTF. Sorry to go on so long.
Bill Brinkmoeller
2023-06-17 08:27:53 +0000 UTCNew to patreon and wasn’t sure how to leave comment so left one on vemeo. Anyway I was 18 when this came out and saw them live. It blew my mind! Then The Leprechaun, Heavy Weather, Jaco solo album, Metheny’s Bright Sized Life, Gary Burtons Dreams so Real and over a year or so everything I thought I knew about music had changed. It was one hell of an education for a stupid teenager.
Steven Ravitz
2023-06-17 07:19:59 +0000 UTCThis is one of my favorite albums of all time and I'm so happy to be able to share the listen. Cheers!
Aaron E Austin
2023-06-17 06:52:36 +0000 UTCI’m so pumped this is happening today!! Just pure magic and immensely influential! This was Al’s break onto the scene! He’s a monster musician and criminally under recognized.. thanks Doug as always!!
Jason Gregorius
2023-06-17 06:12:34 +0000 UTCI'm wondering if the guys from RTF knew how many up-and-coming keyboardists, bassists, drummers and guitarists were completely floored by this recording. Individually and collectively, that's quite a high bar they have set!
Bill Coonley
2023-06-17 04:01:51 +0000 UTC
