Heavy Weather

I knew the popular track: Birdland. It didn’t know anything else. The album is jazz, with plenty of synth prog-rock sounds, and also some world/afro sounds. Some parts sound like they could be intro music for a TV show. Some parts are like precursors to Bella Fleck. Some tracks are a little too long/jammy for me, but that might be because I heard the extended version. I will say these artists are super talented and sound great live.

This album feels like such a product of its time (the synth! The sax!) that is almost wins me over on that alone. But, while they are obviously talented, there isn't enough here to make me eager to revisit it.

favs: birdland palladium the juggler havona rating 2.5/5

They're a great band of amazing musicians who made some just okay music. You have to like jazz and appreciate the people who are in this band in order to be a fan of this. Otherwise, it's probably pretty boring! Maybe I was distracted but I just listened to this and I don't remember having listened to it. Totally washed past me, which isn't a great sign.

Nice. Nice. Niiiiice. Some real corkers here. Birdland. Rumba Mama. Enjoyable. Some is a bit dated but overall solid.

Disconcertingly dated.

Ok

Starts with what I can only describe as a game show theme song???? Then proceeds into non-stop wankery. This report just in - this is boring.

Interesting, but not my cup of tea. I strongly prefer the Manhattan Transfer cover of Birdland.

Decent

7/10

i like dat

I have heard of them but couldn’t place the genre. Ah yes Jass-Fusion my beloved detested. This exceeded expectations though – Birdland is wonderful and it’s a song that I have heard for many years. The other songs were brill too but I think that is because some of them reminded me of a scene in a cheesy 90s movie where the woman and man fall onto the bed undressing and the shot changes to blousy white curtains blowing in the wind, whereas others felt like the soundtrack to a 70s detective series. It’s like the soundtrack of my youth.

I wish this list had more jazz on it. It's a shame that there is so much Brit pop and so little jazz. And this album counts as jazz I suppose. I'd not heard this one before so didn't really know what to expect. It's pretty bland, totally background music. The bass is good, the drums are good. But it just doesn't keep your attention. I did really like the three live tracks on the expanded version though. I don't think I would buy this if I came across it in the shop. If it started playing randomly I might let it play for a few songs and then switch to something else. It's not bad, it just...fine. 3/5

3/5

Some great musicianship on this. Although, considered their most commercially successful album it’s still an acquired taste

Some real high points, but also many other points where I came to and wondered, "How long have I been on hold?"

The first song felt a bit like a tv theme, and parts of it reminded me of the overture from Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan. I enjoyed the rest of the album but started to find it a bit boring towards the end. Fav song: Birdland Least fav: Harlequin

I really enjoyed the first song- it had movie soundtrack vibes, but the rest of the album just didn't live up to that level of fun. Favourite song: Birdland Least: Remark You Made

I still can't tell if there's any structure in these songs but it was nice

- this is the kind of coffee shop or jazz bar lively background music that might prompt me to notice and Shazam one of the songs, but it's not part of a genre I would choose to listen to on my own - a lot is going on, and I'm sure that could work to either the listener's benefit or detriment, depending on what they're listening for. I think this album does a good job at giving each instrument its own "turn" in more coordinated ways than just allotting a few minutes for each of the musicians to take a basic solo while playing quietly, but jaco's wild bass underneath nearly everything almost -- almost -- undermines a few of those moments - still, some of the songs have a forcefulness I wouldn't expect from a jazz album, and I was generally impressed with how well it was put together. "Havora" is a good example of coordination: when one musician is going off on a crazy solo, most of the other instruments are hanging back or holding just a sustained note while only one or two others might join in. when the piano or saxophone join the bass, it fills the space in a pleasing way, like doing a call-and-response "conversation" with the main instrument (well, main for the present moment) in some areas or just adding little accents in places where the main instrument has paused

Sounds like background or theme music

I'm adding this album to the bucket of "things that sound very interesting but I don't get anything out of it". Yes, that's right. I have listened to this album several times (7 to be exact) and I never had any real value out of it. Do I think it sounds great? Yes, I do think the production is really great, and I specially loved the warm sound of the bass. There is also a little sense of chaos with all the instruments and how technical they are that I can get behind. However, in general, I feel quite unimpressed about it. Regardless of how impassive my experiences were, I'm going to give it a positive score.

This album is a collection of instrumental pieces that seem very much like non diegetic music. Not complaining, just strange. A couple of the songs I actually recognized, though I couldn’t tell you from where. All that said, this album was certainly interesting. Different styles and settings gave this album a feeling of watching a movie without the movie. You could hear the scenes come to life thanks to their talent and charm in the instruments. With influences from jazz and funk to some African tribal interspersed, it was fun. Just don’t think it’ll be something I seek out again.

Jazzy and funky, not bad but some of the tracks go on a bit

Not a fan of jazz so it's automatically a no from me

Weather Report is fair with mild temperatures.

Some super gorgeous parts, especially a remark you made, but overall not the most consistent jazz album.

Grand! Just a chill instrumental album.

1. Birdland - 7 From instrumentally brilliant, to your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order in which it was received. To instrumentally brilliant again. There's a lot to like on here: piano, sax, the electric guitar. Solid track. 2. A Remark You Made - 6 Solid slow jazz. The opening few notes very much reminds me of Us and Them by Pink Floyd. Sax is definitely the highlight on the track but the bass provides a lot of character to it as well. 3. Teen Town - 4 The bass is nice as are the drums but the drums feel a little too random and the supporting instruments I'm not very fond of on this track. 4. Harlequin - 2 Track is too quiet and the audio is poorly balanced on it. Not a lot too it. If you played a game on the PS1 that had a "city at late night walking through a rough neighbourhood" scene, this could be the theme for it. 5. Rumba Mama - 6 Good sound. Brilliant drumming. Excellent vocals. Kind of wish the track was a bit longer. 6. Palladium - 8 Really good jazz. Lot to like here between the instruments, especially between the bass and brass. 7. The Juggler - 5 At times this track is brilliant but at other times it's absolutely awful. So hard to pin a rating to it but it averages itself out in the end. 8. Havona - 6 It's much like The Juggler but better over the course of the whole track. Intro is an absolutely woeful sound however. Average Rating: 5.50 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 2.75 Rounded Up: 3 Stars

Cool

A landmark album in the jazz fusion genre. How exciting that is really depends on you. It's clearly building off of the merger of jazz and rock that was explored by Miles Davis and influenced so many. There are clearly echoes of prog rock bands here as well. So I get that this will appeal to a certain kind of person and on some level I kind of like it too. But also, it's a bit boring. And 1977 is pretty late to pretend that this is all that innovative I think. Maybe it helps popularize the style but I don't know if that's saying much considering it's not such a popular genre. But hey, I don't hate it and O particularly liked the final track.

Jazzy and forgettable.

Cool Jazz. Nice to listen to on a Saturday morning!

A tan Stetson the height of a supercell cumulonimbus and weighing as much as a fleet of jumbo jets crosses the bay, a raging electrical storm under its brim. The city, already reeling from the unfortunate appearance of absolutely fucking massive autumnal red maple leaves, steels itself for another attack. What that city on the cusp of the Stetson’s shadow doesn’t know – how could it? – is that the gargantuan storm-carrying Boss of the Plains is also a volcano. Yeah. Let that sink in. Like its cover, this album – produced by an ensemble cast of jazz superstars – feels better understood as just that: a feeling. Because here is the sound of a thousand movies, sitcoms, infomercials and faux-nostalgic recreations colliding in one cohesive feeling. Or, perhaps more accurately, converging at the source. Have I heard “Birdland” before, or only its echoes? Is “A remark you made” made more or less beautiful for knowing its derivatives so well? Is “Harlequin” from the credit sequence of Outrun or do I just want it to be? Weather Report’s portents were strong; this record’s influence anticipates a lot of what I think of when I think of early-80s American cultural imperialism. The occupants of the city in the shadow of the Stetson salute you, Weather Report. Forecasting is as much art as it is science.

Weird and wonderful. Listenable, but something I'd have to be in the mood for.

schon paar Banger aber auch längen

I like it. I bought it. This was the second album of theirs I bought, the first was Mysterious Traveler (which I thought was better than this one). Both good albums to have in my collection. Good music!

It was solid background music.

I understand the elevator point but there is some good elevator music which this is

It was soothing but not really my thing

Birdland

Fav track- A Remark You Made and The Juggler Least fav track- Teen Town Overall rating-6/10 Notes- good instrumental album, very nice composition. I have to say that i love this artwork, i just can’t get enough when album covers had so much going on. like yes i love that. in contrast, i love a simple album cover as well. i like the mix of instruments in the songs, sometimes it got a little crazy but im into it. started off pretty strong.. little meh in the middle.

I had never really listened to anything like this before. It’s fusion, which surprised me at first but I found it to be very interesting to listen to and I liked it.

Bookmarking this for the next time I want to feel like I’m a) watching the opening credits to an 80s movie, or b) stuck in an elevator

The musicianship is excellent. I love the psychedelia so much. Such a cool listen, even if some songs bored me a bit.

Jazz music is something I never choose to listen to. For me it just works as background music. This was ok in that regard.

lost of saxofoon

Apt name of the artist as this felt like the music that would play on the Weather Channel report on the 8s. This is the kind of music that plays in elevators and bathrooms. I plan on using it for the bathroom purpose during my next gathering.

Heard it twice and just can't get into Weather Report. Feels like generic, bland, rated E Jazz. Appreciate the artistry but not my style. Highlight: the bass in track 3.

Nice album but solo after solo after solo after ...

Heard this in every shopping centre in the 90s

it is quite cute

Damn, yet another band with which I had no familiarity. I enjoyed it.

While I love a jazzy instrumental, this one did not connect. Still would’ve enjoyed them live.

'80s TV vibes it gives.

Good background music

Feel like I should have loved this but I didn't for some reason. I love jazz. I love funk. I didn't love this. Soz lads Listened to a couple of the songs the next day and initially liked it more, but now I'm back to my original feelings. I want to like this more than I do! I have no idea what to rate it! Somewhere between a 2.5 and a 4. I think it has to be a 3, but I'm really not sure. Think I'll have to revisit this one. Songs added to playlist: - Birdland - Palladium - Black Market - Live

Good

Good jazz fusion. I don't enjoy this quite a much as Mahavishnu or Return to Forever though.

lekker instrumentale jazzy. waanzinnige muzikanten.

More jazzy jazz. Good for in the background, like rain hitting your windows.

Something of a soundtrack to a drama series. Easy listening jazz that incorporates some fuzz and modulation effects. Still not a fan of jazz but this I can appreciate.

Pretty rare for just an instrumental album. This was nice background music

Fusion is usually a miss for me. This one had some highlights (I really enjoyed the opening track, which set the tone for the really nice blend of timbres throughout the album) but sometimes it felt like the musicians were having too much fun to care if the listener was too. It was all impressive, but not all of it kept me interested. Maybe I just don’t get it. I was actually surprised to learn that Wayne Shorter and Jaco Pastorious were members of the group – I’m a big fan of some of their other work. This is a solid 3 for me: glad I listened but not gonna go running back for more.

Highlights: Teen Tower, Palladíum. In a nutshell: four seasons in one day... Jazz fusion requires patience and sometimes it pays off here. Emphasis on sometimes. This 1977 composition wavers between intrigue, cliche and boredom. Joe, Wayne and Jaco are three incredibly skilled musicians. The commercial appeal of jazz infused music running out of steam, which you can blame Steely Dan for. The YouTube comments praised Jaco more than Wayne (sax) and Joe (keys). Which is unfair. The fretless bass dominates most of the tracks and I firmly believe it is the most pretentious instrument of them all. Overall: 5/10

Progress: 250/1001 !!! Listens: 3 or 4 Standout Tracks: Palladium Overall Progress Commentary: I have been doing this thing - listening to a brand new album from the List, most of which I haven't ever heard before - for 250 days. That's astounding, and quite the commitment. When I tell people that I have embarked on this project, they typically have two reactions. They say both: I can definitely see you having the commitment and fortitude to do this [project] , and, you're uh... certainly dedicated to it. I haven't skipped an album yet, though I have taken the odd one or two day break. And too boot, only a few are missing reviews! Though the quality of my reviews tend to be quite subjective and lacking in what you might describe any semblance of technique - basically, I really don't know how to properly critique the quality of the music I am listening to. Some stats: 5-Star Albums: 30 1-Star Albums: 10 Average Rating: 3.27 Favorite Decade: 1950 (somehow, probably because most of the Jazz I've come across is consistently a 4) Thumbs-Up'ed Reviews: 5 Albums on the List that I have listened to before starting this project: 17 Album Review: I did not know what to expect going into this album. I was expecting Country music, which I mostly loathe, and the first song, Birdland, does not do the album any favors. But as the album went on, and after reading the blurb on YTM, I came to understand that this is a Jazz album and, besides the first song, I found the rest of the album quite pleasant. I don't think I will be adding it to my library or rotation, but it was nice enough. At a few points throughout the album, there was the tiniest start of people beginning to sing, but that never really panned out, and so the album is basically an instrumental. Not necessarily a problem, but the few voice sounds on it were a bit of a tease.

This album is in a tough spot, because it’s going to be too jazzy for rock fans, too mainstream sounding for jazz fans, and not funky enough for R&B and funk fans. Minus some occasional Kenny G vibes, I found it fun and interesting, although not something I’m going to reach for in the future. Still glad I heard it.

Okay, maybe a bit boring overall

It’s like Joe Jackson’s “Night Music” album but without the Joe Jackson. This album needs more Joe Jackson.

decent jazz fusion, led by an Austrian

For now four. Maybe ±1 after another listen. Nice Jaco groove!

Album inégal, mais avec beaucoup de potentiel. Ce qui est dommage avec le jazz fusion, c’est qu’il prend une tangente vers la musique de mon’oncs un moment donné et ne parvient pas vraiment à s’en relever. Cet album est un petit pas dans cette direction, mais il reste très bon et écoutable malgré tout. Je dois me replonger dans la discographie de Weather Report. C’est certain que des perles m’y attendent.

Groovy at times, smooth jazzy at times. Much better than expected

Technically astonishing jazz fusion that somehow makes virtuosity feel like background music for a very expensive aquarium. “Birdland” carries a lot of emotional luggage here.

Has a few great moments on it. Birdland is fantastic. But it also, weirdly, has some terrible elevator music sections. Which is just wrong for who these guys are. Maybe I just didn't understand the weird electro jazz.

3/5

A standard jazz fusion pick. It’s good, but there’s others that are great

M’oui…. Ce serait super en bande son de film. Mention spéciale pour Havona qui était top ! Franchement, c’est à voir en live mais pas à écouter à la maison à mon sens C’était quand même vachement long mais on a changé de style donc c’est bien !

Your favorite bassist's favorite bassist kills it here. Pretty nice jazz to listen to. Liked side A quite a bit. Wished I could give it an extra half star.

Im not a fan of jazz music

Rain, or snow?

Jazz. First song is really fun. Good sample opportunities. Insane that it was from the 70s, futuristic sound even for now. Second song is a lot more emotional, very 80s. Long songs. Third song is pretty “generic”. Lack of cohesion in some parts, but then others are well put together. Back half is much better. Car horn in the 4th song is crazy work. Pretty good song tho. Rumba mama?? ??. Palladium gets the album back on track, similar to first 2 songs with a lot of cohesion. Juggler was fine but couldn’t tell the did between palladium. Having sounds like it’s from the god father 2, specially the Cuba scene. Overall pretty good but not life changing.

The sound and vibes coming off this album are at their peak when you listen to it while drinking a coffee in your home on a cold, rainy day. And that's exactly how I took this one in. At first, it was giving me a "weather channel music" vibe which I guess is fitting given the name of the band and album (primarily 'A Remark You Made'). However, it's a pretty smooth listen throughout and is the type of music I'd put on as I work on something else. It doesn't require a whole lot of thought or attention from the listener, and sometimes that's just as enjoyable as an album that sucks you in for 45 minutes straight. Top tracks: Birdland, The Juggler Skips: Rumba Mamba - it just sticks out like a sore thumb to me

80s sitcom theme songs

I’m sure this album sounded much fresher upon release, but it comes off as a bit corny to my 21st century ears. The 80s ruined synths for a lot of people, and I think this album is a victim of it to some extent. The over-saturation of this type of music in the decade that followed this album is tough to ignore. That said, there’s still some great moments brought to us by straight up maestros. You’ve got Jaco on bass, Wayne Shorter on sax, and Zawinul on synths; these guys are literally legends of modern jazz. They knew how to make cutting-edge and incredible music, and maybe that’s exactly what they did on this album, but the shine has faded. Birdland is one hell of an opener, but unfortunately, it was also when the album peaked in my opinion.

I don't believe in guilty pleasures even with stuff like jazz fusion which generally runs contra to most things that I like in music so I must declare that Heavy Weather is on its face, good without qualifiers. Weather Report, like other jazz fusion heavies, has that sort of smooth, pleasing sound that is just about Hold Muzak ready but Heavy Weather deviates from the Kenny G-ness with some lively tracks that are, as the kids say, a bop. Birdland is the no-duh classic on here - just a out of the park home run first track. Pop that shit on in the morning and your day's recalibrated. Other tracks like Teen Town presage trip-hop and if I had to wager a guess - no research conducted here, all off the dome - was sampled in some 90s hip-hop. Just cool shit. The slower tracks don't do it so much for me but whenever the band picks up the speed, I cannot deny the appeal. Even then, the slower tracks have a drifting coziness to them that wins me over. Incredible stuff for a coffee shop (positive.) There's no denying that the longer the album runs, the more "same" it feels but Birdland & Teen Town alone gild that A-side. A major influence on one of my favorite aesthetic categories, 90s feel-good fusion. This album always makes me think of shows like Early Edition, a mostly forgotten 90s television show about a journalist who can see a day into the future. Its opening rhymes with Weather Report and it's not alone in that category. Something about Heavy Weather registers as nostalgic though I don't believe anyone I knew was playing it when I was a kid. My parents weren't jazz fusion types! https://youtu.be/pfWVwx3Y32U?si=FQRmk8kJoz0jjraq Favorite Tracks: Birdland, Teen Town

really hoping that this means jazz albums will show up on the list. fusion is fine (it's maybe not my preferred way to listen to tracks like birdland, although as brandon said it is essential to give credit where it is due), but it's not my favorite. gotta say though, tracks like Palladium make me think that maybe it could be. that shit's fuckin groovy.

This shit was fun, maybe not life changing, though. Jazz rock isn’t something I listen to enough but some great songs here. I kinda expected a blue shell to hit me out of nowhere, though — “Birdland” sounds like a song playing during a Mario Kart race.

Jazz-Album, Melodien sind angenehm zu hören 3/5

Not as bad as I anticipated considering I am not a fan of jazz! It was nice to discover what jazz fusion was!

Instrumental only

Nice, smooth jazz

Cool jazz nothing crazy

A more interesting approach to jazz. "Birdland" did its job as an opening track. However, the other tracks weren't as great. I liked the inclusion of synths on "Heavy Weather". The album reminds me of stuff from Emerson, Lake and Palmer. 3 stars for "Heavy Weather".

I knew of Weather Report only by reputation. It's got some good stuff on it. It is the meeting point between Jazz and Progressive Rock. A lot if it is good but I was feeling a little fatigued by the end. Not something I could listen to every day. Too much synth for my tastes.

I had no idea what this might sound like, turns out it was what I’d describe as jazz for people who aren’t really into jazz ✅ So yeah, I quite enjoyed it. I recognised part of the opening track, maybe from an old TV show? Though the overall feel is a soundtrack to a show where a suburban US cop with a liking for whiskey investigates alien phenomena. I’ll not be exploring more, but an interesting addition to the list all the same.

Not my favorite type of jazz, very produced and smooth. It gets a “3” for Birdland.

This reminded me of the music in Wave Race 64. Which isn't a bad thing! I like the music in Wave Race 64!

This was a very surprising listen. Ive never heard of this band before and found the first half of this album highly enjoyable. Birdland is the band's most famous song, with its urgent percussion. A Remark You Made is another strong track but the albums highlight for me is Teen Town. Rumba Mama is straight up hilarious if you understand the lyrics, which are rare in this album. The best way to describe this is as soul and jazz fusion à la Bitches Brew. Great album and love the cover art too.

Pretty good

Not a bad listen. Just not particularly engaging after the first track. Pleasant enough.

Was enjoying it at the start, thought a 4 could be possible. It became a bit annoying by the end and just about clung onto a 3

This is a worthy album which even a non-jazz guy like me can appreciate.

It’s fine

I’d listen to it again, but won’t go out of my way to do so

I guess smooth jazz had to start somewhere

Was good for a drive Will I listen to again: 45%

weather update: its raining the hypnotic rains of smooth jazz. 3/5

Highs and lows. It is a shame, It had potential to be a very nice album

All the jazz on this list, regardless of quality, has tended to be super depressing. This isn't. Sounds like the soundtrack to an 80s movie ive never seen Cover art is funny

Birdland - and not much more. Successful Jazz album

It’s fine. Not my thing.

Reminds me of similar jazz bands that followed in Weather Report's footsteps. This is decent stuff.

Album cover is dope. Favorite track: A Remark You Made 3.5/5

This album always is on the edge of that line for me - it is technically my jam, I love many of the artists in the supergroup, but together it sounds so damn CHEEZY

The mixing is neat and balanced, and the overall structure feels solid. The songs aren’t exactly my usual taste, but they’re definitely well-made and interesting to break down.

Weather Report is the kind of jazz group my Dad would have listened to in the 1970s and 1980s, even though, to the best of my knowledge, he never owned a single one of their albums. These guys seemed like they were laying the groundwork for artists like Spyro Gyra and Chick Corea (albums I know for a fact that my Dad did have!), although they all probably played around the same timeframe. Who knows. Jazz Fusion is weird. I don't know what else to say. I'll stop talking now.

Solid late 70s jazz album. What you'd expect from these guys

Pleasant but just makes me feel like I'm in a hotel lobby. Jazz really isn't my thing.

Smooth but forgettable.

Jazz.. 4 stars

Jaco je definitivno bolji nego suma svih njihovih dijelova. Osjećaj je da je dosta statično, uz par zanimljivijih stvari.

Background.

It was interesting

Decent enough

Birdland is a bop. The rest of the album is middling.

It started off strong and like a 90s comedy movie but… ended flat for me.

3.5/5

This was another groovy album, wish it had some lyrics, birdland was really good

Pretty cool, but sort of becomes background for me. I would call this a 2.5, but bumping because I've heard some of this before and it's iconic.

Genre: Jazz Fusion Elevator music turned up to 11. Weather Report had a big hit with the opening track on this album, Birdland, one I was unfamiliar with (surprisingly). It’s pretty good, as are the rest of the tracks. Some great playing, and some solid moods, but not totally for me. I know a number of people eat this stuff up, so I’m happy for them, because this is pretty solid. 3/5

Birdland, A Remark You Made, and Teen Town — not a bad way to start off your jazz fusion record. NGL, that cover is some serious Heavy Weather as well. For the genre, it's a standout classic, in the larger context of my preferences though it's less than that.

I got really high and put on a documentary about the Newport Jazz festival one night. I passed out not long into the show and dont remember much about it. The title track on this snapped me back to watching the doc and I suddenly remembered parts of it. Anyway,just like the Newport Jazz Fest doc, I had enough after a song or two.

6.5 Jazzy funky or funky jazzy?? Idk but it was one of those two

This is fun, but there’s obviously a reason it didn’t become popular. I think this is way too tight. This prog, jazz/funk, fusion, whatever this genre may be is too locked down. Where’s the improvisation?! The instrumentation is obviously deadly. Except for the brief live bit on that one song, there were no vocals to help this album stay in my memory and I guarantee I won’t be able to recall any specifics the moment I turn it off. The general vibe will stick with me for at least an hour, maybe more, but that’s all. This should’ve stayed in the back of the bin and not made its way to this list. I will say that it accomplished what it wanted to and it was not annoying as fuck, so that’s a plus. 3/5

Very cool fusion jazz!

Wasn’t expecting the jazz vibe, and heavy use of sax throughout the album when I heard the name. To be honest I loved the slow use of saxophone, very mood setting. However I didn’t appreciate that the whole album would be synths and sax (keyboards and drums too) An album I’d play with a glass of red wine and to try to act pretentious. “Oh you don’t know the weather report, gwahf you must listen” but sadly those sort of evenings are few and far between. Rumba mama was a miss on the album. Not needed and just a different vibe felt out of place I appreciate the musical talent on the album. However not one I’d stick on regularly. Maybe if I needed some background music to drown out my spreadsheets.

This is a lovely little album with some great musicianship from an outfit I had not heard of. No particular favourite, however would listen in the background in the future.

Weird. At times, a groovy record to get down with your lady on the thick shag carpet. At times, a nicotine stained conversion van with an airbrushed mural headed downtown. At times, elevated elevator music. At times, some freaky post-Bitches Brew experimentalism.

Wow. Well. I guess I listened to this when I was a serious preteen jazz music student, which casts a strange shadow over it, but I guess my first take is that... it isn't as unlistenable as I expected. Some of it is sort of great. I think I need to put my white shoes back on to listen to this and probably smoke a bunch of weed while I'm at it to really feel it. Did anyone notice that it sounds quite a bit like a variety of early Sesame Street and PBS programming? Album came out the same week I was born in 1977. I like imagining the doctors rocking this in the break room after I appeared. Also: "Teen Town" is a hilarious name for a song.

Jazz isn't my thing, but this was a little different. It was jazz but strong R&B vibes, that made the songs a little more polished and cohesive. I could see where true jazz fans wouldn't like it, but to me it made it more enjoyable and easier to connect with. I also like how the songs highlighted instruments beyond the trumpets. It felt less like jazz, but more R&B big band that was jazz inspired.

This had some cool moments, I liked the 70s-ness of it all, but it mostly melted into background noise. Jazz tends to do that for me.

= The Beatles

I don't really know were I sit with this album. Overall I enjoyed it but parts of it I just completely tuned out for.

Fun, but forgettable. Good background music for working and thinking.

Yeah. Its jazz

not for me i like something with lyics and a bit more meaning

Nice easy listening jazz fusion. Perhaps an odd criticism but it might be *too* palatable?

A really nice, chill listen while I worked today. It was just ok to me though. Highlights: A Remark You Made

Good fun Jazz, I found this really enjoyable Fav songs: Palladium

I don’t know much of the genre of fusion but it seems pretty sweet. Decent stuff from Weather Report here.

not bad, but this kind of jazz isn't my favorite listening

Awesome band name. Cool jazz.

Has it's moments, and they are talented, but also turns into background music.

Yeah, it's weather report music.

Love the Instruments, but maybe not my cup of tea

This is technically competent, but it felt a bit hollow.

While Jazz isn't a 100% my music style, I still thinks this is a nice Jazz album. Good to hear at the side.

Some good songs, could be a 3.5/4

Good jazz. Some weird tracks bump it down a point. 3/5

High quality jazz

don't know why it has such a low rating here, yeah it is not groundbreaking but was still an enjoyable listen! 3.5/5

Good mix of capturing moments and others fading into the air. A good background record.

Too mellow.

There are some bits of this I really like and I recognised Birdland which is a jaunty wee tune but I REALLY dislike that keyboard sound. It overpowers and ruins everything far too often. It seems they pioneered that cheesy 80s sound before the 80s. I recognise that there is some cracking musicianship in here though. 2.5

Sounds exactly like the album cover

Rätt svängigt. Okay bakgrundsmusik.3

fun jazz pretty funky

This album feels like one that would make more sense in a movie, as background music, but it was overall not too bad, as it was jazzy and pretty chill.

Gets better as it goes along, conclusion is fantastic. Salutations, my children, are you ready for your daily dose of smooth jazz? -Kelpy G

This was a nice background jazz vibe. I know nothing about Jazz tbh but vibes

Not the most interesting album, but great musicians and some parts were cool. Standout songs: A Remark You Made The Juggler

A very slow moving album. Jaco Pastorius' fretless work is sublime, but as for the songs, all I can say is that I didn't mind listening. It was nice enough, but Jazz isn't really in my Top 5 of genres. 3/5

Esch no geil jazzig, vorallem Birdland, aber halt rein instrumental ond rächt langwiilig sodass nüd wörk hange bliibt.

Birdland really sounds like the soundtrack to something, like a 90s sitcom or something. Rumba Mama came out of fucking nowhere, hahaha. Turns out that Birdland was a cover of the original version by Maynard Ferguson.

Didnt know what I was getting into but it was pretty fun.

Good instrumental background music. Feels like a 70’s police procedural

An interesting album but no standout songs.

Liftmuziek, dat genre hadden we nog niet gehad. Het is leuke funk of jazz (met een Afrikaans uitstapje?), maar ook wel een beetje saai. Of misschien is het gewoon te vaak geïmiteerd. Mijn collega-recensenten zien er tv-tunes in, en inderdaad, het klinkt iets te veel als Koffietijd.

Het TV-prorgamma voor 1990: - 1:00 . "Birdland" Een spelprogramma - 2.00 "A Remark You Made" aftiteling van een soap - 3.00 "Teen Town" De nachtprogrammering - 4.00 "Harlequin" testbeeld - 5.00 "Rumba Mamá" hervatting uitzending - 6.00 "Palladíum" een kinderprogramma - 7.00 "The Juggler" een uitzending van de gezamelijke kerken - 8.00 "Havona" een kinderthriller

Weer zoiets waar je van denkt dat je het niet kent, maar als het refreintje van het eerste nummer begint, dan klinkt het toch enigszins bekend. Of althans, het klinkt herkenbaar. De youtube video die ik aan heb staan heeft ook meer dan 2 miljoen views, wat ik best veel vind voor dit soort muziek. Ik heb het idee dat het deuntje vast wel ergens gebruikt is voor een 80s sitcom en daarom enigszins herkenbaar is. De wiki zegt er niks over, maar wel dat Birdland "is one of only a handful of contemporary jazz tunes that everyone seems to have heard". Wellicht is dat het dan. Ik blijf het muziek vinden die perfect onder sitcoms of films uit de jaren 80 past. Zeker omdat er niet in gezongen wordt. Daardoor ga je wel wat meer naar de andere instrumenten luisteren. De toeter fungeert natuurlijk wel als een soort stem. De sax en de synths doen het heel erg 80s aan, maar ook de dik aangezette bas. Het (live) trommel intermezzo voelt een beetje alsof de reclame tussen de film komt. Het haalt niet per se de vaart uit het geheel, maar het is een gekke onderbreking. Verder vermaak ik me toch wel hiermee. Ik zou het niet snel zelf opzetten, dan ga ik eerder voor iets als Steely Dan als ik in de jazzy fusion hoek wat zoek.

it was okay... kinda sounded all the same except for rumba mamba

Cool jazz album

The bangers are great. But there is some annoying atonal saxophone rubbish.

Nice album, even though jazz is not usually to my taste

Ovo je već "tv bingo" faza. Meni je najdraži "i sing the body electric". ovo je čini mi se drugi album s jaco pastoriusem,i znam da je jako cijenjen ali to njegovo fretless razvlačenje mi ide na je tricu. Fusion je inaće bolji što je bliži ranim sedamdesetima kad ih nadrogirani Miles gonio da sviraju a ne tandrliću

some of these tracks make me feel like im in a montage for a lighthearted 90s rom-com or comedy drama set in nyc. 3.5. birdland really is best

Strange. Not bad, but strange. Funky jazz with sax solos but with a 1st or 2nd gen synth that seems to do more harm than good. The composition is varied, and I think to a larger degree there is something interesting about how they approach sub-genres with each song; however, there is something lacking. Worth a listen to but unlikely to strike a chord with most people. 3/5

Funky type beat. A bit of a different listening experience for me as I don't listen to a lot of jazz. Since they're all instrumentals, it's hard to pick one out specifically. Nothing here sounded bad, but at the same time I can't recall a single song.

Det er rigtig fint for mig det her. Både jazz, og lidt fimisk, lidt pjattet til tider, og ind i mellem ret meh.. Perfekt øre renser musik efter lidt for meget dødsmetal.

Feels like the soundtrack to a budget 1970s-80s buddy cop movie

decent vibe

I appreciate good jazz, and this album fits perfectly for that. Did I need to hear it before I die? Maybe? I don't know. It's got some very solid music on it, great sax work. Worth a listen for sure, but maybe not repeat listening material. Background music at a dinner party for sure. 3/5

I enjoyed this, I don't normally listen to acoustic albums. That being said, it's no more than background music. 3.4

Partially listened before Favourite tracks: Teen Town, Birdland, Palladium

тоже интересная хуйня, но в моей системе координат больше тройки не могу поставить

Fínt. Frekar leiðagjarnt samt.

Good in places average in the rest (a 3.5)

Z tym albumem wiąże się fajna historia. Jak byłem w Japonii dwa czy trzy lata lata temu, to na evencie w świątyni poznałem jakiegoś starszego Japończyka, który zaprosił mnie do swojego domku letniskowego na wybrzeżu. Gość jest członkiem jakiegoś stowarzyszenia promującego kontakty międzynarodowe, często przyjmuje u siebie obcokrajowców, jego córka zjeździła kawał świata dzięki temu. Long story short, wieczorem puszczał mi trochę różnej muzyki, w tym ten album. To było jeszcze w momencie zanim wieczór zrobił się niezręczny, bo gość się okazał alkusem i strasznie się zachlał i zaczął pierdolić i użalać się nad życiem XD. Także mam sentyment do tego albumu, bo poznałem go w bardzo nietypowych okolicznościach. Ogólnie jest solidny, ale poza "Birdlandem" te utwory nie są aż tak ciekawe, jakimi je pamiętałem. Kiedy "Heavy Weather" pojawiło się na liście, to byłem całkiem podekscytowany, myślałem, że będę szedł w czwórkę, ale jednak zatrzymam się na 3,5.

I'm generally not a jazz fan at all, but this was a fun listen. I probably wouldn't reach for it again, but it was pleasant enough to have on in the background. I could imagine hearing it at a coffee shop or a quiet little cocktail bar

A great sound. Good listen. 3.5 stars.

It’s like background music of an 80s cop show or something? I don’t hate it but I don’t care about it either

Alright, let’s deal with elephant in the room first. That album cover is…fucking amazing 🤩. Is that a thunderstorm wearing a hat? Is the hat causing the storm over city or did it just happen to be floating by? Is the hat passing by a volcano, or did it catch the buildings on fire with lightning strikes causing the plumes of smoke? What would cause a seemingly normal hat to attack a city this way? Was this hat inspired by jihadi message boards? Why are only one of the leaves wet? Did that hat eventually find its way to the Beer Baron? Sadly, the album answers none of these questions. It’s a weird little smooth jazz album with a mix of songs that could be an 80’s TV theme song, soft core porno background music, and one bongo drum tribal song. I don’t know what to make of this, but 3 ⭐️ for the cover alone

Another example of an album cover giving very different expectations than the music. Decent music, not bad for an early morning coffee....groovy enough but almost too "smooth jazzy" for me. The bass player is a beast though. Gimme more of him!

Good to relax to. If it was half ratings would give it 3.5

Perhaps I treated you too harshly, Weather Report. I originally listened to this while building LEGO a couple years ago, and I found it cheesy and boring, but perhaps it's that Black Midi jazz (the band, not the genre) but some of these songs kind of struck a chord with me this time around. The early stuff flew by and was nothing to write home about, but the later into the album we got the more I could appreciate it for what it is. Is it all that special? Nah, it's still dated and cliché, but I don't dislike this as much as I was lead to believe.

3/5

Favorite Track: Birdland

Not really my cup of tea. I've liked other Weather Report albums and this has some cool moments but on the whole, the daytime TV vibes were a little too much for me.

As much as I like jazz, this chunk of jazz fusion is a bit on the bland side. It's all rather unchallenging. I'm tempted to go as far as "lounge music". Whatever it is, it's superbly played. For that alone, an middling 3/5.

jo men ja . eller jag vet inte. är det bra eller inte. jo men det får en trea.

Not a style of jazz that I like or appreciate. As a non-aficionado it’s hard to comment on whether this is an exceptional or influential, only that it doesn’t do anything for me.

I'm not a big jazzhead but I quite liked this, feels like there are enough interesting bits that I could get really into it if I wanted. I also really love that fretless bass sound from hearing it in prog/jazz-influenced metal so that helped a bit

Surprisingly quite enjoyed this to say it's not usually my sort of genre, not sure how often I'd come back to it but was quite a nice album while I was working

Great album

Some nice tracks on it and would be happy to stick it on again.

Didn't recognise this from just the name, but as soon as I heard the first track I knew that I knew it, and that I'd heard the name before. So was interested to hear the rest. I suppose it's a sort of jazz fusion. After Birdland though it went down hill a bit, but improved again on side 2. Can't help but give it a 3.

When the bass starts grooving, like in Teen Town or Palladium, I'm on board with this fusion album. But A Remark You Made has put me over my allergy borders and had to skip it every time I hear this album.

Jaco Pastorius' bass is obviously fantastic, but the album itself is pretty hit and miss, especially "A Remark You Made" and "Rumba Mama".

really fun jazzy prog

Some fanrastic playing and some downright sheer beauty at parts. But by god Jaco Pastorius' bass tone fucking SUCKS! Great skilled player but he's got one of the worst tones in the business and it actively ruins songs, as seen on this album Drummer is always going crazy though

Absolute monsters on this album — Shorter, Jaco, etc. Can see why this made the list as it’s one of the few jazz albums of the late 70’s that broke new sounds. However, it does sound a bit stuck in the late-70’s as well. One of those albums I feel I should like much more than I do.

Mad respect for their musical skills (particularly Jaco!), but jazz fusion never quite pulls me in. There was a bit of nostalgia for me here, because I played Birdland in my HS jazz band, but aside from that there's not much that makes me want to dig in further. Teen Town and Havona were particularly impressive and caught my attention. I can appreciate why it's on the 1001, but moving on now...

fun stuff

Sometimes, being accessible isn't a good thing. Still a good jazz fusion album, but it tries too hard to be radio friendly.

Decent and, somehow, classic fusion/Jazz-rock with Pastorius' unique touch. It's good, but aged really bad. Still a 3.

great grooves on this, was okay

It's pretty good, but maybe suffers a little because the first track (Birdland) stands out so much from the rest of the album.

surprisingly light listening for heavy weather. jelled well with email-answering, which is what i was doing while listening

Un poco decepcionante la verdad. Musicalmente es excelente, y suena super bien a nivel instrumental. En cuanto al contenido musical, lo senti medio vacio, como si me faltara algo. Las armonías suenan la verdad muy bien y funcionan tambien muy bien, pero siento que le falta contenido melodico que haga fluir la musica y te lleve, como logran otras bandas como Casiopea. 5/10

Niet zo enjoyable als dat piano album maandag. Ik waardeer het wel, maar blijft nooit hangen bij me. Lekkere achtergrond muziek dus maar ultimately not incredibly memorable 2,5/5

For slow days and background tunes.

01) Birdland - 9,0 02) A Remark You Made - 7,0 03) Teen Town - 7,5 04) Harlequin - 6,0 05) Rumba Mamá - 5,0 06) Palladíum - 5,5 07) The Juggler - 5,5 08) Havona - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,38 (64/100) Current ranking: 316/423

I love weather report but the albums alright

Enjoyable. 3.5 stars

Jazz rock fusion with fretless bass fearured Birdland is the big hit.

Great bass from jaco. Not really my thing overall.

solid jazz album all in all

Je trouvais que ça ne partait pas aussi bien que ce que je me serais attendu, mais vers la fin de l'album j'avais un peu plus de plaisir. Par contre, considérant le statut du band et de cet album, je m'attendais à être un peu plus impressionné. Disons que je suis beaucoup plus fan de d'autres classiques du même style. 6/10

Pretty cool. Jaco was a sick bassist. Have heard some other songs from them over the years

Vintage porn music

Eh. I dig Birdland. That’s about it.

Jazz and especially Jazz-Fusion has never really been my thing but a part of me has always wanted to get into it just becuase of the musicianship of it. I enjoyed this. Has a nice vibe.

enjoyed this one! 3.5

Pretty funky! Liked this very much but wouldn’t be in my everyday rotation

I knew Birdland, of course, but I never knew its origin. Jazz/Jazz fusion is not my cup of tea. Production and instrumentation are quite good and they are excellent musicians.

‘Birdland’ makes me feel somewhere in between the old show 1977-1981 American sitcom Soap and Mario Kart. Please someone talk to me about Soap and maybe it’s spinoff Benson.

Alright

Overall: 6/10 Every musician on this thing is incredibly talented (especially the god-like Jaco Pastorius on bass), but I can't help but think that this album feels empty? I definitely got enjoyment out of it, especially with the closing track. Maybe I just haven't listened to enough jazz but at least the stuff I've listened to in the past elicited some sort of emotion out of me. I'd recommend giving this a listen just to experience Jaco's bass playing. Fav Song: Havona Least Fav Song: Rumba Mama

Fun jazz album

Quite liked it.

Well played yet plain electric jazz

Heavy Weather was a pretty good album. This album apparently is a fusion of jazz and rock (i have heard other albums on this project like that) but i feel that for this one, the jazz elements take center stage and make the rock elements fell like a bit of an afterthought and it stays that way for the whole album (except for that one track that sounds like street drumming). My only issue with this album is the fact that one of the songs did get a little too quiet for no good reason but other than that, this album was a good listen and definitely better than the average jazz album. Best Song: The Juggler Worst Song: Harlequin

Super catchy! Man ka virkelig høre hvor meget der er sket i fusionsjazz i løbet af de 7-8 år siden In a Silent Way udkom, men altså, det mangler jo noget Miles Davis ved roret (selvom en del af musikerne her også var med på Silent Way)

I was promised heavy weather and all I got was light rain and fog. Funky version of Parker’s “Birdland,” but the addition of the synthesizer to the jazz didn’t do anything for me.

Like a lot of jazz, this is pleasant enough. Good background music. Still not my thing, though, daddio.

I didn’t mind, sounded a bit like lift music

I don’t care for this type of music but it’s ok in the background.

I still don't see the appeal of jazz.

Decent album and the fusion sounds great ngl. 3/5.

Pretty fun jazz album, I like the electronic elements mixed in. I couldn't tell you what, but it is missing that tiny edge that would bump it up to a 4. High 3.

Substantial jazz fusion for the new ear and listener.

There's only so far jazz will take you. 2.5

Had not listened to this album for quite some years - I listened to it three times this morning. Album still sounds fine to me, but could not get fully into it. Happy to return to it at a later time, so three stars seems appropriate.

The first half is entertaining jazz with recognizable motifs, then there is an unfitting live recording, and what follows is not of much interest anymore.

MOTR jazzy funk band from the 70s. Not what I'd class as particularly original but inoffensive.

I'll admit I've never been a 60s/70s jazz rock/fusion afficionado, or fan for that matter, so this album doesn't really do a lot for me. But I can see how "Birdland" became an instant classic (at least in certain circles), and I also enjoyed "Teen Town", both for brevity and the lead bass. It's also nice to get exposed to some Jaco Pastorius, as I've heard much more about him than anything *by* him, and I can see how much Weather Report benefited from his participation. And while I can see connections in this to music I've enjoyed listening to from decades ago (Jeff Beck, Al Dimeola, even some (later) Chick Korea and Herbie Hancock), I'm not sure I'd come back to this album, especially with all those awkward-sounding synth sections.

It's not my thing--and it sounds as if it may have inspired a number of 80s soundtracks.

Overall this album is not my thing, I've never been a fan of much smooth jazz. My favorite two tracks were the ones Jaco Pastorius wrote, Teen Town and Havona, and Havona on its own brought this album from a 2 to a 3 for me. I've always loved Jaco's bass playing, but the keyboards on Havona were what really got me.

I like Jaco and there's parts of this I like, but overall I found myself not too engaged in it. I think I'd warm up to it on repeated listens though. 3/5

The musicianship is impressive and ‘Birdland’ was a stand out track for me. The mix of jazz and funk well though some moments felt a bit too experimental for my liking. A solid 3/5

Cartoon chase music 3/5

3.5/5. Not bad, I enjoyed this. Some decent Jazz that I should have paid more attention to. The album cover is also wild.

Primer acercamiento a Weather Report. Heavy Weather (1977) es el séptimo (y probablemente más exitoso) álbum de estudio de la banda neoyorkina, un trabajo que abarca el jazz fusión desde distintas composiciones y ritmos. Así, este LP logra dotar sus diversas canciones de característicos grooves, los cuales ponen a cada uno de sus miembros dando el máximo sobre cada uno de sus instrumentos. Si tuviera que destacar algún elemento negativo sería la estructura de un número no menor de canciones, las cuales o eran muy cortas o no llegaban a una satisfactoria conclusión. Además, considero que he escuchado mejores álbumes de jazz fusión, lo cual pudo haberme quitado un poco de la experiencia de disfrutar al máximo de este trabajo. Salvo esos detalles, considero que se trata de un correcto trabajo, el cual no deja de ser disfrutable. Además, recomiendo este álbum como un punto de partido dentro de este género. FAVTRAXS: Birdland, Palladium, The Juggler, Havona LEASTFAV: Rumba Mama 3/5 (podría ser un 3.5/5 en la teoría)

Enjoyable jazz, not really my thing, as I don't know enough about it to properly appreciate what's going on, but I liked it and enjoyed listening to something I would never otherwise have heard.

had the krusty reaction ready for this one but actually listened to the whole thing and it wasnt awful

Jazz album

Ok

A very groovy album. Some songs felt a bit to much like a 1981 movie soundtrack, especially the more saxophone-heavy tracks, but other songs were real bangers.

Decent Electric Jazz

This is almost the type of music they play on the Watercolors station that your Uber driver or local breakfast restaurant listens to. Opening track is pretty great, I guess less stands out from later on though.

It was ok. Not a huge fan of this genre. But is was decent.

A pretty average jazz fusion album, maybe a bit approachable than usual. It has few good melodies in it, but otherwise not that much juice.

Birdland is a certified classic but the rest just sounds like elevator music.

nothing particularly wrong with this it just has cheesy soap opera music vibes

Good background music, all instrumental, would definitely listen to the album again whilst working or something but not necessarily my cup of tea in terms of normal listening.

This endeavour keeps pushing me beyond my listening history. Weather Report is to Miles Davis what Any Winehouse is to Aretha Franklin : solid music without the same emotional depth. This did grow on me through the listen, but I’m sticking with my first impression : maybe jazz doesn’t need that 80s synth sound.

I can totally appreciate this album but I have to admit it didn’t grab me and kept sliding into the background. I think this is a band that would be amazing live.

"Birdland" and "The Juggler" were both good. It's jazz fusion, but there's a mellow groove emanating here that makes it much more listenable than most jazz stuff.

I forgot jazz could be smooth. I like the synthiness of some of this. This is like a 2.9/5

Been ages since I have heard this album.

3 - Yeah it was okay, but felt like it lacked a bit of substance. Bit like a movie soundtrack almost

Mag Weather Report grundsätzlich, das hier ist mir aber streckenweise zu nichtssagend. ***1/2

What a nice surprise! Really enjoyed the vibe of this album.

I know the name of Jaco Pastorius, but never listened to Weather Report or any other Jaco projects. The fretless bass sound is certainly distinctive, I'm mostly familiar with the sound of fretless bass from Kate Bush's music. It does lend itself to a sprawling Funk inflected jazz riff. The other instruments here are nice as well, percussion stands out but the horns and keys get moments to shine as well. Some of the songs here are a bit too cheesy for me, honestly, and others are like the most virtuosic Mario Kart jams ever.

Pretty good probably won’t listen to it again

Synthetic jazz. 2.5/5

Started incredibly strong

this looks like ass tbh but i will give it a try <3 我会尝试 birdland- 5 a remark you made- tomodachi life lobby music. tomodachi life did it better bitch. 5 teen town- forgot. 5 harlequin- 4 or 5 rumba mama- 6 palladium- 5 the juggler- 4 or 5 havona- 5. the guitar is good favorite track- they all sounded the exact same.