Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ponty, Jean-Luc
Label: Atlantic Records
Released: 1980
Length: 39:40
Rating: 4/5
Jean-Luc Ponty, the most important jazz violinist of all time if not the best, worked over his incredibly rich career with musical giants like Frank Zappa, Elton John, John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and Return To Forever, to name just a few of the best-known names. By the early eighties he had a long road as a solo artist behind him, having put out a string of albums that earned their fair share of glowing praise. The French virtuoso, who on top of brilliant violin playing also mastered piano, assorted keyboards and clarinet, swore by jazz fusion for most of his career, and even when the genre started losing popularity he didn’t let it rattle him and just kept playing what he loved most.
On »Civilized Evil«, released in 1980, the seasoned violin master carried on with the winning songwriting and arranging formula of his previous albums, with one twist: he worked eighties synthesizer technology more actively into the sonic collage, courtesy of keyboardist Chris Rhyne. »Civilized Evil« marked the first collaboration between Ponty and American bassist Randy Jackson. Jackson went on to become a sought-after session player and later in his career worked with acts as different as Journey, Boston, Blue Ӧyster Cult, Billy Cobham, Roger Waters, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Bolton, Aldo Nova, Bob Dylan, Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks, Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul and Aretha Franklin, to name just a few. It was precisely his playing on Ponty’s early-eighties albums and his work with the English new wave band Taxxi that shot Jackson into the stratosphere of the most in-demand session bassists.
Jean-Luc had a habit of teaming up with some guitar virtuoso on every solo outing. On »Civilized Evil« that was none other than American guitar hero Daryl Stuermer, best known for his long-running work with prog rock titans Genesis and Phil Collins. Stuermer only plays two solos on the album, on »Happy Robots« and »Good Guys, Bad Guys«. On the remaining tracks the guitar work falls to the far lesser-known Joaquin Lievano. Ponty’s American lineup was rounded out by drummer Mark Craney, sadly no longer with us, whom fans of prog rock legends Jethro Tull remember for his drumming on the album »A« (1980).
Like most of Ponty’s body of work, »Civilized Evil« is instrumental, though the song titles hint at a socially critical note, taking aim at the self-destructive doings of human civilization and the unchecked spread of (then) modern technology. Of course, that has no bearing whatsoever on the structure or the actual vibe of the songs. There are symphonic arrangements on piano and synths galore, which means most of the compositions on »Cvilized Evil« also carry a noticeable symphonic prog rock tinge.
»Demagomania« opens with a dark synth motif and refined bass lines, bound together by Ponty’s passionate violin passages. Jean-Luc gives keyboardist Rhyne plenty of room to improvise here, and he really gets into it on his Korg synthesizer. The sound effects in between come off a little cheap these days. Ponty’s violin solo, on the other hand, is a pure triumph and just one of many demonstrations of his instrumental and compositional genius. Despite the extensive variations on violin, bass and synth, this track, like the rest of the album, is marked by the melodic nature of the individual arrangements.
On »In Case We Survive« the electric guitar finally gets a bit more of a say, though in terms of production and sheer volume it’s completely overshadowed by Ponty’s violin. After a stormy intro comes a calm improvisational section where Jean-Luc and his buddies slowly build an ethereal atmosphere. Even though Ponty is surrounded by top-notch musicians the whole time, it’s crystal clear every second who the main virtuoso is, so he takes center stage in every composition, especially when he launches into his own distinctive violin improvisations. »Forms Of Life« opens with subtle piano arrangements that slowly shape a gentle melody, while the synth textures add a slight futuristic touch to the romantic-baroque mood, for which Jean-Luc’s violin is mostly responsible.
»Peace Crusaders«, where Craney unleashes some wildly colorful drum barrages while Jackson delights with a dynamic helping of thick bass lines, is a much more temperamental creation rhythmically. Lievano also really cuts loose on electric guitar and proves why Ponty picked him for the crew that recorded this album. The violin maestro refuses to be bullied by Rhyne’s challenging synth variations and once again serves up a phenomenal solo breakout that is a real feast for the ears. »Happy Robots« is a somewhat more ‘traditional’ jazz fusion piece, with plenty of sly rhythmic twists and turns and a sprawling synth landscape, while the violin master’s bravura passages conjure up a lively and slightly nostalgic atmosphere.
»Shape Up Your Mind«, where the maestro and his comrades once again impress by combining technical chops with ambient refinement, has an exceptionally melodic central arrangement that could easily serve as the opening theme of some TV series or show. »Good Guys, Bad Guys« features lively harmonies between violin and electric guitar, while symphonic embellishments are backed up by minimalist bass lines and colorful cymbal swipes. »Once a Blue Planet« opens with elegant, neoclassical variations on piano and violin, gradually shaping a melancholic and almost cautionary atmosphere that delivers a deep, contemplative close to the album.
Even though music of this kind was starting to look commercially shaky in the early eighties, Jean-Luc didn’t lose any sleep over it. »Civilized Evil« was another very good jazz fusion effort, which, thanks to the numerous synth variations, kept ‘one foot’ in symphonic prog rock. One of the elite handful of collaborators Frank Zappa held in the highest regard, he modernized his trademark sound only minimally with the synth technology of the day, and that is also the album’s one real flaw, since most of those synthetic textures sound a bit cold next to Ponty’s otherwise traditionally warm ambient approach.
Lineup
Jean-Luc Ponty – violin, keyboards, backing vocals, bass synthesizer
Randy Jackson – bass guitar
Joaquin Lievano – guitar
Daryl Stuermer – guitar solos on 5 & 7
Mark Craney – drums
Chris Rhyne – keyboards
Production
Jean-Luc Ponty
Tracklist
1. Demagomania (6:25)
2. In Case We Survive (4:06)
3. Forms of Life (4:48)
4. Peace Crusaders (5:38)
5. Happy Robots (4:14)
6. Shape Up Your Mind (5:15)
7. Good Guys, Bad Guys (4:41)
8. Once a Blue Planet (4:02)
