Journey: Next C.B.S.

Next it the third album to be released so far from the group Journey, which was formed by ex-Santana-ites Greg Rolie and Neil Schon with drummer Aynsley Dunbar (ex Frank Zappa and David Bowie) and bassist Ross Valory. The music it not offshoot Santana, however, being without the Latin-American beat that characterises Santana and with more emphasis on progressions and total structure Although the Santana influence can be detected in Neil Schon't guitar work which employs the tame techniques as Carlos Santana's with the tame tonal and structural characteristic!, it is rather more rock orientated.

Composition-wise the album is not as adventurous as the first two, covering more standard rock ground, although at times it exudes an unique grandeur - rather like a feeling of sinking into an exotic garden surrounded by colourful oriental edifices. Unfortunately, instead of maintaining this, like the first album, the music tends to lapse into rather tedious heavy metal passages of which groups such as Boston and Nazareth are probably better exponents.

The production nicely enhances the performances which are competently executed throughout, particularly by Aynsley Dunbar who demonstrates that he is one of the most precise and sensitive drummers around.

While this record probably won't make it on to my list of the year's ten best releases, this and the groups first two L.P.'s are nevertheless worth checking out.

- Geoffrey Churchman

Even In The Quietest Moments — Supertramp

This L.P. is at least as good as It's predecessor and will therefore meet with a high degree of success but it is probably not as progressive. By that I mean the group it working on the same undeniably successful without sweating into terribly much new ground. However the last track on the L.P. does aim in a new direction and this shows great promise.

'Fools Overture' it the concept track and begins very slowly with the wind and other weather type noises in the background. The sound of a crowd swells and then fades only to be replaced by Sir Winston Churchill's "We shall never surrender" speech Up until this point the composition could easily be mistaken at a Pink Floyd number but from there on it is all Supertramp and a song depicting prophets (profits) and how, although scorned throughout history, "Wait in silence to lead us all home!"

The track, which lasts nearly 11 minutes builds to a climax and then fades with the distinctive sound of an orchestra warming up and then stopping ready to play — ready for the, next album in which the main concept which Even In the Quietest Moments' only touched on is token further perhaps?

The rest of the album is typical Supertramp viz a mixture of 10cc, Pink Floyd and even Split Enz, with the distinctive music of Ricky Davit and Roger Hodgson in filterating at all levels.

The album kicks off with Give A Little Bit' which it the proposed single and is followed by Lover Boy (obviously aimed at bawdy Victoria males), the title track (obviously aimed at the passive Victoria female) and Downstream'! Side two gets into the meat with 'Babsaj, 'From Now On' which have an excellent chorus, soft lyrically and musically and finally 'Fools Overture'.

Although the elpee does not fold out it hat a thick colour inner sleeve with the credits photos of the group and all the lyrics. The cover sees a grand piano standing on a mountain top covered in snow with the score to 'Fools Overture' openly displayed further proof, if you like, that the track may be a concept one.

In conclusion, 'Even in The Quietest Moments' it a fitting successor to Crisis? What Crisis? with perhaps a little too much of the Supertramp we are all used to and not enough 'progression' but ever way you look at it its all good listening and it grows on you.

David Campbell

Chick Corea: My Spanish Heart

Large dotes of classical Spanish and flamenco elements characterise this particular release In the cover notes, Corea says that "a recent trip to Spain re-inspired my interest in flamenco music and led to a whole new awareness of my love for the music, — as well as the music of Latin America and Africa "My Spanish Heart is the latest evidence of this love, and as such, it is essentially romantic in style.

It is not just Spanish romanticism he draws from, although this influence is obvious, in the rhythms and melodies of much of the material on a first hearing. "Night Streets" springs from a Latin American well, and many other passages are classically romantic in style, reminding the listener, in places, of phrases from composers such as Brahms, yet if it was Corea's intention to produce a singularly romantic recording, he falls short of the mark. If you are susceptible to its emotions, romantic music should sweep you off your feet in its twirling ascending cadences, awed by the power of its furious fortissimo passages, or leave you reflective and serene in its more pensive moments. "My Spanish Heart" seldom achieves this. It lacks the true spirit, the robustness of Spanish romanticism. The motifs are there — and many of them may sound familiar as Spanish influences have been inescapable in previous Corea and Return to Forever sets — but they are merely motifs and fail to be concise or meaningful.

In spite of all this, spread over four sides, the musical experience is not totally satisfying. The "El Bozo" sequence, for instance, is slightly overdone, labouring under heavy organ and moog riffs with lots of general fooling around on all electronic keyboards. The passages of solo acoustic piano scattered throughout are good, but mean little when heard against Chick's solo improvisation recordings. Yet the highlights, and there are quite a few, suggest that a more frugal editor could have produced one excellent single album. "Love Castle" is pleasant and memorable. "Day Danse" intriguing, although somewhat contrived in the chase passages between the piano and the string quartet; "Armando's Rhumba" featuring Jean-Luc Ponty on violin is all good fun with excellent solos from Ponty, Clarke, and Corea, lacking only the click of the castanets and shouts of "Ole". "Spanish Fantasy", Part IV is a fitting climactic end piece — "Spanish romanticism brought up to a resounding majestic pitch.

On the whole it is a worthwhile release, although the central vein of romanticism is not strong enough to sustain the entire programme. It is essentially solo Corea, yet it doesn't possess the same lasting qualities inherent in his earlier work. For less than ten dollars for a double album you get your money's worth of listening material, still I think I'll wait for Return to Forever's next, due out soon.

— Tim Nees