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Amazon.com: Originally released in 1976, Return To Forever's Romantic Warrior could be described as the high-water mark of jazz fusion's commercial popularity, reaching a spot on the Billboard charts and garnering the group a fanatical following of fans attracted to the band's technical prowess and bombast. Released on the heels of the breakup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Romantic Warrior still sounds like a standard-bearer for jazz fusion, full of flashy solos and complicated arrangements that seem like collages of different moods, meters, and tempos. The album is much closer to the progressive rock of Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, or King Crimson than anything from the jazz realm. Return to Forever's rhythm team of bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, who gives the group a subtly funkier sound than most of their contemporaries. Still, it's pianist Chick Corea, using a veritable arsenal of keyboards and effects, and guitarist Al DiMeola, only 21 at the time of this recording, who define Romantic Warrior as a fusion landmark. This reissued edition comes with improved sound and a brief reminiscence by Corea in the liner notes. --Ezra Gale Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-02
Classic Chick Corea
Return to Forever's Romantic Warrior is a fantastic album. Stanley Clarke has become one of my favorite bass players after hearing this and other Return to Forever albums. He lays down a great bass line in Sorceress around 2 minutes into the song that made for a great jam. Chick Corea's solo on romantic Warrior is something special. What I think makes this album so great is how easily the band can move from one idea to the next without disrupting the flow of the music. I highly recommend this to jazz and funk fans. It might be Return to Forever's best album. Rating:
Date: 2008-06-27
Awesome album.
Romantic Warrior is the best jazz fusion album out there. My father got me into Return To Forever, and a last week, he took me to a concert of theirs as a birthday present. They are doing a reunion tour (Corea, White, Di Meola, Clarke, and White as the lineup). I actually got a backstage pass, and finally met the band (exept Chick Corea, who was having problems with the keyboards, and actually did have a little trouble during the show). They are so cool. Al Di Meola is so laid back. Lenny White is very cool, and friendly. He had a cold, so we bumped elbows, instead of shaking hands. Stanley Clarke is also pretty cool. He's really funny. We got to see them tune their instruments, and rehearse. We got to see the reheasal, and during the reheasal the band played, got into a jam, and Clarke, playing his double bass, finally took out a bow, and deliberately ran it hard against the strings, making a screeching sound. Everybody in the group couldn't stop laughing. The concert was the best one I've ever seen. They played numerous songs from Romantic Warrior, Where have I known You before, and No Mystery, lasting over 3 hours. Clarke did a 20 minute bass solo, and White did a 15 minute drum solo. Di Meola was lightning fast on the guitar throughout the show. So the next day I bought Romantic Warrior. It is probably the best jazz album I've ever listened to. I would recommend it to anyone. Rating: 
Date: 2008-01-21
rock fusion
This is classic fusion which leans more towards the rock sound. It's like the music from Rush with more electronica and jazz riffs mixed in. Rating: 
Date: 2007-11-22
Sponge Bob, Jazz Pants?
Let me start off by saying this disc offers up some fantastic progressive jazz/rock music! Chick Corea (keyboards) led this group of Al Di Meola (guitar), Stanly Clark (bass) and Lenny White (drums) thru the Midieval World of 1976 as jazz/rock juggernauts. The sound was what Emerson, Lake and Palmer might have sounded like if they based their music on jazz instead of classical. Equally as talented, Chick and company tear it up on these six tunes. Sometimes Chick's keyboard sounded like an electronic child's piano which made me think that one day this music could end up being used as the background for kid's cartoons the way classical is served up now...Sponge Bob, Jazz pants anyone? Oh well, I ve really gone off now! Sorry. I first heard this music back in the late seventies and it may have been a bit over my head at the time. Now that my ears have grown up a little, I can appreciate the flatout screaming blue talent oozing from each of these guys and hey, Lenny White friggin rocks man! On Romantic Warrior Stanley Clark makes good use of the bow on a standup bass and don't even get me started on Al Di Meola. He was 21 at the time and could out play most guitarist of the day. I could listen to him pick all day. Just keep feeding him sandwiches and don't let him stop, please. This is top drawer jazz fusion with good rock roots. Caution: these guys play pretty fast. Don't let the corny song tiles scare ya, it was the seventies, man! - Ciao Rating:
Date: 2007-11-17
excellent
I had forgotten just how good this recording was. I purchased the original album back in the 70's when it came out. The music still sounds good, as good music usually stands the test of time. If you have never heard this recording you are in for a treat. |
