Fine and Sunny

Rip It Up, Issue 3, 1 August 1977, Page 11

Fine and Sunny

Peter Thomson

Weather Report Heavy Weather C.B.S. Weather Report have never had a broad appeal in godzone, yet the other night five people of diverse musical tastes all thoroughly got off with this L.P. To be honest I hadn't been expecting much from the album. I owned only one of the previous six L.P.'s and didn't play that too often. I was suspicious that the group's stable nucleus of Josef Zawinul and Wayne Shorter were running out of ideas; that their development had become technological vis-a-vis musical. (There's my bias again) Zawinul had been steadily adding to his array of electronic keyboards and Shorter was filtering his soprano through all sorts of gizmos. True, the leaders' policy of regular change of rhythm section helped ensure variety, but I felt this was not always sufficient to provide real direction. I’d found the music getting increasingly cold. It was always exceptionally well played but was there still real human feeling behind all those electronics?

I had my answer before we'd finished hearing the first track, "Birdland ":- a decided Yes'. Weather Report is not only as lively as ever but they're sounding positively joyful. This edition of the band plays with a lighter touch than I'd heard on, say, Black Market. There's exhilaration to their music where once I'd feared calculation. “Birdland" sets the tone for the whole record with its bright arrangement and sparkling energy. Julie said it's like a super-hip Milo advert. I bet the people clapping time on this one had a ball. What has brought about this change of mood in Weather Report? A good deal of credit must go to the new rhythm section. Jaco Pastorius is not only a superb bassist, playing with tremendous lift and drive, but he has composed two of the album's most exciting tracks. He, furthermore, provides some very witty drumming on his own “Teen Town" (If you don't believe that drumming can be witty then go and hear it.)

I believe Pastorius has released a solo album; it should be worth checking out. The percussionsists are an extremely exuberant pair of South Americans. They open side two with an almost rambunctious vocal and percussion workout but otherwise contribute a very tasty and disciplined pace to the music.

However not all the credit for this band can go to the new members. Both Zawinul and Shorter are sounding fresher than they have for some time. It's almost as if they've pursued technology about as far as they could and are now returning to, if not a totally acoustic sound at least a more sparing use of electronics. It's great to hear the pure tone of Zawinul's Steinway and Shorter's unmodified soprano and tenor. Try the haunting "A Remark You Made". And that's another thing the melodies. There are quite simply some delightful tunes here. You know, things to find yourself happily humming while doing the shopping. Groovin' at the supermarket! Look, I really can't get critical about this record. I love it. I’m bopping along to a group that previously I'd, well, often only respected.

Different people obviously approach music in different ways and this is especially true with improvised instrumental music such as this. I often start with the bass-drums combination, latch on to the beat and explore from there. Emlyn's a drummer and he was fascinated with Pastorius' basswork. Lindsay goes in with the keyboards. He raves about Zawinul's harmonies. Other people look for a melody. No matter which way you approach this record, Heavy Weather is a winner. It contains some of the group's best music to date and certainly their most accessible. Before this album, Lindsay was the only real Weather Report fan amongst us that evening. Emlyn likes Genesis, Yes and Split Enz. Christine prefers Leon Russell and Maria Muldaur. Julie normally listens to Roberta Flack and James Taylor. Yet we all liked Heavy Weather. Maybe you will too.