Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jade Warrior
Label: Repertoire Records
Release: 1971
Runtime: 46:13
Rating: 4.5/5
“Released” is the second album from the cult British prog outfit Jade Warrior, who earned the lion’s share of their reputation among music connoisseurs as devoted fans of world and ambient music. With a mix of ethnic rhythms and ethereal soundscapes, they carried listeners off in spirit to all sorts of exotic lands, most often toward the Far East, which is also where their name comes from, meaning roughly the art of the written samurai. What often gets forgotten is their early days, when they were closer to the heavier side of prog rock than to the sensitive builders of sprawling ambient instrumentals.
“Released” is a superb example of their early period, when they still weren’t shy about occasionally stoking the fire with some hard-rocking, distinctive riffs from Duhig’s electric guitar. You could call the album a genuine study in stylistic contrasts, since it packs a colorful range of songwriting structures; from punchy hard rock numbers and ethereal ballads to jazz rock fusion instrumentals with all kinds of ethnic motifs. As always, the latter were mostly the work of flutist and percussionist Jon Field, who later took control of their stylistic direction. Very important for the notably heavier sound of this album compared to most of their output was the arrival of a proper drummer in the form of Allan Price, since the self-titled debut didn’t feature a classic drum kit at all, just assorted percussion.
The opening hard rocker “Three Horned Dragon King”, with its punchy riffs, melodic soloing and fiery Latin rhythms, more than obviously reaches toward early Santana, though the rhythmic variations, with playful sax arrangements on top, are more complex than what that band usually did. “Eyes on You”, seasoned with a folk-rock kick, is something Jethro Tull could have cooked up back in the day, with its scorching riff carried by witty flute arrangements and a bouncy rhythm. Even bassist Glyn Havard’s vocals lean slightly toward Ian Anderson here, which feels more like coincidence than habit. They prove their knack for building gentle pastoral ballads on the romantic “Bride of Summer”, with a gorgeous melody on Field’s flute and a tender vocal performance from Havard. Interestingly, Jade Warrior never used keyboards in their original sonic vocabulary. They usually wove their symphonic arrangements out of flute and assorted guitar gadgets.
“Water Curtain Cave” is a superb jazz rock fusion instrumental with a vivid sax solo from special guest Dave Conners. It’s also where they first slip in a short ambient lull, with an ethereal flute melody and colorful use of assorted percussion. “Minnamoto’s Dream” is an interesting blend of hard rock and touches of ethnic music. The spotlight falls on the growling bass lines and a long-winded guitar solo, while the occasional congas add an oriental flavor. As a fun fact, in early Japanese history Minamoto was an honorary title for all descendants of the imperial family who weren’t in the running for succession.
“(We Have) Reason To Believe” is another slab of raw hard rock energy, with an interesting central motif built on the interplay of sax and guitar. The vocal harmonies sound proto-punk here and personally remind me a lot of what the likes of Hawkwind used to do. A dash of jazzy charm comes from an excellent sax solo. The nearly 15-minute jazz rock fusion jam “Barazinbar” is without a doubt the centerpiece of the album and a great chance to celebrate the technical chops of these top-notch musicians. This splendid instrumental flows effortlessly between its various motifs while holding on to its central melody the whole way, so the listener doesn’t get bored for a single moment. Plenty of African rhythms are enriched by mighty sax passages, while further on there’s no shortage of rowdy guitar bits either. The title confirms that Jade Warrior were avid readers of The Lord of the Rings, as it’s the Dwarvish name for the cruel mountain Caradhras, which nearly buried the so-called Fellowship of the Ring in an avalanche. The album closes with the nostalgic pastoral ballad “Yellow Eyes”, which sounds like an evening lament at the end of summer. Havard was never among the vocal elite, but his singing, backed by fragile flute and acoustic guitar melodies, is more than convincing on the emotional side and makes for a romantic finish to this superb album.
With “Released”, Jade Warrior made a huge leap forward from their self-titled debut and delivered one of their best albums, one that still thrills today with its stylistic variety, as well as the harmony between traditional rock elements and various innovations from the world of world music. In terms of sheer volume of fiery hard rock outbursts, you could call it their heaviest record, which stands in sharp contrast to their later ambient waves, which were purely instrumental and had no connection to classic rock whatsoever. Even so, there are still plenty of calm, meditative moments and witty jazz fusion detours on it, so thanks to that stylistic balance it should appeal to the widest possible circle of fans of quality progressive rock.
Lineup
Jon Field – flute, percussion, congas
Tony Duhig – guitar
Glyn Havard – bass guitar, vocals
Allan Price – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
David Conners – tenor and alto sax
Production
Jade Warrior
Tracklist
1. Three-Horned Dragon King
2. Eyes On You
3. Bride Of Summer
4. Water Curtain Cave
5. Minnamoto’s Dream
6. We Have Reason To Believe
7. Barazinbar
8. Yellow Eyes
