Live in Berlin 1975

For die hard fans of Weather Report, this CD/DVD is a long-lost treasure. In 1975 the band was in transition, having just recorded Tale Spinnin'. The rhythm section had changed since Mysterious Traveler, with Alfonso Johnson taking the bass chair from Miroslav Vitous (somewhere in the midst of the Mysterious Traveler sessions,) and Ndgu Chancler taking the drum seat for the new album. However, Ndugu was happily esconced in Santana's rhythm section (and presumably making the big bucks,) so funkmeister Chester Thompson was recruited for the Tail Spinnin' tour; it was a very good decision. Rounding out the band was the great Alex Acuna on percussion. I remember going to Royce Hall at UCLA to see this band and being completely blown away by the energy and wild abandon of this particular WR incarnation.Although I was a bit disappointed upon first listening to it, Tail Spinnin' became one of my all time favorite Weather Report albums, so I was particularly excited about this release. I am pleased to say it does not disappoint: the energy, vitality and raw power of this group is fully unleashed on this set, the only downside being that it clocks in at a mere 42 minutes. But what a magnificent 42 minutes it is!Right out of the gate the band is burning, firing on all cylinders on Wayne Shorter's composition, Freezing Fire. While the credits are still rolling, an insane opening line grabs the listener by the ears, sounding nothing like the album version, in point of fact like nothing you've ever heard before, just completely erupting and instantly asserting a take no prisoners attitude that never lets up from start to finish. There are only four tunes presented in the set, but each is an opportunity for the band to stretch far beyond the framework of the composition and to venture off into far distant luminous corners of the musical galaxy. Other highlights include the title track of the previous album, Mysterious Traveler, on which there's some essential Rhodes playing from Zawinul as well as some truly cosmic playing from Wayne Shorter, who also does double duty by providing some of the tune's signature chord voicings on acoustic piano. It is a glorious thing to behold.The whole set flows from one tune to another seamlessly, the way Weather Report always did in their early live shows. There are no lights or smoke, just great music performed with all the serious intent these five great musicians could muster. Perhaps the highlight of the set is the final tune, Badia/ Boogie Woogie Waltz, a medley Zawinul kept in the repertoire to the end of his career. I don't think I've ever heard a more inspired version than this one. There's a great transition from the last piece with a wonderful percussion solo from Alex Acuna. Badia is presented here at a much slower tempo than his later bands tended to play it. I prefer the mystery and spaciousness of the slower tempo, which is also more like the album version. There are some wonderful moments here, as the band completely drops out and Joe plays one of his most inspired acoustic piano improvisations ever caught on tape. Wayne joins in and the theme of Boogie Woogie Waltz is subtly introduced into the rubato interplay. There is no way to describe this particular version of BB Waltz other than to say it becomes downright psychedelic; at the end it builds to an orgasmic climax that underscores why nearly 30 years after their demise, people still speak in rapturous tones about how their lives were altered by hearing this band live. There is simply nothing dated about this timeless music.A word about the production: the sound is good but not great. Obviously this was a labor of love and a great deal of meticulous restoration was required to bring both the video and audio to the level they are presented here. The audio is presented in PCM stereo (sounds like mono to me,), at 96K/16 bit. I found it was best to listen to on my Yamaha amp in the so-called "straight" mode, i.e. the cleanest signal possible while watching video. (Do not leave your amp in any form of surround mode as the audio will suffer.) The main problem with the audio for me was a certain overall lack in the bass department. The good news is the mix is clear in that all instruments have their place. Considering its 1975 vintage, the sound is quite acceptable, especially in the shimmer of the cymbals and high end in general. But if you're looking for an audiophile quality mix, you won't find it here-not that it matters, considering the awesomeness of the content. The video is competent-i.e. most of the time the camera's are pointed at the right thing at the right time. There are one or two exceptions, one being where the cameraman becomes momentarily enamored with a reflection of some colored lights emanating from Joe's keyboards (could be inadvertent reflection). I found myself trying to look around this distraction in order to see what his hands were doing. There are also a couple of moments in which the camera is simply on the wrong instrument, taking us temporarily away from the main action, but I'm happy to report that for the most part this is not the case. Occasionally there are some interesting close-ups of the band's equipment, i.e. a shot of Alfonso's "retro" strobe tuner or Mr Zawinul's Arp 2600. Let's face it: vintage gear just looks so cool compared to today's slick equipment.In summary this is a must have album for hard-core fans, and a wonderful gift from the Zawinul estate. According to the folks over at Bird Jam productions, this is the first release of a trilogy of "best of" DVD/CD packages, so aficionados and fanatics have at least a couple more gems from the archives to look forward to.(Note: I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5 due to the brevity of the set, especially in light of the fact that the entire performance is not presented on these discs.)

I want to thank BirdJam for putting this out. I guess we can't wait for eternity for Colombia/Sony to do this kind of stuff. I guess the Zawinul estate has plenty of the discography from their concert vault. I also want to thank Amazon for sending this in a timely manner.I was going to give this cd/dvd 4 stars too because of the brevity of the concert, but how could I. I can't wait for the other releases that is said to be released as a trilogy. I too much enjoy the 1975 version of Weather Report with Alphonso Johnson. The problem is that it's not the full concert. All we want is a full show. But all in all this is rare and vintage stuff. The Berliner Jazz stage has a lot of material in their vaults that would be to die for, like the Jaco 1979 solo concert. The sound could also be better, but we have to take it for what it is. And what the discs are is a glimpse of the premier fusion band the world has ever seen, which still Tale Spins forward to today.The disc left these tunes out of the concert.Bass intro > Cucumber SlumberLusitanosDirections / Dr.Honoris CausaSomewhere I saw the Trilogy being mentioned is going to have 1983 Germany , and 1978 Germany (which is already been released on Forecast Tomorrow). I hope they release something else, like a 1980/1981 show of Weather Report, because that is when they were the greatest, but this is vintage Weather Report, just wish they would have released the entire show.

Being a big fan of Weather Report I was misled, albeit somewhat willingly, by other reviews of this "newfound" recording from the vaults of the Zawinul estate. Having seen the band perform live on several occasions, I had high hopes for the cd, and, I'm sure that had I actually been there I would have raved about the concert. I "wanted" the cd to be as good as others were saying. It's not.Obviously, when these recordings were made, when any recording is made by any band - before it is released decisions are made on a high level about the quality of the product, decisions made by those involved in the project - the engineer, the producer, and the band members themselves, and in the case of Weather Report, especially the band members.The "complete sessions" and the "previously unreleased" bonus track reissues of various artists we all enjoy are nothing more than transparent repackaging attempts to suck more money from their fan base. There's a reason these "never heard before" recordings were not released in the first place. They didn't meet the standards of the artists. And they will invariably disappoint the listener. I don't have to have every "take" or "squawk" or "twang" in order to be completely satisfied with my collection (But that off-tempo mistake is John McLaughlin! John McLaughlin! Don't you understand?) I'm a fan, not a groupie. I will admit that in extremely rare instances a previously unreleased bonus track is worthwhile, but don't expect me to purchase another cd just to have that one tune. They only come around with the frequency of Halley's Comet.Having said that, I don't believe Josef would have wanted this released. In fact, he didn't release it in life. I believe he would say the same in death.Exceedingly far better is the 2cd set "Weather Report - Live and Unreleased" produced for release by Josef himself, which boasts a really, really, smokin' Cucumber Slumber, for example. All in all a wonderful collection of live versions of favorite Weather Report compositions. It will not disappoint.So, to summarize, I disagree with all previous reviews. Save your money. Buy instead "Weather Report - Live and Unreleased."

Firstly, GREAT concert and GREAT recording. And very moderately priced to say that a dvd is inculded. Basically its a MUST HAVE !! i think any of the more recent 'previously unissued' recordings are appreciated and gratefully received by WR fans.Its a shame the concert is only one (fairly short) set. i much prefer this to the 'Live In Tokyo' double cd (which often meanders and lacks direction).i have just spent a couple of hours listening to this cd (have not watched the dvd at all). Personally, i find that the grooves do not sit quite as well as they could. What i mean is that in my opinion Alex Acuna playing drums is far superior to Chester Thompson (who is a great groove merchant in his own right) who to me does not add to the music in the same way that Erskine/Gavant/Acuna might. To be somewhat critical, in places the 'TIME' loses its accuracy and i would say this is due to Chester not being quite assertive enough (esp. between ' bridges').Alphonso is an excellent player and i recently learned that he left WR because of the inconsistency with its many drummers. He really pays homage to his predecessor Miroslav Vitous with his creative use of distortion and emulation of double-bass. Very effective !!!Zawinul and Shorter LEAD the gig (as always !!) and are faultless. A beautiful interlude into 'Boogie Woogie 3/4' which sounds almost ECM and at times reminds me of Corea/Farrell on 'Crystal Silence' (RTF - ECM) is worth the price of the cd alone !!!21-03-2013 (RE : Paragraph 3 - Since spending a few months listening to this cd, i have come to enjoy and appreciate Chester Thompsons drumming on this album. He really does groove and is powerful in many places).

This is the best of the recent live Weather Report releases. The numbers are taken from 'Tale Spinnin' and 'Mysterious Traveller' with a nod to the earlier 'Sweetnighter' when they play 'Boogie Woogie Waltz'.The CD performance is short and concise and you hear the leaders at their best. Shorter sounds engaged throughout and Zawinul's playing is inventive and incisive without too much intrusive noodling or loony keyboard effects. The rhythm section of Al Johnson and Chester Thompson cope easily with the shifts in tempo and mood and the bassist improvises with a rich tone as he holds down a groove. Alez Acuna contributes percussive colour that adds another dimension to the fatback playing around him.Overall The sound is fine, though the keyboard textures (especially the electric piano) are sometimes quite abrasive, but that was always a feature of Weather Report gigs.This is album features by far the more intersting and rewarding version of live Weather Report. It does not have the stern, harsh, serious sound of the Vitous years or the overbearing 'virtuosity' of their live work with Pastorius. What you hear is a band playing together (rather than competing with each other) to make exceptional music. They actually sound like a modern jazz band. The DVD is a nice bonus and worth watchimg for the glimpses of Joe's trousers. Man they are hip.

excellent live album

This is a fine and currently bargain-priced 40+ minutes on CD and DVD; high-quality sound and video from 1975. There are 4 numbers here and the DVD conveys some of the excitement and tension; Chester Thompson seems to perhaps be feeling some pressure from the 2 principals, as he looks grimly serious throughout and plays like the devil is on his tail, absolutely smoking. Johnson is attentive and responsive and Alex Acuna plays very strongly and fits in perfectly. It's furious from the outset and has a magnificent, jagged rough edge to it which was polished out in later lineups.The video is IMHO better shot than the later performance released in the 'Forecast Tomorrow' box; and we even see Wayne Shorter playing piano on 'Mysterious Traveller'. This particular track is truncated compared to the studio version, probably as even they couldn't reproduce all the parts. 'Scarlet Woman' is excellent, without the countdown nonsense that was introduced in later live shows, and the ending medley includes a brilliant Zawinul piano section, behind which Johnson plays some Vitous-like figures that almost sound like a bowed upright. Shorter introduces the melody of 'Boogie Woogie Waltz' in an incredible way, like a ballad, then Thompson hits the groove and Zawinul snaps into it like a robot. Unique.Later WR performances and tours did not include an acoustic piano, as by then the sound could be got from an electronic box which was much easier to amplify. With the arrival of Pastorius, they crossed over into bigger venues, eventually playing much, much louder and dividing the show into a series of ultimately very self-indulgent solo sections bookended by the current tunes and greatest hits.But at the time of this recording they were still on the way up and had a lot to prove, and the music of the lineup with Alphonso Johnson has a dark, brutal urgency which is reflected in this set and the live tracks on 'Live and Unreleased' and 'Forecast Tomorrow'.Magnificent. Even though my computer DVD drive won't read the DVD.Well worth your attention at the current low price.

The fusion jazz super-group had a habit of recording their live shows on their world-wide tours and this is the one of their 1975 concert in Berlin. I have another of the CDs produced from a live recording called 8:30 and dates from the 1979 world tour. The band are in great form on both records. The two shows contain similar material. Which may indicate they are the pieces that work best live, and that they think they can do well. The 8:30 line-up is probably the better band, as it contains Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erkine, which was probably their best rhythm section. The main difference between the two records is that 8:30 is just two CDs, whereas the Berlin package has one CD and one DVD. I suppose it depends on whether you need to actually see them or want to just hear the music.