Heavy Weather

This is a 5 for me. Fusion w great songwriting and always keeps me on my toes. The bass solo in havona 🤯

Listened on plane so perhaps missed Jaco’s legendary playing cuz of humming. But don’t rly feel like relistening again I fear.

It is sort of like jazz, but it has some very interesting elements. The album cover itself says a lot. The first song sounds kinda classical but futuristic at the same. It was pretty fun to listen to, even if it is not what I normally would sit and listen to. The second song is a bit more slow and classical sounding but nice. And the rest of them were fun but a bit repetitive. One that was very random but interesting was “rumba mama”, I was NOT expecting it and it got me out of the same thing over and over again

What an incredible album! I'm not sure how I missed out on these guys during my prime jazz listening day, but that's fully rectified now. This is the type of jazz you should show your friends to get them into jazz. Soulful, tons of swing, extremely connected units. This is also a beautiful album cover that is going to look fantastic in my record collection. Loved this. Favorite track: Birdland

This was awesome. Hope I get another record from these dudes. Crazy talented group of guys here. Maybe the most talented group to ever do it. Very rad.

Truly innovative: This Weather Report accurately predicted the sound of mid-80’s cheese in 1977. (The second half of this record is really good, though)

Really good (hard?) jazz. Any band that communicates well while riffing gets my vote. 3.3

First song sounds like a knock off “Night Court” theme song but not in a good way. Second song sounds like Kenny G-tier quiet storm bullshit. Third song is background music for Axl Foley to chase bad guys to. Fourth song feels like I should be offering a woman with very large hair and shoulder pads a line of cocaine off my glass coffee table lit by neon light to try to get her “in the sack.” Fifth songs has drums and yelling. Sixth song I’m at a limbo contest on a cruise ship and everyone there is white except the staff. Seventh song sounds like a Renaissance fair needed background music but only had a Casio keyboard. Last song is just standard issue jazz fusion made by and for people wearing brightly colored polo shirts. This music is so lame they had to put a fedora on the cover to warn everyone. Sorry, it’s obviously a jazz hat. https://youtu.be/Ry1xNNgbkYw?si=BS9OlKJt2mJPCS2X

The aural equivalent of hospital food

Ihan hilpeetä menoa. Loppua kohden alkoi puuduttamaan.

Leppoisa levy, taustalle sopiva. En tuolla kyllä kuitenkaan lentoon päässyt

Of course, I already knew Birdland beforehand. The song is still played everywhere and is a real hit. I wasn't familiar with the band or the album. It's nice that this has now changed. I like the music and the rhythm. Even if I don't like the whole album, I will listen to individual tracks again and again. 4/5

Jazz..for the masses. 80s motif, sounds like it should be a movie soundtrack, incredibly listenable. So does jazz have to be challenging? Is this a copout? Dunno but I liked it.

Birdland is good. The rest of the album is just a melange of unmemorable 70's jazz-fusion.

More jazz 2/5

Ben benieuwd Altijd deze band al willen checken Heel nice, niet wat ik had verwacht Dacht dat t meer een synthwave band was

For years I only knew the Manhattan Transfer's horrifying version of "Birdland", and it turns out to actually be one of the coolest song! Weird!

To my ears, fusion (aka jazz rock) does a disservice to both jazz and rock. This sounds like one of the shitty demos on the keyboard my parents bought in the 80s.

No it just dont speak to me at all

This album is great. Jaco Pastorius was one of the greatest bassists to live. Teen Town is a jazz classic, Birdland is also a great song off this album. I also enjoyed Palladium and Havona. Great album

A jazz album I actually love! Mostly due to the bass guitar being front and center for a lot of the album, gives it a different feel.

Great instrumentals!

I did enjoy this to a point, but I'm not taking anything away with me. It was generally solid background jazz. And I do dig the cover art.

Right in the sweet spot whilst I was happily tapping away at my laptop. Music that was challenging enough when zooming in, but could melt into the background. Impressive chops demonstrated throughout. I got a kick out of some fretless bass and synth licks in particular (is that Joe Zawinul on the keyzzzz?). 'Birdland' is a great opener. My girlfriend also liked this.

One word: Jaco Liked songs added: - Birdland - Teen Town - Havona

I LOVED this one. Love me some jazz with a good vibe to it, and this one hit the nail on the head for me. Definitely will be adding to my vinyl collection when possible.

This aint it, chief

Well this is a surprise! The second track reminded me of the suspense part of a muppets movie. And it just got a bit funkier from there! So happy to know this!

Just not my music

Jazz just doesn't do it for me.

Gets a 4 just for Birdland!

Pretty good, even if it is kind of background music. Favorite track: "Rumba Mama."

If the weather was always like this, don't think anyone would ever complain.

It was fine

This album didn't really speak to me. I didn't hate any of it, but none of the songs stood out. We've had several jazz albums in the past few weeks and this one felt the least original and inspired of the lot. I'm sure the musicians are talented, but I wasn't wowed by any of the solos.

The Mario Kart soundtrack is a better jazz fusion record. No shade on this one either

Never heard of these guys. Don't even know what to expect here. Didn't get around to listening to this today. Just hearing the first song now. I'll have to finish it tomorrow. This first song called Birdland is pretty cool. It's the track with the most listens. 18.4 million as of today. So I guess the rest will be less than? lol. So far it's pretty cool though. The song seems to tell a story. It's cinematic. Like it could be the soundtrack to a scene in a movie. It's jazzy, reminds me of new york. Kind of interesting to have a synth playing along with all the other traditional jazz instruments. I'll finish listening tomorrow.

First listen Saved 0/8

Pretty boring album, has an elevator music feel, or background music for a movie soundtrack. I like jazz but I don’t like this. This is a real chore to get through. Never need to hear this album again, and would’ve been fine never hearing it at all.

It was fine, but not worth a spot as an album you must hear before you die. A decent background album while having breakfast this morning

Weather Report is our third instrumental album in a row, and it's also not very good. Sounds like so much cheesy 80s jazz that would soundtrack a shit movie with non-copyright audio. 2.

Pretty dull, soundtrack style with not much to say for itself. I've listened to it twice through whilst working, gone to make myself a coffee, and now cannot remember much about it at all. 2/5.

Some smooth tracks but overall it annoyed the hell out of me. Just can't stand the freestyle stuff.

While I admire the technical prowess, this record never has made it to me. It feels an exercise in musical theory.

Zzzzzzzzz.

Good, smooth jazz. Some nice funk and freestyle. Easy listening.

Like an 80s Vulfpeck. Very tight jazz with some synth beats worked in. I certainly enjoyed it when it hit its stride and the horns come in. The bongos and drums were always keeping things alive. Sometimes the music got a little too ambitious, but otherwise I liked what I liked, and tolerated the rest.

Birdland has been a favorite song of mine since hearing it in middle school band class.

Solid jazz

Props for one of the coolest album covers on the list! The actual music felt very 80s, even though it's from '77. For some reason it feels like a movie soundtrack to some detective show. Shaft comes to mind for some reason. Quite interesting in general though, but nothing that I will really come back to realistically.

There is a type of jazz which I do not like, I'm not sure exactly what it is called but this is it. Something about the use of saxophone and the bass and just the general sound rubs me the wrong way. "Birdland" is a classic that even I can see the appeal of, the rest i could leave (and even "Birdland" has better versions I think). Weak 2.

Best Song: Birdland. What a joyful, upbeat track. Helluva way to kick off the album. Worst Song: The Juggler. Most of the other tracks were so lively, which made this one feel sparse and uninhabited. Overall: Fun, varied, bass-heavy space jazz. I enjoyed this more than I expected, and I can definitely imagine returning to it for some fun, playful background music.

This is my kind of music, so I am a bit biased, but this is a really good album. I've heard a few of the tracks before, but not the whole album. Really easy to listen to, no 'skip-me' tracks.

Bland.

Fine

I don't think I've ever heard of this band before, but I know of Jaco Pastorius from a presentation a classmate of mine gave in my music appreciation class in college. That's a hell of an album cover though, so I'm excited to see what this album has to offer. "Birdland" was a fantastic opening track. I loved the aforementioned Jaco's bassline throughout the song, and the bright tones that were utilized throughout the rest of the song. I loved how the sound evolved over the course of the song, utilizing a wide variety of instruments to develop the bright tone. The next song, “A Remark You Made” was a stark shift in tone, slowing down the tempo and using some deeper tones. While not as fun as “Birdland,” it was a nice listen, and I liked the fluttering synthesizers that came in later. The rest of the album was fine, but “Birdland” was easily the high point for me. Jaco’s bass playing was my favorite part of the arrangements, and the album really succeeded in those moments when it felt like the bass was in the driver’s seat. “Rumba Mama” was my least favorite part of the album. I felt like its sound stuck out like a sore thumb, and I was glad that it was the shortest track on the album. This album didn’t really set the world on fire for me, but it was certainly unique and interesting. This album utilized a unique fusion of sounds, and it gave me a greater appreciation for how diverse jazz can be.

This felt like I was forced to read a book that some algorithm told me I would like… Didn’t finish it Not bad at all though, did like it

Chill

Grew up listening to Manhattan Transfer, so some of the tracks (especially Birdland) brought me to a happy place.

No.

Loved

Sounds like boring restaurant music; not for me.

I believe that's the first time I hear a jazz fusion album. Still got a lot to know. Boys like Zappa has been on my waiting list for a long time. Anyway. That was a great experience. I had to listen twice to get the feeling but it worked: Now i'm totaly into Jazz Fusion and i want to hear more! 4 stars that's the vote.

Kind of a strange album. Not the best. 1.5/5

after track 1 I was slightly excited that I may have discovered a jazz album I didn't hate, nope. This album went downhill fast, very generous 2 stars

Jazz....ugh. It's good jazz, but still, you know, it's JAZZ. Yawn.

Well, this is certainly jazz.

I'm not a big jazz fan but I do like some of the fusion style music. This is a great example of that. Much more accessible although I'm sure some jazz diehards wouldn't even consider it to be true jazz. The live song felt a little out of place but the rest makes good background music.

Great musicianship on full display here. It was nice to work to today.

Decent jazz / fusion album. Didn’t realise that Palladium by Yesterday’s New Quintet was a cover version until I heard this record, so I’m guessing Madlib is a fan.

You know those 90's daytime show jingles? This was the longform version of those.

To my ears bland and wish washy generic jazz. I get it that the line up is amazing virtuosos but the genre grates to my ears.

Fun jazz rock album

Meh

This sounds dated, and not in a good way. 2/5

Well this is good fun. Those first few notes of Birdland sound like the start of some kind of ambient edm but then the horns kick in and away we go. Birdland is a good fun frolic, Teen Town is a cool jam, and something in The Juggler keeps catching my attention. I won't be sad if this pops up on my radar again.

Well, this is properly odd, isn't it? I can't help but view it through the lens of vaporwave, which I'm very surprised no-one else in the reviews has mentioned, because it sounds _extremely_ vaporwavey - but this came out in 1977, so I guess this is actually one of the origins of vaporwave?! It's a bemusing 38 minutes - definitely not actively horrible, but nothing for me to get fired up over either. A benchmark 3, I guess! Fave track - uhhhhhhhhh - let's say "Birdland" for kicking things off!

Koooosss

Vähän futuristisen kuuloista jazzia. Siistiä teknistä tiluttamista. Parhaat: A Remark You Made, Havona

Weather Channel™️ music. Like, literally, background music. There’s nothing here that upsets me, but there’s also nothing here that motivates me to revisit it, or even recommend it. Which is funny, because I’d recommend some of these players’ solo material as more essential than Heavy Weather. The most memorable thing about this is how forgettable it is.

I was expecting the news was about the come on at any moment. 1/5

Great jazz record

Not for me

I had never heard of this! Loved it start to finish!

This is one of those times when I wish that I could advance without rating the album. I do not like this album at all. It's not my thing. BUT, people I know whose thing it IS say this album is in their top 10. One friend said they thought of Hardcore or Speed Metal as sped up Jazz Fusion. I love Hardcore and Speed Metal, but I do not make the same connection.

I'm sure many love it but I really didn't

First track was pretty good. Then it devolved into elevator music. Jazz can be better than this.

Birdland is a great track, but the rest does nothing for me. Outstanding musicianship but not for me 3/5

Dull

Funky Entspannend

Petty good, made me feel like I was watching an old talk show at times.

Funky jazz, enjoyed the start and the end, middle was pretty technical and jazz-wanky

Caused an uproar in the office and I was forced to turn it off

Perfectly good and interesting jazz. More than one listen would be needed to appreciate it. Reckon I will.

What the hell was this? And I mean that in the best way! I hadn't heard of Weather Report, and to learn that legendary bassist Jaco Pistorius was part of the lineup has me wondering how I hadn't. This was funky as all hell. I don't have a deep knowledge of jazz fusion, but albums like these inspire me to dig deeper into the genre. This album has such a great vibe that I nearly considered giving it 5 stars, but due to elements of it sounding aged (naturally, given that it's nearly 50 years old), I will settle upon a strong 4.

i hate to say it but the jazz fusion hits hard today

Weather Report went through more drummers than Spinal Tap. No 'bizarre gardening incidents', though.

Gähn... lagweilliger Jazz

I'm not mad for jazz fusion but I'm usually never mad about a Weather Report album being on. It's really tasteful in it's balance of musicianship and hooks, never leaving the audience behind for their own ego. Tonally, they choose some great synth patches, guitar sounds, and Jaco's trademark fretless bass. The fact that this is a Jaco Pastorious WR album alone is huge as it means I'm listening to one of the best bassists of all time, if not THE best. What an animal that boy. Listen to him flex on track 3, putting some real muscle behind his tone and laying into it with the section on the lower notes. Furthermore any lesser bassist would solo non-stop but he minds the space in the song, playing simple or not at all when necessary. You can always count on Weather Report to bring interesting sounds from their "world jazz funk" universe to the table. From the live cut of "Rumba Mama" to a cover of "Birdland", they make it all fit together somehow under their banner.

congratulations on the Weather Report for being incredibly committed to the bit, music suitable for a weather report intro scene when you want the vibe in your movie to be extremely 1980s. sounds exactly like the album cover, quite a feat there too. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Technically good, Jaco is cool, but too clean, too smooth.

What is this? This is awful. How it made this list is beyond me.

Smooth, relaxed, amazing 70’s jazz. Birdland alone makes the album, but the rest of the tracks were filled with awesome and diverse jazz movements. Worth multiple listens.

Lovely and funky. Found myself thinking of Paul Rudd yelling "slappin' da bass!" frequently throughout. Unsure if there is any actual bass slapping in here. In any event, thoroughly enjoyable.

Buen álbum, satisfactorio de escuchar. Buena incorporación de los sonidos del sintetizador a la música de jazz moderno, que por momentos coquetea con su versión latina. La primera escucha se pasó rápido y agradable. Definitivamente una adición a la fonoteca.

Classic Jazz fusion album but it is not the kind of music I prefer.

There's a muzak quality to this. It's nice at times, but...

Really great structure and musicianship. Not sure if I'll return to this one though.

Very hard to rate. It's just not really my music.

I liked it a lot. To bass players, Jaco is as iconic as Jimi Hendrix is to guitarists. However to some, being a legendary bass player is about as impressive as being a legendary dentist. I thought it was a really interesting album and packed a lot into just 37 mins.

Good musicianship and an overall not bad album, though it's dinner jazz music - the question is, there are hundred albums that are better in jazz than this one, so why was this chosen for the list?

Aanvankelijk is het As The World Turns achtige jazzmuziek. Ik associeer dit met soaps en smoezelige films waarin veel gerookt wordt met een enkele seksscene erin ook. Later op de album wordt het iets ingewikkelder. Het stomme is dat alle muzikanten echt wel goed zijn, maar toch klinkt het als geheel vrij goedkoop. Liever dit dan Bitches Brew o.i.d. maar toch is het voor mij niet veel meer dan ietwat foute achtergrondmuziek. Al schrik ik bij Rumba Mama wel even wakker uit die achtergrondmodus wanneer we opeens met de hele stam gaan trommelen. Ontzettend moeilijk om hier een cijfer aan te plakken. Ik hoef dit nooit meer te horen, maar ik ging er niet kapot aan. Voor een jazzplaat redelijk goed te doen. Een 2 of een 3 dus eigenlijk.

I didn't detest this, but it felt like something was missing, like the music was almost too lightweight for its own good. It never really went anywhere, just background music that was pleasing but nothing exciting about it in the slightest. I was thinking 2 stars, but it's not really bad, just bland, so 3 stars it will be.

I think this type of jazz is just not my thing. I didn’t really even find it enjoyable as background music. I didn’t absolutely hate it, but it just really wasn't it for me.

I think this type of jazz is just not my thing. I didn’t really even find it enjoyable as background music. I didn’t absolutely hate it, but it just really wasn't it for me.

Meh.

I thought I only knew Birdland, but on listening I realized I've listened to this whole album before. I think only Birdland is really memorable though. Jaco Pastorius' bass playing is next level, but it doesn't translate into an engaging whole for me.

Some if it is fun and comforting, some of it makes me nervous

Way out of my lane but still a blast to listen to. There's some cheesieness with the synth sounds but to me it sounds a bit charming rather than cloying. Jaco is the star of course, he's doing some amazing work on the fretless bass. Jazz is great because you can only succeed if you are fantastically talented on your instrument, but it also means that it can favour musicality over melody. There's enough variety here to keep me happy though.

Yes

Groovy and a bit of swank. Mostly solid but average to my ears. 3.5

you already gave me this shit motherfucker c'mon

I LOVE new age jazz so much man its so good. a remark you made has to be one of my all time favourite songs its so cool in a heyo daddio kind of way. like im smoking a cigarette rn as i walk down the street as the sun sets i love it i love it i love it

why was this shit included

No. Did not enjoy this at all. It’s lame.

The first song is very fun. The rest is pretty boring

It was good background jazz music.

6/10 Highlights: Birdland

CanCon alert🚨 🍁- oops, retracted. We don’t actually own the maple leaf Love “Birdland” already, but we’ll see where the rest of this album takes us. HL: “Birdland”, “Teen Town”, “The Juggler”, “A Remark You Made”, “Havona” My love for jazz fusion is fickle, with albums like Head Hunters and Bitches Brew being favourites from this generator, while others (idk if Street Life counts as jazz fusion) bored me, with my ears discounting fierce, virtuosic solos as samey mush. Heavy Weather has a little of the latter example, but also a lot of what I liked about the former, with Latin percussion, spacey synths, and a willingness to explore contrasting textures (the suspense in “Teen Town”; the melancholy in “Remark”). I can’t find much online about it, but “The Juggler” is an understated highlight, with a galloping, African rhythm and a playful descending riff from Zawinul. A real bop from an era of jazz that I’ve often dismissed as background music of the Weather Network. wait Weather Network… Weather Report… what does it mean…

I think this album helped invent the phrase, "slap-a-da-bass." Damn! There is some very fine musicianship present on this album. One thing that sticks out to me that makes this album so unique are the weirdy catchy jazz synths in songs like Teen Town. Quirky, retro, and very interesting. As far as jazz goes (I'm not a discerning jazz fan) this is probably some of the best I have heard. Would I go seek this out and re-listen many times over? Likely not, but I absolutely get why it's on this list and I'm glad I listened to it. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia: *The release sold about 500,000 copies; it would prove to be the band's most commercially successful album and one of the best sellers in the Columbia jazz catalog. *The album opens with "Birdland", which on its own became a significant commercial success, unusual for an instrumental composition, and would go on to become a jazz standard...(and) is a jazz/pop song written...as a tribute to the Birdland nightclub in New York City. *(Weather Report founder and keyboardist) Joe Zawinul used the latest developments in synthesizer technology, and he took advantage of a large variety of sounds and tone colors to make the band stand out. During the first half of their career, Weather Report were seen as one of the defining acts in modern jazz, winning the DownBeat "best album award" five times in a row. Standout Tracks: Birdland, A Remark You Made, Teen Town, Palladium

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would.

Piece of garbage

About as good as when you order medium rare steak and it comes well done

Stick to the weather

1.5 Didn’t even bother finishing it. Again how the fuck is this on a this list. What a load of shit

Very easy listening, but ultimately completely forgettable.

Birdland and Teen Town are great tracks.

There are some incredible musicians on this, but 70s jazz fusion is not my jam. Weird that this album made the list and not so many other better jazz albums.

Fine as background music, but I wanted more from it. Just about scrapes a 3.

Jazzzzz

Funkyjazz. Reminded me of every sound track to an 80s american sitcom or b movie.

This sort of jazz has its place. Unfortunately, that place is most often a dentist’s office. It’s technically well done, but definitely not the best example of jazz.

Bit dull

I’m not a sophisticated jazz listener, but I’m assuming what my ears are hearing is the most reviled jazz subgenre, 70’s prog jazz fusion? It didn’t upset me, but it didn’t excite me either. Props to them for going balls to the wall on the album artwork and concept though. It’s both startlingly literal and insanely absurd at the same time.

So this is where Birdland comes from. Otherwise, it sounds like a forgotten 70’s or 80’s film score. Unnecessary.

Don't get it.

Loved the first song, the rest was ok

The opening song is so peppy! I don’t like any of the synth sounds they used. So dated it gave me the giggles. I’m not the best judge of jazz, but I have a hard time imagining someone hearing this for the first time in 2024 and thinking, “Now THAT is fresh!” I will acknowledge that there is some adept musicianship on display and being successful as a jazz band for many years is quite an accomplishment. It’s just not for me. 2.5.

Sort of ethereal, almost futuristic jazz fusion. Jaco only has one stand out song, but he's kind of the secret sauce on the album. It's a testament to the era that an instrumental like Birdland can become a radio hit. Not my favorite example of jazz fusion, but still real solid. Legendary performers, legendary album. 3.9

Well I definitely think they chose the right band name. Evokes memories of watching the Weather Channel in the 90s or going to Arby's with your grandparents. I'm so confused with this album though because I kind of dug it. Like I'm never going to listen to it ever again but it wasn't bad. 5/10 (2.5/5)

Not really my kinda jam, but having said this it does kinda kick and I did find myself getting engaged, its Jazz but its not big band Jazz but its not wailing all over the place

You know the canned music your local TV station uses for their dated midmorning news and affairs show? This is that.

Sound like bad Mario Kart demos, first flop jazz album, what a shame.

"Birland", el tema que abre el disco, ejemplifica el jazz accesible y comercial que desde finales de los 70 practricó la banda neoyorquina. Aquí Weather Report deja atrás la improvisación desenfrenada y se arma de coloridos sintetizadores para crear un disco cuidadosamente planificado.

A great Jazz Fusion album. The interplay betwixt the musicians is top notch. Jaco Pastorius on bass is fantastic, slinky and smooth on the fretless...a talent gone too soon.

I was convinced that I'd like this going in, and my opinion hasn't changed. It's a little "out there" so this album probably isn't great for ad hoc listening, but this is definitely a groove I can dig.

I’ll just copy+paste my thoughts from another thread: “I had a weird experience with Weather Report, where my estimation of the album declined in retrospect: I listened to it on Spotify, and liked it well enough, but was surprised it was such a long album, so I checked how much was left- it had ended eight songs ago! Spotify had started an automatic playlist of similar songs. So similar, in fact, that I couldn’t tell any of the artists apart. I don’t know if this is a Seinfeld situation, where Weather Report sounds generic because they had massive influence, but realizing that half the songs I liked weren’t even Weather Report- and I couldn’t tell the difference- made me judge it a little bit harder.”

Very nice jazz fusion album. Will play again when I need to chill alone with a cocktail. That’s the vibe.

Cool …

middle of the road, nothing too special but nothing crazy

The alfa chad bassist Flea from RHCP told me personally on Twitter that this and Mr. Gone were his favorite Weather Report albums. Has some really good and some okay stuff here. Some of the synths are eh. My least favorite part of jazz fusion. The bass by the Alfa Jaco is great.

idc

Enjoyable bass and drums

Jazz. Fully instrumental but awesome

Not bad, but definitely an influence for a lot of early '80s terrible smooth jazz. It sounds like every nonlyrical TV show intro from 1978-1983

I like jazz, but fusion is a mess. The musicians are talented tho

Funky as hell. Love the electronic usage here. My only gripe is that it feels a bit longer than it really us. Favorites were Rumba Mama and Birdland

This is just fun to listen to. The bass is definitely the highlight for me. Favorite songs are Birdland, Teen Town, and Havona

By the standards of its day this LP may have been interesting (although I would argue that much free jazz and even conventional jazz, as well as movements overseas in Japan, South America, etc. were more exciting even at the time), but listening now this project is rather dull, unexciting and inoffensive. The musicianship is competent (especially the drumming and bass work), but largely this LP would work swimmingly as background music for a weather report (no pun intended). Fairly forgettable fare, but not bad or incompetent.

Good ol' jazz album, I'm still not a massive jazz enjoyer so the finer points of whether or not this is good will have gone straight over my head but I did quite enjoy listening to it

Seems pretty cool for what it is, but I'm not really into instrumental, jazzy-sounding albums.

It’s like a pop band was tasked with making elevator music. Sometimes it sounds like the instruments are “singing,” which was a neat effect. Not sure why it’s on the list, but there’s definitely talent there.

Not fond of fusion, good though I guess

ponder over your soul patch how your expert musicianship manifests in just the two stars

jesus when you know you know thank god for jazz where is the vinyl

Inbetween tracks to the sitcom of my life

Once again I experienced my usual boredom when listening to instrumental albums. I'm aware that needs to change, and this was pretty groovy, but I still couldn't pay attention.

When I imagine what jazz-fusion rock sounds like, it's pretty much this album. It has a 70's/80's TV soundtrack vibe to it and though it's enthusiastic and high energy I can't get past this in my mind. At times, it has that schmaltzy saxophone sound (A Remark You Made) that nobody loves and reminded me of a mellow Dire Straits track I can't remember the title to. The bass playing is top notch and the musicianship in general is quite good, but this seems to be more of a fun, background music listen for me, that I did enjoy.

I didn't hate it but not in any rush to listen again.

Pleasant listen for this listener

There are some cool moments, but this album tends to meander and show its age. It veers dangerously close to easy listening for me. Fav Tracks: A Remark You Made, Teen Town, Havona Least Fav Track: Rumba Mama 5/10

Never have been a fan of Jazz Fusion. While this is a fine expression of the genre, I just can't take this much soprano sax. Wayne Shorter is a master of the instrument, I just don't like the instrument. Likely, the ubiquitous Kenny G has ruined it for me forever.

This was a nice easy listen. Didn't really stand out though.

Just because you are excellent at noodling, and this has a reputation of one of the greatest noodling albums of all time, and the players went onto noodle for other bands and enjoy international noodling careers, does not make it not noodling. That and any fusion saxophone risks tipping into epic sax territory. Two and a quarter, maybe two and a third. But not 2.5.

I enjoyed Birdland a bunch - 8/10

I haven't really listened to much jazz, so I didn't know what to expect going into this, but it was pretty fun.

Booooring 4.5/10

Didn’t listen to all the live ones. Birdland is such a classic, I used to listen to that for Jaco all the time in my jazz band days. The rest was alright but it could’ve been shorter. 6.5/10

7/10 - Pretty jazzy. I liked a few random songs in it. Rumba Mama caught me off guard but the rest were fun to listen to.

Was alright but I don’t really care for this style of music 5/10

Probably the most elevator music sounding album I’ve ever heard. Fine, just not a very entertaining listen. 4.5/10

Reminds me of mahavishnu in terms of jazz fusion styles but more of steely dan/later stevie wonder in terms of overall vibe. This album as a musician is technically impressive but not as unapproachable as I'd expect with a band of this caliber of chops. Lots of yacht rock/city rock influence while still being very progressive. It feels like it can both be background music or you can pick apart the songs which makes it nice.

The bass on this is wild. The music tends to force itself into the background. The movement on some tracks is outstanding if you can manage to stay focused. 8/10.

Fuck the Weather Report. This garbage isn't created for music fans - it's targeted to executive producers in network television in the hope that one of these "songs" will play over the opening credits of a late 70s TV show. This shit is created to grab royalties, not music fans. Fuck 1001 Albums Generator for introducing me to this unbearable noise. 👎👎

Album I had not heard before not my top style but a really great surprise

2/13/24. Really solid jazz fusion instrumentals. These are songs that can carry themselves without lead vocals, and deliver fun jams. While flowing into each other nicely, each song sounds unique.

Nice jazz album

Klassiker.

Part TV show theme songs, part Kenny G, part Steely Dan, and some other random stuff. I really don't know what to give this. A 3/5 I guess?

I was not expecting jazz, but hell yeah. I've heard Birdland before and it's great. A Remark You Made might be the smoothest jam of all time. The whole thing is less-techy Vulfpeck or CASIOPEA vibes

A fine jazz collection. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

сначала больше понравилось, потом быстро надоело (

It’s going to make any I-hate-jazz people a convert. If you like it, you’ll like it it, but if not it’s some tough sledding.

One of my favorite jazz albums

Smooth and soulful. It's good but I don't like it.

The opening track, “Birdland,” is an immediate and clear child of late-‘70s fusion, but it’s simultaneously ahead of its time. And it still is. With a nod to Disco, an unabashed Pop sensibility, all wrapped in a commercial sheen, it remains serious music with roots in jazz experimentation. These guys are trying to see how far you can push it. Only Herbie Hancock managed to equal their impact on the mainstream. Modern listeners may be tempted to dismiss what they’re hearing out of some well-intentioned but nevertheless misguided sense of hindsight. Oft-duplicated but never replicated is a better and fairer way to listen to Weather Report’s music. So much followed in their wake, endless waves of Quiet Storm-formatted radio, that the special gifts of this group get watered down. There have been Jazz revivals galore since this record was released, and plenty of incredibly talented musicians, but ask yourself when the last great instrumental Jazz-based group made a record that sounded like it was new, that stretched the boundaries of the genre and of what a Pop record could sound like. I’ll wait right here, listening to “Heavy Weather.”

When all the other 70’s music got to be soooo stupid, there was always great jazz from Weather Report. Never disappointed.

Background music,😱

Ok. I like jazz but dude! Switch it up!

Fun tunes

The Noodling Incident

It’s pretty ok

Almost good, but a bit to "funny"

Cool but not mindblowing

Enjoyed very much. Nice jazz album

I'm taken back to watching Weather Channel local updates on this new fangled thing called cable in 1981. I've never considered fusion a thing to sit and appreciate, but older me thinks Weather Report is a very palatable presentation. I might open to this just yet. And yes, Jaco Pastorius just next level on bass.

Ok music, not something I think I'll listen to again though

Reminded me of family guy

I'm into it

Kicks ass

Today’s forecast calls for music I don’t much like.

This is easy background music - pretty neat.

This was pretty sweet stuff. I'm not really one for pure instrumental albums but these guys are good and I can dig the jazz fusion going on.

Another favorite from 40 years ago. Highly produced and commercial, every song is memorable 5 stars

I'm not actually sure how I feel about this album. I've listened to classical jazz before and enjoyed it, but not so much late mid-century jazz. I recognized a lot of elements that felt like 80s prog rock, which, since they came later, implies that Weather Report might have influenced them. Some casual googling turns up the Rush's bassist Geddy Lee points to "Teen Town" as being an influential song on him, so evidence in that column. I feel very early 80s music with this, but, again, I think it's the influence such music might have had on 80's tv show soundtracks.

Nice background music.

Pas grand chose à sauver sur cet album, ennui profond devant tout ce tsing tsing tsing wfllouuum wfllouuum wfllouuum synthétique, à part peut-être "Teen Town", qui met un peu de relief dans un ensemble globalement très plat.

very unexpected album, very cool

Weather Report is a classic jazz staple and this album is no exception to that. Five stars, no notes, perfection

It's nice ambient music, but that'all (to me). I would never properly listen to this, but I'd have it as background for while I waz working etc.

I like Jazz, I like Funk, I like Vulfpeck (just discovered that Dean Town is an homage to Teen Town), but for some reason I don't like this album. Almost every track reminds me of 70/80s sitcom theme songs or sound effects. Maybe it's a musical "too many cooks" situation.

‘Nice!’ Good musicianship

Welcome to Jazz Club…

It's looking pretty bleak out there.

Heavy going

anything with jaco is an instant 5 star

Great album I wouldn't have heard otherwise

Sorry, it's a no from me

Fusion jazz. Hated by critics. Loved by its fans. As great as Shorter, Zawinul, Acuna and Badrena are, it’s Jaco, the man who reinvents how the electric bass is played, less than 15 years after a small cohort worked it out. Entwhistle or Bruce hadn’t tried this, and they were more technically adventurous than James Jamerson, Carol Kaye or Duck Dunn. Jaco was something else. Let’s look at Jaco's bass solo on harmonics. It sounds like a guitar. But it’s not. It’s Pastorious. He is the Jimi Hendrix of bass and what a show that might have been. Put Bonham on drums and watch the whole thing crash under the impossible weight of expectations. The other thing about this first album is just how much energy there is. Fusion was developed by the guys who grew up on rock and roll but learned jazz. A lot of later fusion guys forget this thinking it’s about how clever you are. Oh these guys in Weather Report are clever, yes. But they’re also chuck and Richard and the Beatles and the stones. And Sly and Jimi and James Brown, and Motown, and P Funk. Throw it all together and you have a true fusion. This is jazz. Absolutely. But it’s also rock and roll. 4 stars.

As a parent, I can testify that one of the biggest thrills my children can give me is to fall in love with a piece of music that I myself love. This happened a couple of years ago when my son declared his love for Birdland, the opening track here. He had only just discovered it & I had not played Heavy Weather for years. Fact is, I first discovered the song, not on Heavy Weather, but on the Manhattan Transfer album Extensions (1979). That version had lyrics written by the great Jon Hendricks (Lambert, Hendricks & Ross) & would go on to win 2 grammies (Best Jazz/Fusion Performance & Best Vocal Arrangement). These days I prefer the original - it doesn’t need words. Other standouts on the album are both Pastorius compositions - the frenetic Teen Town & the closer, Havana. Here was a great band at their peak, performing listenable fusion.

I have complicated feelings about jazz fusion.... at its best it is fun and funky (eg. Headhunters) and Wynton Marsalis _hates_ it (which is a plus in my book), but at its worst.... My mate Dave (hi Dave!) used to work at a music school. He said that the first thing a lot of the students want to do, being bright and shiny 19 year old musicians with pretty good chops, is form a jazz fusion band. They form a band and get their first gig. All their friends and family turn up and say nice things. And then they get a second gig, and it's like a ghost town.... because, let's face it, while musicians like to play this kind of thing, nobody really likes to listen to it. It's often too clever clogs for its own good, and boils down to a form of musical masturbation. At its best, jazz fusion has a good beat that you can dance to, and maybe a tune you can hum. The best jazz fusion albums have that, and I certainly prefer the more groove-oriented records than the overly clever records that rend to disappear up their own backsides (so, more Headhunters or On the Corner than Return to Forever). This record, especially side 1, certainly is great at getting in the pocket and presenting an intriguing melody. Birdland and A Remark You Made are melodically and rhythmically strong, although some tracks, like The Juggler, do tend towards aimless pretention. And let's talk about Jaco Pastorius He really is a driving force on this record. I listened to this through a couple of times, which ten led me to go to his self-titled solo album, which is also amazing. A singular and revolutionary approach to the bass. Melodic, rhythmic, energetic, driving, inventive. It's amazing stuff. Often copied, rarely equaled. So, while I have mixed feelings about jazz fusion, this is squarely in the 'best in class' category for me. Birdland is a dead-set classic track. I might even buy a copy (if I found it in a bargain bin). 3.5 stars

Klikkað albúm. Live útgáfan af Birdland er alveg top notch!

Top!

couldn’t wait for this to end

Great funky instrumental jams

It frustrates me that out of the limited amount of jazz on this list, we get this. With all due respect, it's the most background music, white-people-dinner-party type jazz you can get. Not that it's terrible, it's fine, but not engaging in the slightest. I wonder why this was included when so many others were left out? (reads the wiki entry) "the band's most commercially successful album"..."one of the best sellers in the Columbia jazz catalog"..."the opening track was a significant commercial success"... ah there we go...the creator of the book didn't know anything about jazz and so resorted to throwing in some Miles Davis and Coltrane that everyone knows, and then skimming the best sellers to pad it out. Of course.

vibey, aber nüt spezielles

3.5/5 I liked it but the following suggested songs were less of my taste

This reminds me of the background music in 80’s movies.

Jazz for people that don't like jazz...maybe. Feels a bit bland and dated at times. Amazing bass playing.

either too soft or too intellectual

This is what your jazz band would play in high school. You'd be interested and like the performance, but you'd genuinely forget about it when you walk out of the auditorium.

•Owned •Haven’t revisited this one in a while so it was nice to sit with it. My brother and I once discussed the brightness of the instrumentation—how the synth/soprano combo could sound tinny in places, and it’s hard to not hear now. Still, love the first three tracks—diverse even for a pretty accessible album. Overall, it’s a great collection of talent, with post–Miles alumni teaming up with the ridiculous Jaco Pastorius, who at times is playing his own tunes over others. •3/5

I don't think jazz is for me

I'm not knowledgeable enough to know how this sits within the jazz canon, and so can only judge on its overall sound, which to my ear hasn't aged well. I like the freedom and funkiness, but don't really enjoy synths and electronica in a jazz context; it feels dated and a bit cheesy. Which is doing a disservice to the musicians' prowess. Sorry.

Niiiiiiiiice. Although I could have done without Rumba Mama, live or otherwise. Best track: Birdland, obvs.

Give me the jazz. Give me the electricity. Give me the international influences. Didn’t think I’d know any tracks but straight away was grooving around to Birdland. Listen to again - A remark you made

I kinda wanted to give this five stars as it is - yet again - another genre defining album on this list, but it gets a little too noodly and self indulgent at points. Still, if you want to show someone what jazz fusion is, start here.

Very easy to listen to/feel good album. Not something I’d ever have chosen to listen to before this generator but I’m glad it came up, I’ll certainly be more open minded towards Jazz having listened to this.

They definitely know how to play. The lively parts are exciting, the other parts are kind of boring though. Favorite song: Birdland.

Felt a little bit like hard work - here jazz fusion, respect the culture - but am I enjoying myself? I am not.

Groovy. 3 stars.

was expecting more, great first track but then the album gets a bit messy I think. No consistent theme to it. There was this part with some random shouting? It's rated very highly though and I was listening to it whilst cleaning our greasy ass kitchen so deserves a second listen.

If only all weather reports were as mild and pleasant as this album. Believe me, there is nothing "heavy" about it. Good intro into jazz fusion. Four thunderstorms out of five. ⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️

I didn’t really care for this. I found it kind of closed off, inaccessible, and boring. Too bad, because I have liked a lot of the jazz from this list.

Some nice funky basslines but felt a bit too much like Muzak at many junctures

8/10. Rainy

Nice easy listening. I prefer the Buddy Rich version of Birdland but this is still an album I’ll return to. 8/10

It's kinda fun although it's not totally up my alley. I think I would enjoy this more live.

Angenehme Hintergrundmusik

Loved this. “Birdland” is obviously a staple of jazz music but this album is so much more than that. The interplay in the band is top notch and Jaco’s bass is just brilliant throughout. 4.5/5 Will definitely listen again

They do not heed Miles’ admonition: “Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.”

No. 70/1001 Birdland 3/5 A Remark You Made 3/5 Teen Town 3/5 Harlequin 2/5 Rumba Mama 2/5 Palladium 2/5 The Juggler 2/5 Havona 2/5 Average: 2,38 Jazz album that is ok, but didn't really excite me at all.

Normal.

I had this on vinyl when I was a teenager, decades ago. Still like it.

Great album. One of my favourite jazz albums. As a bass player in a life far, far away, Jaco was always an inspiration. His playing on Teen Town still floors me. The musicianship is top notch. 5 star classic.

3.5

Oh shit het fasch weather report verpasst. Birdland ischn classic. Es trifft d Stimmig vomene fiktive Land wo Vögel existieret perfekt. De Jaco Pastorius am Bass so guet. De sound gfallt mir allgemein, vergliche mit nervöserem Fusion isches mir aber mengmol fasch zu entspannt, zu smooth.

Aaa i lieb da album zum glück hani hüt ine gluegt. Isch definitiv eis wo besser wird wenn mers meh lost und es verschüsst s pulver zimli am aafang. Bass chords sick (rip jaco). Finde s synth solo geg de schluss vo a remark you made meega nice und d drums uf Havona sind mer au no nie so ufgfalle, mega cool. Es wird wenn mer s album durelost irgendwenn scho chli viel, i ha nocher nomol e fusion album glost und isch chli viel gsi. I find au sie hend uf de letschte paar lieder nöd ganz gliich viel idee wie uf de erste drü aber cha guet sii dasi s glich sege wür wenni s album andersch ume glost het. Usserst bi birdland de song isch genial, i lieb wie lang sie ufbaued. Und bi teen town fix au nöd. Beste song: Birdland Schlechtiste Song: The Juggler

Schööön, drums insane cool, bass umen!! De schluss vo birdland (riese song) tönt wie de sound vomene alte Videospiel. Teen town: bass HALLOUUU <3

eis vode hässlichste cover ever für es geniaaals album. ich ha nöd so viel zsege, birdland isch chrank geil und teen town au. ich cha verstoh wie mer de bass tone und s saxophon chan cheesy finde aber uf dem album isch weather report am zeige was fusion chan und dases chan hooks haa und nöd voll verkopft mues sii. nöch amne füfi. ich entscheid am morge.

sooooo es hards cover ui vlt isches will ich sehr müed aber s ischmer chli zu sanft und schön momentan..bzw. es lauft und finds schön aber nöd meh ok werbeunderbrechig, ich muss chli amity lose, macht wacher als borbone kafi OKKKKKKKKK am nächste morge machts album so richtig spass bass gaht los, drums sind mega villsitig es passiert immer wieder öppis und da passt denn es lied wie rumba mama halt doch na inne am liebste hani glaub teen town und havona trotzdem mussmer natürlich sege, dass ich wenig bezug zu so musig han und vlt wirds mit meh lose besser, doch momentan isches no es guets 3

Fusion jazz for white guys in polyester. Not for me.

# 126 : what? Who? Why? - MORE BORING JAZZ… - Can listen, but not real good, No hits and I had to skip a few tracks to get through it. Nothing stood out and I wouldn't go back to it.

Good funk, ça change de ce que j'écoute habituellement.

Jazz - 1977

My high school jazz band played Birdland and, until now, I didn't realize how badly I was screwing up the bass part. :) This is a solid album. I'm bias because it features the bassist pretty heavily (and he happens to be a bad ass). Still - good stuff.

Felt like i was bein battered by a piano while a saxophone laughed at me

in choosing to go through this list i thought i might broaden my musical horizons. what it has actually done has entrench my previous opinions and the list has become a chore of forcing myself to listen to things that i know quite quickly that i don't like. case in point, this jazz willy waving nonsense.

SHICK

Jazzy

Listened Before? No Fantastic album cover that raises more questions that it could ever hope to answer. From the jump, this is not my favorite style of jazz. Although released in 77 this has a distinctly 80s tone to the composition with heavy appeal to R&B. Palladium jams. I do love the synthwork here. Very 80s in feel, but it adds a certain cheesy sci-fi element that I enjoy. Havona is another jam, though this one is super bass-heavy. Dude is just killing it on the fret. I'm not significantly moved by this album. I can respect that the musicianship is top notch and that the songs, for what they are, are well-done. That said, outside of a few exceptions I really wasn't loving most of this one. The cheese factor was a bit too high for my taste with the first half. Would have preferred to hear the bassist rip like he does on Havona more. Soft 3 / 5 for me. Added to Library? No Songs Added to Playlists:

Absolute firecracker of an album. Starts out hot as a fireball and quickly switches to a cooler tempo with A Remark You Made and then builds and builds back up to super hot fire before ending with Havona. The Orioles need to get the rights to Birdland and make an 80s themed hype video using it and use it around the ballpark to get the fans jazzed up. This album is incredible. Every instrument had time to shine and took full advantage of the spotlight. The drummer deserves a special accolade because that man kept driving the beat without a single hesitation or slip up.

Album Art 10/10 that is one of the most unique covers I have ever seen I want that to be the art on the deck of my next snowboard. The sounds like the Local on the 7s from the Weather Channel back in the 90s but on steroids. Jazz fusion may be my new favorite genre of music. Any album that is so enjoyable with only instrumentals will always be a 5 star for me.

Was wondering what this would sound like since the genre is just "Fusion" on Apple Music. Birdland certainly portrays that. Towards the end I actually recognize this song from somewhere. It's quite the earworm I'm bouncing. Slows down a bit with A Remark You Made but but that solo towards the end is bomb. I'm guessing it's some kind of keyboard but whatever it is is lovely. Teen Town has that sick ass bass. Harlequin with the sax. I feel like every song has it's own featured instrument which I love. Weird that Rumba Mama goes into a live song? Kinda sounds like Santana's Soul Sacrifice. Back in the studio it seems with the bass driven Palladium. Havona has starts out with that brown noise. Almost shit myself. This was a very solid 4 for me. Almost a sneaky 5.

Jaco is a mad man.

Sounded to me like a sound track to a 80s or 90s American TV show. And not in a good way.

When I was in High School, I went through an 80s jazz fusion phase from Youtube recommendations. I'm sure the likes of Casiopea blew up in other people's feeds as well. Jazz tried to be pop-accessible a couple decades earlier, but that style has long since sounded dated: barebones, predictable, and repetitive. The mid-60s brought a wave of rock musicians incorporated jazz into their music for various purposes, but those songs were either catchy pop tunes, grand prog or jam compositions, or just straight out weird (Frank Zappa, Soft Machine, Miles Davis). What Weather Report does here is smoothly incorporate rock instrumentation and recent synth developments to enhance the cool jazz experience. It's not like they're the first to do this, but I consider them to be the strongest out of everyone who came before them. With Jeff Beck, I'm focused on the guitar work and atmosphere. With Steely Dan, it's about the pop hooks and mood. But here, I can appreciate the whole group and the development of their compositions over time. It's smooth and natural with quiet and loud moments, funky grooves and electrifying synths, to make each track feel alive. Song structure is surely inspired by TV and movie soundtracks. "Teen Town" definitely sounds like a theme for some crime show. Only weak song is "The Juggler" but it couldn't even annoy me at my worst with how low key it is. The record works as a coherent experience. Starts off with one of the most popular jazz standards of all time, and from there takes you through an easy-going, short (37 minutes), yet fun adventure. You're free to pay attention or space out: it's all the same enjoyment. Giving it 5 stars for being the most put-together jazz fusion record I've heard. Besides "Birdland", none of the songs blow away my expectations, but it's all unique, intriguing, and well thought-out, offering diversity and innovation.

You know, maybe jazz fusion isn't for me either.

These are clearly incredibly talented musicians. Still sounds like muzak/hold music to me. I want to like this; I do not like this.