Chick Corea and Return to Forever - Light as a Feather

Featuring the same band as the first Return to Forever album--vocalist Flora Purim, saxophonist-flutist Joe Farrell, bassist Stanley Clarke, and drummer Airto-- 1973's Light As a Feather was the result of a conscious effort on Chick Corea's part to communicate with a broader audience. Although Corea's electric piano and Purim's spacey-samba vocals might sound dated, the album includes a couple of Corea's most beloved compositions, "500 Miles High" and "Spain." Subsequent Return to Forever albums turned to conceptual bombast and silly fantasies. Here, Corea strikes an appealing balance between art and accessibility. --Rick Mitchell Amazon.com essential recording

Light as a Feather by Chick Corea

This is Chick Corea's best. It's got it all. The flute and tenor work by Joe Farrell is exceptional - will live forever. That man died too young. December 29, 2008

classical nowdays

5 stars for this very important record. It is pity that it was not continued. December 1, 2008

forever I shall return to this

Light as a Feather is a very lightly colorful and adventurous soft jazz album from the early 70's. Some of the instrumental playing is truly out of this world. Music that's soft and quiet, but played with lots of creativity and speed. That sums up Light as a Feather pretty much. The lead singer has a beautifully high-pitched voice that you will either love or hate. Personally, I love her voice, since it's a unique sound that's hard to picture anyone with that exact sound.

The keyboard playing is probably the most noticeable thing about the album, since it's played in SUCH a creative, lightning fast way. I love it a lot. It's not typical jazz, that's for sure! But that's to be expected from the early 70's- everyone was in a creative groove back then. I love the saxophone solos that occasionally pop up as well. Overall, good stuff.
November 15, 2008

The Best Return To Forever Line Up's (sadly) Last Album

It's sad that the original incarnation of Return To Forever only lasted a couple of albums. The lineups that followed were like entirely different bands, and none of them were as soulful as this. Romantic Warrior may be one of the most overrated jazz fusions albums, with excess soloing and bombast overwrought compositions that are simply forced. While not as well composed as their debut, Light As A Feather is a great album, and must be listened to.

Initially, I thought that Light As a Feather was inferior to their debut. My roadblock was the solos. Although It's often overlooked by many others, jazz can get just as self indulgent as any technical metal band and prog rock band that so many people like to slam. Considering that a lot of jazz focuses on long solos, it can fall into the trap of bombast show-offs (Giant Steps). While, like Giant Steps, had a purpose to innovate, it still has a tendency to become self indulgent. While the very long solos on here can occasionally sound tedious at times, or amazing at other times (incostinecy, which is why this album fails to make a perfect score), they glide, they swoon, and there is melodic back up. Also, there is variety in the solos, and the enchanted rhythm section keeps everything gliding with grace. This isn't self righteous soloing, this is music! And yes, while it isn't as composition based as their debut (yeah, I kind of like composition based more than solo based), it still impresses with composing skills.

Your Everything may sound like something from a PBS documentary from the 70's, but that's not a bad thing since I find that to be great as it is. This one is great because it's quite short and includes a very short but totally meaningful and gorgeous solo. Samba rhythms, vocals and chiming flutes make up this great song. Light As A Feather is the first song to feature long soloing, but the eleven minute does not go to waste. The intro and outro are as graceful as a feather in the wind. Captain Marvel is kind of bombast, but man, the solos are great and the rhythms are addicting.

500 Miles High, may have a slightly cheesy line (since I'm pessmistic about love, which SUCKS) at the beginning, but it takes off and goes into....more solos!!!! But the rhythms and melody once again saves the solos, which, by the way, don't sound the same as the many long solos in this album. Children's Song may be the lowpoint, considering it's not really that conjuring and fails to make a lasting impression, I think it's filler. Spain, however, is another gem. This one floats serene at the beginning, yes, but it goes into more furious latin music, often refraining the drumless dance like passage. Spain is easily the best track on this album.

You may like subsequent Return To Forever albums, as I can't say YOU won't like them, but Return To Forever's first two albums are the only albums you need by the group. Essential. I haven't been able to stop listening to it ever since I got it.

9/10 September 24, 2008

An All-Time Favorite

For shear jazz pleasure, this 1973 album is hard to beat. Compared to the post-bop/hard bop of the 1960s and the fusion of the early 1970s, it may seem a bit light-weight. However, the compositions are enormously appealing and the playing first-rate. Although perhaps not a jazz masterpiece, I think it's pretty darn close, and it still sounds remarkably fresh today. This was one of the first jazz albums I enjoyed (back in the 70s), and although my music collection has grown exponentially in recent years, I still find myself returning to it frequently. The infectious melodies and rhythms never fail to brighten the mood (and can be almost addictive!) I noticed that one reviewer suggested that this was a precursor to smooth jazz--I find that a stretch, but even if true, I find this album so, so, SO much better than most of today's smooth jazz. Several reviewers don't like Flora Purim's singing on this album--I absolutely love her voice and the way she blends with the instruments on these tracks. If for any reason you've avoided this album in the past (or if you're new to jazz) I'd highly recommend you give it a try. This group made one other album, simply called RETURN TO FOREVER, which is also very good. However, I've always found LIGHT AS A FEATHER a little more enjoyable; it's also more accessible for someone new to jazz. March 14, 2008

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