Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Return To Forever
Label: Polydor Records
Release: 1973
Rating: 5/5
Before the release of “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy,” keyboard grandmaster Chick Corea decided it was time for a serious stylistic shift, moving away from the (mostly easygoing) jazz latino fusion of the past toward an energetic, often “supersonic” red-hot jazz rock fusion. The move proved to be more than right, and it suddenly put Return To Forever right alongside the adrenaline-fueled experiments of the jazz “rockers” who had been the main players until then, Mahavishnu Orchestra. To get there, Chick ditched the vocal approach typical of the first two albums and went for a fully instrumental one. The winds and the Latin percussion disappeared too. In their place, Chick brought electric and acoustic guitar into the band’s new sound, opening up completely new dimensions.
The previous collaborators, Flora Purim, Joe Farrell and Airto Moreira, had to say their goodbyes. Taking their places were two musicians who fit Chick’s vision of energetic jazz rock fusion without any commercial compromises: the talented young guitarist Bill Connors and drum master Lenny White, another legendary name. While Connors was still a relatively unknown guitarist when he arrived, White was already respected as one of the best jazz fusion drummers around. He was also an old acquaintance of Chick’s, having worked with him as a member of the cult “Bitches Brew” lineup of the legendary Miles Davis. Originally, Steve Gadd, another highly regarded drummer, was supposed to be behind the kit, but it ended up going differently. The album was even already recorded with Gadd’s drumming, but when he didn’t want to play live on the announced tour, a replacement had to be found and everything had to be recorded again (this time with White behind the drums). The versions of the compositions recorded with Gadd on drums were never released, and rumor has it they’re lost forever.
The new RTF direction, charted by “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy” itself, drew its sound from musical elements ranging from psychedelic rock (in some cases you could even say progressive rock), avant-garde jazz and Latin jazz to funk. The band’s sound generally became much richer, more complex and more energetic, with faster rhythms, wittier improvisations and longer solos. For this album Chick expanded his keyboard arsenal from the traditional electric piano to organ, acoustic piano and harpsichord, while his inseparable comrade Stanley Clarke developed his signature electric bass sound right here. White proved to be an important addition with his incredible range of rhythmic masterstrokes and became a longtime member of the band. Connors, whose stint in the band was short-lived, admittedly couldn’t match the technical chops, speed and virtuosity of his successor, the legendary guitar wizard Al Di Meola, but he still held his own with plenty of energetic moves, colorful solos and a distorted guitar approach. At the same time, you could also hear some obvious blues elements in his playing, since before discovering his love for jazz he was originally a blues guitarist.
Soon after its release, “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy” was declared a jazz rock fusion masterpiece of the ’70s by most critics and fans of the band, and some even consider it their best album, which is no surprise at all, since even within jazz fusion there aren’t many albums that embody compositional perfectionism so well, by bringing in the widest variety of musical elements that go beyond the usual limits of jazz fusion, with technically polished individual pieces, sprawling and witty improvisations, and the virtuosity of the individual musicians. At the same time, the band keeps a refined sense of melody and playfulness in the individual motifs throughout the whole album. Every composition on the album deserves a straight ten, so it would be hard to say which ones are the best.
The first track on the album is the title masterpiece, “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy.” In a way, it embodies the nature of the whole album. The individual instrumentalists show off stunning technical skill and virtuosity that would become the RTF standard for every member of the band from this album on, while still managing to create an almost space-rock atmosphere. Up front is an energetic tempo with a thick electric bass line, plenty of drum fills, and electrified, “light-speed” guitar passages. And it’s all conducted by Chick’s keyboard wizardry. Next comes “After The Cosmic Rain,” the only Clarke composition on the album. Here the excellent guitar passages, the shorter improvisations and the closing solos on electric piano and bass guitar are especially worth admiring. Clarke plays the latter through a special pedal effect that creates a slightly obscure atmosphere. It’s followed by Chick’s electric piano solo, which gives the red-hot tempo of this excellent composition a slight mystical touch, with a hint of Latin too.
The excellent “Captain Señor Mouse” also reflects Chick’s sense of humor, since it supposedly came about after he spotted a mouse in his house. It’s a track of many shifting motifs and plenty of improvisation. After a laid-back intro, it turns into a distinct, almost danceable Latin motif with heated rhythmic transitions on percussion, drums and bass, fiery guitar passages and keyboard artistry. Between the individual motifs, Corea and Connors trade off on long, playful solos. Al Di Meola later reworked this excellent composition in his own way for his solo album “Casino” (1978). The highly complex “Theme To The Mothership” is another piece with a dominant space-rock atmosphere and plenty of unexpected transitions and motif changes. After a melodic opening motif comes a phenomenal guitar solo from Connors, driven through a repeating riff. Chick’s closing keyboard solo is pure manna from heaven, too.
“Space Circus, Pts. 1 & 2” opens with a new, somewhat more mysterious version of “Children’s Song” before shifting, via electric piano sounds, into a branching section dominated by funk rhythms and mighty guitar riffs, with no shortage of fiery solos. Some of the rhythm improvisations even evoke pieces by the legendary prog rock heavyweights Gentle Giant. White once again shows off a nice helping of phenomenal drum fills. The closing “The Game Maker” has a slow, calm intro before moving into much more avant-garde, constantly shifting motifs with plenty of improvisation between Corea and Connors. These are often played at “light-speed,” while keeping the dominant melodic side of this excellent composition, which rounds off this inimitable album in the best possible way.
“Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy” is a timeless masterpiece that belongs in every decent music collection, as it ranks among the elite of the best jazz rock fusion releases of the ’70s. With the sudden change in their sound, Return To Forever truly outdid themselves, and after this album they deservedly became one of the three most revered jazz fusion bands of all time to this day (alongside Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra). Right up until the appearance of the incredible “Romantic Warrior” (1976), “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy” fully deserved its spot as the best RTF album. After the tour ended, Connors decided to leave the band to focus on a solo career and acoustic-oriented music. In place of him, Chick found a new guitarist: the younger, faster and more skilled Al Di Meola, with whom he hit the jackpot, and with him in the lineup he put the last piece of the mosaic in place for the classic RTF, who created three albums that rank among their best work and successfully carry on the direction set by “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy.”
Lineup
Chick Corea – electric piano, organ, acoustic piano, harpsichord, gongs
Bill Connors – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Stanley Clarke – bass guitar
Lenny White – drums, percussion
Production
Chick Corea
Track List
1. Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (3:31)
2. After the Cosmic Rain (8:25)
3. Captain Señor Mouse (9:01)
4. Theme to the Mothership (8:49)
5. Space Circus, Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 (5:42)
6. Game Maker (6:46)
Trajanje albuma: 42:14
