Return To Forever - A History

[jking]

completely stolen from phishhook, so all thanks goes to YesHead, who has made several badass sendsace compilations... joechica, you should check some of these out, for sure!

RETURN TO FOREVER - A HISTORY




PART ONE (discs 1 & 2 plus complete liner notes): http://www.sendspace.com/file/qn1hdl
PART TWO (discs 3 & 4): http://www.sendspace.com/file/xnmx94


For the first time in 25 years, legendary jazz fusion supergroup Return to Forever is reuniting and touring the US and Europe throughout 2008 and 2009. Plans are also in the works for a DVD of the tour and an album of new material. Even the last tour 25 years ago was just a reunion tour. Technically speaking, the band has not been active since the summer of 1977. This is huge news for their rabid fanbase and fans of jazz fusion in general. Billboard likened it to the rock equivalent of Led Zeppelin reuniting. To commemorate this huge announcement, I offer you Return to Forever: A History?a four-disc collection spanning the band?s entire career from 1971-1977 and excerpts from the 1983 reunion tour. The band has had a huge influence on jam bands, rock bands, progressive bands, and the jazz world as each of its four members are successful solo artists in their own right.

Return to Forever is the brainchild of keyboardist Chick Corea and bassist Stanley Clarke, who formed the band out of the ashes of the Stan Getz band and the Miles Davis Bitches Brew & In a Silent Way lineups. After a couple of albums as a spacey jazz ensemble, Core and Clarke, admittedly influenced by Yes and other progressive rock groups, turned up the volume with guitarist Bill Connors, soon replaced by 19-year old Al DiMeola, and drummer Lenny White, in turn becoming one of the very first jazz/rock fusion bands. Though the band experimented with improvisation, their true calling was extremely technical, heavily composed pieces with literally hundreds of notes per song, in turn influencing groups like Dream Theater and Umphrey?s McGee while also raising the bar for other instrumental jazz groups.

The band was wildly popular, winning over rock audiences and filling arenas while also placing high on the rock, pop, and jazz albums charts. After concentrating on orchestral big band music with the addition of a horn section, the group split for good in 1977. This four-disc set contains all of their classics and is the ultimate collection for new listeners and hardcore fans.


DISC ONE

1. Return to Forever
2. Sometime Ago/La Fiesta
3. Captain Marvel  
4. 500 Miles High
5. Children?s Song
6. Spain
7. After the Cosmic Rain
8. Theme to the Mothership


DISC TWO

1. Captain Senor Mouse
2. The Game Maker
3. Vulcan Worlds
4. The Shadow of Lo
5. Song to the Pharaoh Kings
6. Flight of the Newborn
7. Celebration Suite (Part I)
8. Celebration Suite (Part II)
9. No Mystery
10. Excerpts From the First Movement of Heavy Metal


DISC THREE

1. Medieval Overture
2. Sorceress
3. The Romantic Warrior
4. Majestic Dance
5. The Magician
6. The Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant (Part I & Part II)


DISC FOUR

1. Musicmagic
2. So Long Mickey Mouse
3. Opening ?77 (live)
4. The Endless Night (live)
5. The Phantom (live)


Also check out
PHISH: THE OTHER SIDE
YES: THE 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION and
THE HISTORY OF GENESIS
IRON MAIDEN - 30 YEARS OF CLASSIC METAL

[Gordo]

Very nice. I only have Hymn Of The 7th Galaxy and only 4/29 tracks are taken from it. I frequent their YouTube vids and I\'d love to have these tunes on high quality disc.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Overexjoesure]

yeah, Kevin Cassells puts out these little "Best of compilations" to fill the void left by The Pharmer\'s Almanac....

That being said, I\'d love to counteract his RTF, Yes and Genesis compilations with that of my own.

[FrankZappa]

I have 3 or 4 rtf lbums, but nothing live, so this will be worth it just for those couple of tracks. :thumbsup:

[jking]

d\'oh! i had no idea you were the same joe, joe! call me dumb, i suppose.... anyway, go ahead and make your own, i\'ll d/l those, too!