Description
What a superb album! Normally this gets filed under Fusion, but I can't bring myself to call it that. For me, Fusion calls up notions of noodling, aimless solos and a truly awful MOR guitar sound (sorry to Fusion fans, but there you are). Not can I really call it Jazz-Funk, because it's more raw than that - even the harder stuff by your Ronnie Lawses or Herbie Hancocks ain't as funky as this. But it does have some of that Fusion concept album stuff (songs dedicated to the crew of the Starship Enterprise; 'the story of the young prince becoming Neptune'; THAT cover etc) so Prog Funk it is.Nowmore…, Lennie White's a drummer, and that might put you off. You might be expecting six-year-long Billy Cobham-esque drum solos and an album that sounds like you're being strafed by machine gun fire. Don't worry: Lennie's part isn't overdone and there are no interminable tattoos. He's also backed up by some pretty serious talent: Jimmy Smith, Hubert Laws, Larry Young, Weldone Irvine, Onaje Allan Gumbs etc.There's a mix of stuff here: Chicken Fried Steak is a good funk track, with a good bit of slightly-strangled guitarAway go Troubles down the drain: A very Headhunters style track, again v funky, with some nifty Haboglobatribin'-type synth.The Venusian Summer Suite: An epic of Classical Funk! Starts off with synths that sound like a orchestra, then evolves into a a flute/synth/guitar jam that's every bit as good as Chameleon (read that again, then go buy).Prelude to Rainbow Delta: Short orchestral interlude, like at the start of Jimmy Castor's It's Just Begun album.Mating Drive: When I first got this album on vinyl, this track threw me at first. I wondered if it had somehow been laid on the disc at the wrong speed: the bass and drums are immensely fast! (it makes Mother of the Future look like a Waltz). The technical skill here is superb, without being pompous or boring.Prince of the Sea: A beautiful track to close with. A mellifluous, laid-back, piano and guitar driven track, swirling and swelling in a suitably nautical way.Anyone who likes Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Eddie Henderson, Larry Young or similar should go for this. But it'd be nice if it got a wider audience, because it's a great album that makes me feel a little better every time I hear it.
| 1 |
Chicken-Fried Steak |
| 2 |
Away Go Troubles Down The Drain |
| 3 |
Venusian Summer Suite: Part 1: Sirenes/Part 2: Venusian Summer |
| 4 |
Prelude To Rainbow Delta |
| 5 |
Mating Drive |
| 6 |
Prince Of The Sea |
Info:
- Category:
- Music > Albums
- Case Type:
- CD
- Release Type:
- Retail
- Comments:
- 1 read add
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Cover Info:
- Title:
- Lenny White - Venusian Summer (2006) Retail CD
- Part:
- Back
- Dimensions:
- 1405 x 1100 px
- Size:
- 343 KB
- Downloads:
- 79 (0 today)
- Uploaded:
- 05/07/09 by obelix
- Quality Rating:
-
- Currently /5 Stars.
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