Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Great background jazz.
Magnificent groovy funky fun. Doesn’t really reach a consistently transcendent level but it is consistently great.
It’s a nice album. I like the synths and the saxophone. Some of the melodies are really great. I don’t normally listen to this type of music so I’m struggling with it a bit. But I do like it. A remark you made is great, teentown with those heavy drums is fun, rumba Mumba with those tribal aspects and crowd is nice too. The juggler is great with its synth melody and keys. It’s a strong 3 to a light 4.
Fretless bass sounds like a wet fart. But a good one. Hypnotic. RIP Jaco ❤️
Some good tunes but feels like it drags at times.
Very good jazz fusion. Easy and fun listening to this. Good performances as well. Very cool! Will come back to this.
not for me
Erm. Kind of a cross between jazz and incidental 70s TV show music. Birdland was a big hit? I can't remember this at all. It almost sounds like the theme tune to Blind Date, but with loads of noodling over it. Oh sweet Jesus, the sax on track 2. Fuck me what is this. This is the sort of music that put me off saxophone for like two decades and stopped me encountering some of the really wonderful stuff the instrument can do when someone attacks it instead of sticking their cock into it. We are heading for a rare 1 from me. The drumming one is good but that is so out of place here, what's it doing, I thought Spotify had fucked up. Obviously the percussion is great throughout, and the musicianship is also very high quality, but just ... No! Palladium comes closest for me, is relatively interesting but that sax is just far too smooth again. Probably going 2 purely because they can really play their instruments.
Treads the fine line between good high-production 80s jazz and annoying dissonant 80s jazz. Loved the closing track though.
Upbeat fusions-jazz, coveret beskriver lyden meget godt
Comes out hard with a fantastic take on Birdland. These cats can cook! And the pretty songs are really pretty. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole album.
First modern jazz band I discovered really like this album
I won’t do any research into this, but is Teen Town the song that gave Vulfpeck the inspiration for Dean Town? A mostly bass driven, grooving instrumental? If so, that’s fun. I think this album made a lot of people happy in 77. It is peak jazz fusion. For as dated as that may make it sound (and yes, it is dated), it has a nostalgic feeling to it that makes you feel like you’re watching a gritty cop movie.
Cloudy with a chance of hotel lobby.
Like somewhere between hold music and the Sesame Street theme tune, but good.
The worst kind of technically accomplished but overindulgent, soulless toss
HOOOOOOOO BABY THIS IS FIRE. I didnt even realize this was Jaco until the 2nd or 3rd listen. Absolute classic and will be returning to this many times in the future
Jazz instrumental muito bem tocado
This is a groovy sounding Jazz album that reminds me of some of the late 70s early 80s comedy movies with Eddie Murphy. Which is good for that time period but feels pretty dated to listen to now. Not terrible not great and not something you must hear before you die. 2.5 out of 5.
Not for me
Fusion jazz classic, Birdland is a banger instrumental any day
Not my cup of tea at all
Everything sounds like an 80s sitcom intro.
Can’t go wrong with birdland
boredom but make it groovy this is just my opinion tho
Chill jazz, pretty good.
Not a great start, I was only on track two and waiting for it to be over. The first track seems to be the most popular but I think it sounds like an incredibly dorky 70’s talk show theme and I can’t help but cringe listening to it. However, things get a little more interesting once you slog your way past Birdland. My favourite was probably The Juggler - it sounded like something off of Kate Bush’s Never For Ever, particularly Jaco’s bass slides. Not something I would go out of my way to listen to but it was alright.
One of the main bands of the fusion era. Teen Town is the OG Dean Town. 4.
Jazz fusion album, got tired of it at the end, fine as background music
Birdland is fantastic. The rest didn't do much for me. I think fusion jazz might not be my thing.
Good funk. Some ambient stuff. I liked it! Already had a track from it. Maple got one also for her list.
Finally, something that is truly brand new to me! I really enjoyed this, will listen to more by Weather Report. It's just good vibes.
Classic Jazz nice!!!!!!!
I want to like it more than I do. It's great for when you are a certain mood. 3/5
Have never heard of this one, feels jazzy, but with a heavy-handed 70's classic rock backing. Interesting for sure but I don't think im a personal fan of this genre, let's see. This first track has an extremely hopeful feel to it, is actually putting me into a happier mood, rare for music to create that emotion for me. Similar to the Cowboy Bebop OST. I actually like this album A LOT. This is most likely the first album I've never heard of before that I give a 5 rating. There's a slightly excessive use of bongos, I'd like to hear more variation in the choices of secondary percussion. Still, the level of layering on most of these songs is absolutely incredible. Very tight compositions here.
Really enjoyed this, going to come back to them for sure
Great jazz album. Jaco is the man
extremely fun playing and sounds all around, I love this period of music outside of the bass sound sometimes. Ballads here are supremely beautiful, piano solos as well
D'ya like Jazz?
Not bad was pretty impressed.
Bit of me
Enjoyable jazz fusion
This album is extremely inventive for its time, it takes the genre of jazz that was dying out and fuses it with the more upcoming electronic style to make for a great album. Low 4.
Wel Tof, maar ik had er iets meer van verwacht
Never heard of this band before. Not being a big fan of jazz, I will certainly say that it was a lot of jazz. That is all.
It was fine
Well, that was a jazz album.
Love Birdland.
Weather report is like 50-50 for me as far as jazz fusion goes. This album is probably more like 75-25 though so pretty good.
Casual listening does not lend itself favorably to jazz
This was super cool. Not usually my kind of music but was good for zoomies for work
Good
Americana- 80s- Cop -Soap Jaco Pastorius virtuoses Bassspiel carriet das Album. Leger aber gute Musik
Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
Pleasant enough background music but I'm not giving a pass mark to something that is too boring to remember.
I don't even like legit jazz from legit musicians like Miles Davis. But this noodling drivel that sounds like it might have been the background music at a shitty lounge in the 70s? Nope.
Crazy stuff, especially Jaco Pastorius on fretless bass!
The duo that it Zawinul and Pastorius really is something else entirely, so it goes without saying that the instrumental on Heavy Weather is amazing. The only thing I’m missing is longer compositions that would let the instruments explore and progress further.
one of my favorite fusion albums — a masterpiece from beginning to end - 10/10
Sì beh
Yes, it's time for sophisticated jazz fusion with legends Jaco, Shorter and Zawinul and marvellous Latin rhythm and percussion from the other two before Peter Erskine joined. This LP and the previous, Black Market, are wonderful examples of mid 70s jazz fusion from people who have been through the Miles Davis school of improv, but decided to rehearse the tunes a little longer ready to rock out on stage to the screaming college sophisti-cats. Jaco’s bass is great, Wayne’s sax is lyrical and Zawinul’s melodies and arrangements are hits even when his choice of synth sounds are poor. Great drumming and percussion as well. Mostly superb (who doesn't love Birdland?), but you really need to listen to the extended funk rock live version of Teen Town found on concert album "8.30" because it shows exactly why Weather Report were THE rockstars of jazz fusion.
One of my all time favorite recordings of Birdland
This is the first jazz album I've gotten, and while I do listen to some jazz (mostly in the background while reading) I'll be the first to admit that I am not at all well-informed to review jazz albums. So my review here is mostly going to be vibes-based. And the vibes were not good on this one. It mostly sounded like elevator music, but with chaotic other sounds that were mostly just grating. There were points here and there where it was alright, but I quickly got tired of listening to this and felt that it was actually hard to listen to a few times. I don't have a lot more insight, I just really didn't like this very much. The musicians are clearly talented so credit for that, but not much else worked for me. I would be remiss to not mention the best part of this album though. This has to be the funniest album cover that I've ever seen before. A giant fedora. Various weather phenomena crudely photoshopped together with the best technology that 1977 had to offer. Is the lightning coming from the fedora? Does the fedora have flaps (is it Brian's hat)? What is this city that's experiencing this hell? The world may never know, but I can't imagine I'm going to come across a more hilarious album cover in these 1,001 albums. Favorite song: Birdland Other: The Juggler
3/8, 38%
Album #26 Having back-to-back jazz albums was great, especially since I had to catch up on a few days where I couldn't listen. This album reminded me of driving with my father when I was a kid. He often played the old NYC smooth jazz station CD101.9. I know that I've heard both Birdland and Havona on that station, so having those booked this album made it feel special to me. Honestly, I'm not good at critiquing jazz, but I can say that I enjoyed this album and would consider listening again while doing housework or work-work. 3.5* rounded to 4* for my Dad.
Birdsong is a classic but the rest was just ok. I liked the last song or two.
exceptional. probably as close as an album can get to 5 stars without reaching it
Mit gutem Fusion kriegt man mich eigentlich immer und das hier ist welcher, aber ein- zwei Tracks hatten zu viel Saxophon. Schwache 4
Found this very pleasant, full of peaceful energy.
Enjoyed it, nice range of tracks with a few that were particularly captivating. 3.5 Fav track: Palladium
This was a weird one - I found a good bit of it to be pretty insufferable, creating no real particular mood or atmosphere (at least not one I appreciated). But then there's a couple of major bangers, including an all time classic. So two and a half? Fave track: Havona
Birdland is forever a classic, and depending on your mood the rest of the album totally holds up. Some of the best jazz playing and inter-instrumental dialogue that you’ll hear between Pastorius and Zawinul. This is already a go to for records to play while milling about the house on the weekend, and will continue to do so. Fave track without a doubt is Birdland
Don't like it - prog rock muzak
A fine jazz album with a big band feel, but bored me a little bit to listen all the way through. Good for certain occasions but not an every day album
Not a big fan of instrumental albums once again, sounds pretty good though. Favorite Tracks: Harlequin
Started ok but turned into a meandering mess by the end.
Holy synthesizer, Batman!
Not my thing
UGH. Did not enjoy this.
vraiment pas désagréable. agréablement surpris. vinyle que j'Achèterai si pas cher. jazzy. 7/10
Un album jazz pas pire, ça sonne bien mais c'est pas exceptionnelle. Pourquoi celui ci pls qu'un autre de miles Davis par exemple ? 3.25
No lyrics but groovy
Hell yeah. Havona slaps 4.5/5
funky rhythms and bass, but not for me
Lively ambient, Not my speed
Too jazzy for me
I'm not a jazz boy, but I would put this on at a garden party. It's pretty great. I particularly like the electric elements, which I think includes the bass. I've never heard synth on a jazz record before, but it gives this a new dimension, making it feel modern and vibrant. The last two albums provide proof, if needed, that the jazz world does supergroups a lot more successfully than the rock world. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Birdland Date listened: 16/08/23
Not in love with this album as much as it is a classic, but the star studded lineup can’t be denied. Also, the music is just palatable, at worst you’re going to have a pleasant time.
Nog en blassiker
Listened Before? N This is literal elevartor music from the 70s. Just seems boring and unremarkable. I didn't like or dislike it. It's 'meh'. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Teen Town
I don't want any of this in my life 1
I listened to this album, then completely forgot I listened to it, and accidentally listened to it again. So like... three stars I guess.
This band is always interesting and impressive to my ear, and this album is their first to feature Jaco Pastorius on bass, and it really grooves hard. I have a feeling that in the decades that followed, this music might get lumped in with "smooth jazz" (in the negative sense of the label) or something like that, due in part at least to the late-70s production style and choices of instruments, but there's a lot more going on with each track. These musicians are incredibly skilled. Would have LOVED to have seen this group play live.
It's goofy, and my partner hated listening to it, but I didn't mind it. Boring at points, but enjoyable at others. I'd say I liked the second half less than the first. A light 3. My favourite song was Birdland.
Jazz had been led astray by the mid to late 1970s. So many sub-genres had popped up, lending itself to curiosity and dissension and many of the genre's luminaries were either fusing themselves to the changing times, clinging on hopelessly to past primes or were long dead/approaching death. Clearly, jazz was in need of a weather report. While the group itself were not new and most of the members were veterans of the scene, it is no stretch to consider Heavy Weather to be a great first album to get in touch with the band's stylings. An appropriate mixture of what was past and then-present, Heavy Weather neither offends nor becomes pretentious, becoming one of the best representatives of post-fusion jazz in the process. There is plenty to like and plenty to get ahold of in either the standard album or the expanded version (the added on live tracks are no nuisance) and the curious minded would not have a problem with Heavy Weather if they give it the time it richly deserves. P. S. the album cover kicks ass.
Some moments of alright stuff but they succumbed to the Jazz, and I did not.
jazzy jazz. it's alright.
It's a very nice album. 3.5
Birdland was interesting, the rest nothing better than background music
3.4/5 nice for background
good job but no thanks!
what
YESSSSS! JACO!!!!! Every song on here is beautiful and I love this mess. Teen Town kills it. Havona is so good. Damn this album is just so tight.
Dominated by jaco, just bass playing like no one else can.
A fine soundtrack to a detctive movie, didn't inspire anything more than that.
This album should be titled "Band Nerds Found a Bag of Weed", because that's basically what it sounded like. I had a weird feeling that I'd heard it before, but really couldn't say for sure. Generally found it dated and not that useful.
Playboy Jazz Festival - Hollywood Bowl 1984! Best show I've ever been to... what a blast! I remember Birdland... but that's about it, the quaaludes that I was eating with the cheese & crackers and BYOW knocked me on my ass. But hell yeah, smooth jazz blows!
The first four songs are inches away from birthing yacht rock and easy listening. Just add crooning vocals from a bearded guy with shaggy hair and shades. Then things took a random world music detour, before introducing a bit of strange space jazz. The weather report today calls for nothing heavy today, just some light jazz.
Jazzers just can’t help themselves. The whole genre is built upon exercising your chops. Gotta show everyone how free your soul can be and crush some improv.
That's what was lacking on that list. Instrumental music. Great experience this album.
Not for everybody
not bad for jazz actually. better than that miles davis bs cuz it actually has a structure to it.
Jazz
70s jazz, was a nice, pleasant listen overall; killer bass guitar all throughout. I think "Palladium" was my favorite. 8/10.
What a pleasant surprise! A largely instrumental jazz album? Great listen, I liked it.
The first song is pretty solid. After that it just starts feeling like muzak. I'll never listen to this again unless I inadvertently do so while I'm put on hold.
Jazzy bluesy. Good background music. Probably influential in jazz/blues world? Which I disappointingly have very little experience with so I don't think I can fully appreciate it. Sounded good though
Took a 2nd listen to appreciate. Kind of funk jazz that _should_ be in my wheelhouse, but I was kind of meh on the first listen. Second time around I found more to like. I could see myself listening on occasion when I'm in the right mood, but don't foresee this getting a lot of rotation in my account. I could see how this might have been kind of groundbreaking in it's time. This feels like Vermont or Portland Jazz. Not sure if the 2 live tracks on the end were part of the original release, but they were some of my favorites. 3/5
Great album. Birdland is iconic. Will listen to again.
This is not the first time I've heard this album but it has been a long time. While Birdland is by far it's most famous song, and now a jazz standard, this is not my favorite song on the album -- that is Rumba Mama, which is really too short but is also the most traditional jazz song on the album. But that may be my problem... I like more traditional jazz or bebop and not the 70's fusion jazz that this album has. If someone asked me to list some great jazz albums, this would not be on the list. It's not bad...just not my thing.
Jazz Fusion is ridiculous, but it's also pretty sweet. Great lineup on this Weather Report album. Jaco and Wayne Shorter are top notch as always. Weather Report are easy to goof on, but if you open your heart I think you will find that it can be a good time.
Not bad, but not for me.
Yah I like jazz fusion
Terrible, like being stuck on hold whilst in a lift that has broken down between floors but the music still works.
Really not very good this is it?
The first track is a classic. The rest is dross. Another disappointment.
I've heard the whole of this album before... that time I was on hold waiting to get a refund from BT. I like the artwork though.
There are two types of music I detest, Modern Country and Smooth Jazz. I always thought that Weather Report was smooth jazz, so imagine my surprise at finally sitting down and listening to a WR album for the first time and hearing Jaco Pastorius' fingers flow over his fretless base. I'm still not sold on WR, but will give more of their discs a listen. I stand corrected on WR being smooth jazz, I don't look forward to discovering something pleasant about Modern Country though… 4/5
OK just a bit meh q very familiar track
I don't get it, maybe need to try again
“All operators are busy. We appreciate your call so please remain on the line and we will speak with you shortly.”
Not 4 me 2/5
Genres: Jazz fusion Formed: 1970 Run time: 11 songs, 1 hour It’s Jazz, but not the kind that feels torturous to listen to. It was a pleasant enough experience. I think it was mostly instrumental. Track 1 “Birdland” has over 15M listens on Spotify. Another five tracks have over 1M listens and the rest is less than 1M. My Rating: ***
Good fusion album. The bands energy doesn't stray and makes this album an entertaining listen. The group really gives Jaco a chance to shine and he does using the bass to lead a few of the tracks. If this album wasn't so popular it definitely wouldn't be on this list and there are a lot of other fusion records more deserving of it's spot from artists like Mahavishnu Orchestra, John Coltrane, Frank Zappa, Herbie Hancock and many more. 7/10
I enjoyed what I heard, but fell asleep to it. Will give it another go.
Not a big jazz fusion fan. Reminds me of elevator music or on hold music. Not that great. 2.5/5
1% of the time, I’m in the mood for jazz. Yesterday was a 99% day
This album is legendary. I love every second of it for years now. Thank you for giving me this album today. It will be a nice re-listening.
Not for me, did not finish.
I honestly didn't hate this, but I wouldn't say this is good music or anything. It's strange to me that it was included on this list.
Not in the mood, not sure what mood I would have to be in actually.
Who put this on the list? What critic listens to elevator jazz and is like, "Oooh, yeah. That's my shit. The world needs to hear these saxophone solos." Piss off, mate. This was a waste of everyone's time.
Ever fallen asleep on the couch in front of the telly, to then later wake up to a puzzling or quaint sort of program broadcast in the middle of the night? Usually I would watch the end of that thing in a drowsy state, and then turned off the TV during the... weather report. Just saying. I've tried listening to that album before, and this is what it made me feel like. At least so far. Funny how I prefer the most renowned musicians of this project (Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter and Jaco Pastorius) when they collaborated with other household names, rether than together. Fretless bass player Jaco Pastoris, expecially, shone bright in Joni Mitchell's *Hejira*, and Zawinul and Shorter's stays with Miles Davis for a couple of significant albums were not forgotten. In comparison, Weather Report (or at least this album, supposed to be their magnum opus) is a far less stellar affair than the collabs evoked up there. Remember that Dimery's list forgot key albums by Charles Mingus, among other jazz staples. So when it comes to this genre, you should take said list with a grain of salt. That said, you often need time and several listens to give a jazz album a fair chance, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do now. And for once, I will detail the thing track by track, maybe that will help me make up my mind... "Birdland", a Zawinul composition, relies a little too much on major chords at first. The keyboards sounds favored by Zawinul are cheesy, of course (more on that later, but to sum it up, they're characteristic of the fusion jazz of that time, I guess). Yet at some point there's a mean bridge on those keys that woke me up. And the ending with the clapping hands was a nice and effective touch to take that piece to an unexpected place. Not so bad overall. "A Remark You Made", another composition by Zawinul, proves that cheesefests are not always created by the sounds used, but mostly through the notes you play. Shorter's solo is supposed to be mellow, but it's mostly boring as hell, going to all the syrupy nooks and crannies this "sugary" piece prompts him to go. But once again, the cut unexpectedly comes alive at the end, and gels around some more complex harmonies. I'm not sure this saves the whole track this time, but I'll take that moment as a positive sign the overall record has somethig meaningful to say. "Teen Town". Love it. It's tense and tight. This is a Pastorius composition and his playing is pure fire on this one. Love the subtle touches brought by Zawinul and Shorter as well. And I appreciate the track's brevity. Sometimes jazz musicians were too self-indulgent in their build-ups. Here they're not, because there's no build-up per se. Which is suprising, because this is the band's main asset so far. Speaking of which, I didn't know what to think about the Wayne Shorter-penned "Harlequin" at first, but in keeping with the first two tracks' structures, it's the final climax, triggered by Zawinul's ambiguous chords, that gives its meaning to the whole endeavor. Not so bad, once again. "Rumba Mamà" is mostly persussion, played live, and this very short track seems to have been included in the record to give writing credits to the drummers/percussionists, Alex Acuña and Manolo Badrena. They're awesome musicians as well, by the way, and not only in this cut dedicated to them. As a consequence, I started paying more attention to the percussions on the Shorter number that followed, "Palladium". But then the tense interaction between Shorter and Zawinual caught my ear, and I couldn't let go. Wow, what a climax, once again! Zawinul's "The Juggler" starts out very gently, its keyboard's hooks even reminding me of the sort of instrumentation found in prog-rock ballad. Yet there's no build-up or final crescendo this time--very quietly, the track goes to sleep. I was a little disappointed at first, but you can't say that Weather Report relies on the same exact formula, at least. Should we write their name "Wether" Report? Closer "Havonius" was composed by Pastorius, and since the latter was far away in the background of the second side tracks, it seems logical that the man takes center stage for the album's finale. I expected a grand climax at the end, and I had one, but somehow, I'm a little disappointed. It all went a little too fast, as if the track only served a "functional" purpose for the album. Then again. it was not that bad a closer. So, to put it in a nutshell, once you go past the clearly *dated* keyboard sounds, here emphasized by the peculiar effects of the fretless bass, you can find some good moments on the album. The musicianship is amazing, of course, but when it comes to the music itself, there also aesthetic flaws in this 1977 album that have nothing to do with the "sound" that is favored here (the main culprit is "A Remark You Made", and its critical place on the second spot of an eight-track LP takes its toll, honestly). 3/5 for the general purposes of this list, which means 8/5 for more general purposes (musicianship, performance, engineering and other technical aspects, contemporary reception...). Next please. Number of albums left to review: 582 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 200 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 97 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 123
Obviously good musicians, but this just reminded me of boring situations I’ve been in in life
Weird experimental 80s sitcom theme jazz plus a live rumba in the middle. Not sure why this is in the list, wish it wasn't. I think it was slightly better than awful as it was interesting in some places, a 1.5 really.
I thought this was quite decent - very much, café-jazz but of a better level. I didn't want to turn it off, in any case.
Nice as background music but don't think I'd ever listen again. It's short enough that it doesn't overstay it's welcome. Rumba Mama is the odd one out from the album, sounding nothing like the other tracks. Highlights: Birdlands Teen Town
Quite nice as background music but nothing more. Not really my thing. Didn't really dislike it, but equally rarely realised I was listening to it
Un instrumental onda de película de Sci-fi. Es bueno para banda sonora, medio monótono para la escucha. Sirvió para estudiar.
No. Weird kinda instrumental jazz.
Nice, happy jazz music. I'd like to talk about the hat on the cover of the album though. It looks a little like a fedora with safari flaps in the back? Could that be the inspiration for the classic Brian's Hat sketch on I Think You Should Leave? I've never seen someone be able to pull off that look before. 3 stars.
Do you like jazz? Pretty good jazz album with some cool electronic elements mixed in with a random live samba track in the middle. Some of it drags a little bit but I mostly enjoyed it. Havona was a really good closing track. Almost a 4 star for me Score: 70 Art: 80
Jazz fusion that sounds like it belongs in a 70s/80s television show. Album starts off pretty mild, but by the last song it gets a little nutty.
Nice to hear an instrumental album
Several of these songs made me feel like I was playing a beach-themed Mario Kart course
Good music
Well, Jaco Pistorious is an amazing bassist. The album is a bit meh though. Easy listening performed by geniuses.
Terrific musicianship from this quintet. Not all the songs slay but enough do to earn a high ranking. Jaco Pastorius and Wayne Shorter shine in particular. Shame what happened to Jaco. He was an all time talent.
Fome.
There's another review for this that suggests it sounds like the soundtrack to a tellyshow from 1981, and I think that person got it cock on right. Once you get past the saxy tracks, this becomes rapidly very boring. Sure, you can appreciate the saxy saxing, but past that I find it difficult to pull anything out.
My favorite version of Birdland.
Not sure if it was because I just had three 1s in a row, but this was such a breath of fresh air. Really enjoyed the smooth jazz. Great listen. Gonna roll a 4 for this one. TBz 1. A Remark You Made 2. Rumba Mama 3. Birdland 4. Palladium
Okay, this is cooool. Obvious five stars for atmospheric instrumental jazz with just enough synth to keep you on your toes.
Big nostalgia hit for 'Birdland' alone, which was one of my favorite stand tunes we got to play in high school band. Not every track on this LP measures up to the verve of its opener, but with Jaco's basslines gluing everything together into a perfect rhythmic mesh even the more filler tracks keep moving at a great clip. Lovely jazz album overall and definitely a formative LP in my high school years.
I like to call this musicians music. All my musician friends love this because every band member is incredibly skilled. But if you don't know what a pentatonic scale is, it just sounds like smooth jazz.
Seventies US tv theme tunes. The live sounding track woke me up a little. Not my thing.
More jazz, this time of the funk variety. It put me to sleep after the first couple of tracks. It was all a little too Kenny G for my liking. It livened up slightly with the Latin feel. Maybe I just wan't in the mood for all that jazz.
And today’s forecast is bland with possible schmooz later.
pissing it down here, guv
Not my thing, like the genre, but not enough funk from these guys
Cloudy with a chance of Jazz!
Birdland makes me want to dance like Charlie Brown.
Not really my thing, but I can respect how weird and experimental this is. Parts of it sounded like Dave Matthews going on some extended jam sesh
fun listen. liked instrumental steely dan.
While I had heard Birdland before (in music history class), the rest of the album was not very memorable. Maybe I’d spin it again when I’m looking for upbeat work music, but honestly it just wasn’t that interesting.
Really impressive compositions and instrumentations but it doesn't do too much for me. Probably won't revisit this album except for a few songs. A Remark You Made is a stand out to me.
Jacoooo! Beetje cheesy bij vlagen door de synths, maar soms ook dystopisch. Veel verschillende instrumenten.
Более электронный джаз, который довольно бойко и круто влетает в тебя
А почему мы вдруг резко решили уйти от альтернативы и тяжеляка, причём так кардинально? Неужто скучные альбомы кончились?)) У меня ещё на первом треке кажется случился снос башни. Звучит как что-то среднее между аниме-опенингом, песни из интро к шоу Леттермана и заставки программы Время (Время вперёд, короче). Так быстро, стремительно, эклектично пронеслись эти 6 минут. Но остальные треки как-то поскучнее оказались. Зато там есть потрясные соляки на безладовом басе! Это прям мммм, аааа, конфетка. Да и просто фоном он звучит офигенно, в Harlequin, например. Так, середина. Что такое Rumba Mama? Это кто-то на диктофон записывал каких-то латиносов, или что?)) Как-то странно... И немного не туда. Но как разгрузка в середине альбома - чётко. Если подводить итог, то в целом альбом классный. Его не стыдно включить на виниле на домашней тусе, можно смело добавить пару треков в повседневный плейлист. Много разных жанров намешано. К концу вообще в какой-то спейс джаз ушло, ну или что-то подобное. Прикольно, неожиданно. Если ругать за что-то - только если за какую-то странную румбу. Не из этой оперы вообще, глубинный смысл не понят.
Как будто 40 минут слушал аудиальный фейерверк. И то, и сё, и хлопает и гремит, и на фоне булюлюкает и ещё басочек, и труба, юффффь! Почти всю неделю исправило Есть доеб до румбы мамбы, в остальном кайф, 4+
Pleasantly surprised.
I listened to this album twice without realizing. Not because it was good, but because it was exceedingly meh yet not horrendous enough to take note of it. I appreciate instrumental music, it offers the opportunity to actually focus on the sound rather than to merely relegate them as backdrop to vocals and lyrics. But it has to be done exceptionally well and this was not exceptional.
Started out fresh and fruity. Like a banana about to be perfectly ripe. A yellowish green that promises enjoyment to those who wait patiently. We wait for a few songs, yet the banana does not seem to ripen to that golden yellow. We wait longer, hoping, praying for that succulent sunshine. Waiting, wishing, dreaming. We then see a brown spot form amongst the green. And another. And another. Before long the whole banana is a mix of brown, green and yellow. What bitter disappointment for us to witness such promise turn into dismay. Where does an album, I mean banana, with such promise belong? The same place as all other rotted bananas. The garbage.
It started off pretty well, I was thinking solid 3 with potential for a 4. And then after the first song I started to feel drained. And then I began to wonder if my taste is actually shit. And then I began to wonder if I'm more into music that is "purely" a particular genre. And then I began to wonder why spotify said basquiat listened to this. And then I began to wonder if I needed to listen to this before I died. And then I began to wonder why I was doing all of this. And then I began to hold my breath to see if I could pass out. And then I began to wonder if this was secretly a sabres of paradise album. And then the fourth song started. And then the album ended. And then I arrived at work. And now I'm writing this. And then I'll listen to more albums. And the cycle will repeat.
3. Album no 50 the same night Lebron broke the record.
Wow. 80s background movie music. So bad
Hmm, what's this about ... oh wait I know this song. Oh "that's" Weather Report. Good jazzy fun album. I'm a sucker for fretless bass though.
Not my thing.
This is some pretty dated, synth-heavy jazz fusion. The artistry is great tho. Especially the drumming and bass playing.
A long time since I listened to some jazz rock, but this is a little disappointing. Birdland starts the album and it is an outstanding piece; sadly nothing else on the album comes near it. The musicianship cannot be faulted but most of the subsequent tracks are a little too smooth and bland. Gets an extra star because of Birdland
Jazz on fire
Not a jazz person normally, but this was very enjoyable and had some really cool moments.
This sub-genre of jazz works and doesn't work for me depending on -- who knows? This one wasn't my favourite although I appreciate that they play well. This sound likely influenced acid jazz to come in the following decade. Spotify's algorithm fed me Zappa's Hot Rats after this. I hadn't heard that in ages and quite enjoyed it.
It's something that Joe Zawinul, an Austrian immigrant, could write two songs so emblematic and oft-covered by American Jazz greats: Birdland and Mercy Mercy Mercy, though I think jazz aficionados did not like the fact that the first notes of this album are played by a synthesizer. This is a jazz super group - Wayne Shorter and Joe paid their dues with the top acts of the sixties, joined by Jaco P "the greatest bass player in the world". I was never a jazz-rock fusion fan but this is near the top of the list, I would think. A higher mark would be forthcoming except for Rumba Mama. To say it sounds out of place is an understatement.
This album, perhaps more than any other can claim to have introduced jazz to the masses. I'm sure most folks have heard the catchy Birdland. Although it sometimes veers dangerously close to sounding like the schmaltzy easy listening jazz of the 70's ala Kenny G, Chuck Mangione, it redeems itself with some crack musicians playing - Joe Zawinul on keyboards, Wayne Shorter on sax, but the best is Jaco Pastorius on bass. Jaco's playing on Havona is simply brilliant. Material - 2, Musicmanship - 4, so overall this gets a 3.
Good as jazzy background music, got a bit too "synth-y" near the end though. Definitely sounded like it could have been the soundtrack of an early 80s movie, especially the first song as the opening credits music!
What a fun album. Love the whole thing!
As a former high school and college pep band trumpet player, Weather Report is iconic for Birdland alone. That being said the rest of the album all blurred together
The first song was interesting, then the following songs went down in quality a little bit, but the album ends with three amazing songs, mixing jazz with many other styles, giving me a very good vibe. I'm not sure this is something I'll listen to again in a row, but I enjoyed it very much.
Fun and funky
Not bad
I'm not the biggest jazz guy, but I liked this album, especially "Teen Town" is awesome.
We played Birdland in high school jazz band, so the opener was fun trip down memory lane...and then there was still half an hour of slap bass and sax left. So. much. hi-hat. Best track: Birdland
Can hear its influence on modern jazz.
Not a great fan of this sort of jazz fusion, but birdland is a stand out song. Glad I listened worth list entry but won’t make my rotation.
Not really a fan of these jazzy albums, and they seem quite popular
Funk and jazz is an interesting combo but in reality not that interesting
Gelaber. Gut arrangiertes Gelaber, das macht es um so ärgerlicher.
Groovy jazz. Love it
Funky! This was a great listen, with interesting instrumentation and a good mix of tracks.
Jazzy, a bit boring, nothing to really say. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. 3/5.
Starts off interesting, devolves into the prototype for "new age" music, not a fan.
Meh
Ágætt dót. Ekkert sem ég hlusta á daglega.
Not for me
Music for an elevator made of cocaine.
a Weather Report classic
Easy Listening. I am more into e.g. the 'Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing' (https://www.discogs.com/release/119645-Boyd-Rice-Frank-Tovey-Easy-Listening-For-The-Hard-Of-Hearing) though, so 3 stars
Pretty good
Quite good
Mostly hooky with a 90% chance of sweet and tuneful melodies. The groves are ebullient and some of the crescendos nearly orgiastic – these cats were having a blast it seems and were fearless in charting a new course for jazz or pop music. It's not just a kinder, gentler approach to fusion, but precise and excellent on its own terms, with at times otherworldly playing.
You start out thinking, this is cool, but before long I'm thinking, ummmm, this is boring. Sorry but the whole improv jazz thing just rattles my brain a bit
Before today I had never heard of Weather Report. They are a fusion jazz band (jazz mixed with rock and funk). The music reminded me of upbeat TV show theme songs from the 80's and 90's. Jaco Pastorius has been called the "Jimi Hendrix of bass playing" and I can see why! Just have a listen to the songs Teen Town or Palladium, or from the extended release of the album, Black Market, and you will hear it too! His bass playing is phenomenal!! This is great ambiance music, and I really like how they blend jazz and funk together really well! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this album! Not something for heavy rotation, but I would listen again for sure! Favourite songs: Birdland, Black Market (Live), Rumba Mama, Havona, Teen Town, A Remark You Made, Palladium, The Juggler Least favourite song: Harlequin 3/5
Acid jazz, funk and synth fusion confection!
Obviously great musicians but way too muso for my liking
All I can see when I hear this music is a load of moustachioed men, bobbing their heads and grinning earnestly at each other. Birdland used to be the background music to every incidental sports medley on British television. Rumba mama doesn’t even sound like it belongs on this album, but was the best of a bad bunch. This has reinforced my view of how much I hate jazz fusion. It only brings one word to mind – SMUG!!!
un po' da sottofondo, non ha molto carattere.
Jaco Pastorius fretless bass playing is pretty cool, but nothing too interesting on this album. Took me about five tracks before I even realized it was him.
I enjoy Birdland, some of the others were a bit strange
Solid 3. been on a bit of a jazz kick though
Not really for me.
This was my first introduction to Jaco Pastorius. I love this album. This is an important recording due to it's commercial success and many folks intro into fusion jazz. It contains elements of jazz, latin, rock, and soul music. I definitely have a sentimental connection to this album and have listened to it many time since my introduction in the early '80s. I listen to this as great musicians interacting with each other and no one artist is better than the next.
I liked Rumba Mama. Otherwise, no thank you. I looked the band up and they’re really important in jazz circles. And that Rumba Mama was a live version. So while I will never listen to their studio recordings, I would probably have enjoyed them in Montreaux. The album title is the same as a song by Cousteau, a band I like very much. Now I’m listening to them.
Pretty cool that the day's listening included Public Enemy and Weather Report. So this album — damn, some of the playing is otherworldly, particularly the bass. Tones of the instruments are also really great throughout. When this is at its best, this is sensational. I appreciate the jazz genre tucked into a slightly more structured song format. At times it's too structured, and self-aware and indulgent, but then, if I could play and write and execute these parts, I'd push myself to do it. These guys are playing things — individually and as a group — that not many can. So, perfect? No. Too indulgent and showy for that. Brilliant? Yes. And at its best (the opener, "Birdland" for instance), this is magical.
I appreciate the chops these guys have, but damn do i dislike this era of fusion. The arrangements and production is so dated and often sound wimpy. Having said that, Birdland is definitely fun. Someone else said it sounded like the soundtrack to an '80s buddy cop comedy and now that's all i can hear. Jaco crushes Havona. Palladium is fun, too. I love Miles Davis' fusion albums, and all of the guys who would go on to form all the biggest fusion bands started out in Miles Davis' band: Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter from Weather Report, John MacLaughlin and BIlly Cobham of Mahavishnu Orchestra, plus Chick Corea, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, and others. I love their work on Miles' albums, but I cannot stand any of their post-Miles music.
Sounds like background music that would be in a Tom Hanks Meg Ryan movie from the 1980s.
Great album. Cool grooves. Didn't know what to expect. Every song puts you in a good mood. Can't wait to see what the rest of my group thinks about this.
I consider A Remark You Made one of the greatest compositions ever.
I think I listened to this years ago but forgot all about it. Thought it was great this time around, very groovy bass!
Hmmm
Funky album, largely played as background sound during my Vancouver job search! Good accompaniment on a rainy day, though I should relisten to give it justice. Havona has some sick bass!
HUGE FAN. I loved the jazz/rock fusion. Absolutely amazing album. 10/10.
While it was not exactly a chart success, to be able, as a jazz group, to produce a single that is still recognised 45 years after its release is quite some achievement. Birdland is such as track. The rest of the album mostly follows the pattern laid down by Birdland, but Rumba Mama stands out as breaking away from this structure. In general even improvised jazz needs to have some structure imposed on it to make it listenable, and Weather Report get the balance right here.
The first Jazz album I ever bought, or was it Elegant Gypsy by Al Dimeola, get quite be certain. Birdland is a great song but the rest just aren't for me, not 45 years ago and not now. The closer; Havana gets a bit closer but al in all bot my cup of tea...but Birdland does elevate it to 4 stars
Resident sleepy jazz
Mad decent
Just, no.
too jazzy, not for me.
This was a weird mix of elevator musak and Thundercat. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it.
The first track – Birdland – was so good that none of the other tunes on the album quite reached that level. Nevertheless, the album was still a rather pleasant listen.
12th October 2022 Listened on the way in to the office and in the stage prepping for the GD Get Together. Watched see how they run in the afternoon. Nice bit of jazz pop, didn’t set my world on fire but was bright and breezy.
"Now you must aquire a taste for free-form jazz" -Patrick Star I like this album, some stuff goes a little too jazzy (i.e. freeform or something) for my liking, but I was definitely grooving to this album Also is this a JoJo reference? Favorite song: Birdland or Teen Town Worst song: Harlequin
Wow! What a nice surplice. This was excellent. I see why they call the genre 'fusion.' Jazzy and funky and kinda perfect for early mornings. Will definitely return to this quite a bit.
Hey, ég á þessa plötu á disk í kassa útí bílskúr! Long time no listen. Mætti alveg hlusta oftar, þetta er ljómandi skemmtilegt
funky
A jazz fusion classic. Jaco Pastorious is so good, such a unique bass sound. Of course « Birdland » is a true masterpiece in itself but the whole album is really good.
A smooth jazz type album that doesn’t really excite me much and seems like decent background music. Nothing too impressive and nothing noteworthy. 3.9/10
I was really surprised that this was the original recording of "Birdland." I definitely recognized this version, but as someone very familiar with The Manhattan Transfer's version, I didn't realize the song's history only went back to this album. It really got things going off to an amazing, energetic start. Then it kind of took things down a bit. Once I got my mind wrapped around the change in tone, I appreciated the electro-jazz sound that recalled driving along Chicago's Lake Shore Drive in the 90s to WNUA Smooth Jazz 95.5. The whole rest of the album felt fairly continuous in this groove... That is, except for the seemingly random, two-minute live recording of "Rumba Mamá" which seemed quite jarring and out of context here.
This one was pretty meh for me. It was fine...it was a pleasant background while I worked...sometimes a little funky, but just not quite enough so to really draw me in.
Hooray for Birdland! It is great. The rest is not as great --- sounded like a record of 80s TV themes, putting everything in soft focus like Cybil Shepherd in Moonlighting. I give Birdland 10 stars and the rest 3.
“OHHHH! THAT song!” I exclaimed as the opening notes of Weather Report’s “Birdland” filled my ears. I’ve heard this song a gazillion times on the radio - usually as background music for PSA’s or commercials. I’m VERY excited to hear it again! This is possibly the first time I’ve heard the song in its entirety. As the album progressed my reaction was positive. The songs were varied and interesting. I want to listen to it again. Jazz always scared me or put me off. Heavy Weather and some of the other great jazz albums I’ve heard in this project has made me realize there’s a place for it in my world.
OK background music
Classic funky fusion sound, love it, though it does sound a bit too dated at times for its own good.
I was surprised by how much I liked this, as I always feel like Jazz Fusion is a genre that leaves a sour taste for me. But the consistency and experimental flair throughout was just the right flavor for me.
Jaunty, funky, rich with diverse musical influences. Not really my thing, but there's some top notch musicianship here. Fave Songs: Palladíum, Birdland, Teen Town, A Remark You Made
instrumental, not my jam.
Nice jazz-rock fusion. Some of it’s smooth, some of it’s spacey, a lot of it is funky and weird. A lot great percussion too. My favorite track is “Palladium.” Sick album cover too.
This was a fun jazzy fusion album, great for background busy-music! I always appreciate some fun noodles and experimentation from talented musicians.
Awesome futuristic jazz album that covers prog, fusion, world music, latin percussion, etc. etc. the list goes on. The (mostly fretless) bass is really the standout for me on this album. The playing is virtuosic, lyrical, technial, and just all around amazing, but that's what you should expect from one of the greatest to ever do it- Jaco Pastorius. Solid 4 out of 5. Some tracks later on tend to track a little.
Not for me 🤷🏻♀️
Jazz with not my favourite instruments. Odd era.
Tuneful and melodic from the first to the last not, with great hooks and several absolute classics of the genre (starting with "Birdland"). Has aged extremely well (one woudln't have guessed), but masterful playing is timeless, innit? An outright pleasure to hear (on one's deathbed or any time) to be reacquainted with.
I argue this album is a bit of a miss. Not because it's bad, but rather because it should have been so much better given the subject matter, performers, and genre. Don't get me wrong, though: I like it!
3/5
I have never heard of them before. Interesting, spacy/airy jazz feel to this album. Not bad overall, at times it got a bit hectic and unorganized. I'd listen to their other discography.
I respect the musicianship and the experimentation for the time, but it just isn’t what I enjoy when it comes to jazz. Birdland and Havana were pretty good tracks, a Remark You Made was ok.
Heavy Weather is the 7th album by American jazz fusion band Weather Report. It was the most commercially successful album for the band and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. This album was released towards the end of the jazz-rock movement but was able to extend the life of that movement a little longer. The band had a new bassist for this album which provided a better low end to the band's busy high end of melodies. Heavy Weather was a lot of fun to listen to, and I hope I can hear more from this band later on this journey.
Today's a cool morning filled with a heavy rain. The weather's heavy, you might say. And while I don't think a jazz fusion album suits such a day, this one didn't ruin the mood. I love the stormy energy of the instruments and the smooth flow of it all. Some tracks are quite boring, but as a whole, this album is a decent listen. Another great jazz.
Not the biggest fan of jazz but quite liked this one. Found it both accessible and with enough technical depth. Pretty close to prog rock in some parts... Maybe that's why I liked it?
Not into this late stage jazz. Give me bebop or nothing at all
Nordstrom music.
I’m biased on instrumentals but this one caught my attention a couple times so it gets as much praise as an instrumental album can get
A grower, though I think the early tracks sound very dated and didn't age well.
Jaco is so good. I had heard of him, and was familiar with his style, but didn't realize this was his band. I do love fusion jazz.
Ei oikein lähteny, vaikka olikin paikoin ihan mielenkiintoista instrumentaali-iloittelua.
Sounds like the top gun soundtrack but in a bad way.
Surprisingly good, has Supertramp vibes with the wide use of instruments Instrumental + , jazz, so good, I love it!!
Definitely need to be in the right frame of mind for this one. I really enjoyed the live stuff at the end of the extended version.
Veeery cool !
No me ha gustado el estilo de este disco y no lo termine de escuchar.
Birdland is a classic. I could listen to that on repeat! It was interesting listening to the entire album, and I really enjoyed it. I could definitely put this on in the background while working.
to smart for me maybe one day
7/6/2022 - ALBUM #160 Today's Album: "Heavy Weather" by Weather Report - This stands out as a pretty great Jazz album up there with the likes of Herbie Handcock Headhunters and Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and that becomes like a super obvious observation once you realize that this band is a mending of a lot of different members from those bands. The opener, Birdland, is a perfect Jazz track in my opinion. The long-form stylings of classic Jazz with the constant musical momentum of the fusion movement come together to create such a fun and energetic track. It is just one of those instrumentals that never gets old to me and has so many aspects to it it's impossible to explain everything I like about it. Carrying on, the album stays consistently high quality with the great contemplative ballad A Remark You Made and a bunch of upbeat energetic tracks like Teen Town, The Juggler and Havona. I think I'm not a huge fan of Rumba Mama because although it has an infectious loud energy to it, it doesn't really have a lot of progression to it and starts to feel stale as it goes on. I really like the closer on this album as well, Havona, as it ends off with this really dramatic and hectic improv section. It doesn't stick the landing when it comes to closing up the album with a strong climax, but it is pretty emblematic of the experimentation that was all over this record. The jazz fusion moments on this record especially stand out to me as being so fundamental to the genre and being just generally really likeable. Overall, there is a reason this is such a beloved and successful jazz album with covers of Birdland more plentiful than can be counted. Give this one a listen if you want a solid piece of Jazz history and a great album to just throw on to set a nice vibe. Highlights: Birdland, A Remark You Made, Teen Town, Harlequin, Palladium, The Juggler, Havona Score: 8/10 One of the most influential jazz albums of the late 70s
Yeah OK - fine - fun in a vintage movie kind of way, but not something I think I'd listen to out of choice on a sunny day
Funky and fun, but probably not a repeat listen for me
Birdland slapped!! The rest of the album was fine!!
Some banging fusion, Birdland is a certified tune and the rest is also v good
Really great album. My fifth listen this year and still hearing new phrases each time
Ein seltener aber wichtiger Beitrag: Ein wirklich gut hörbares Jazz-Album!
Sehr gut. Ich musste etwas Anlauf nehmen bin aber dann doch noch eingestiegen.