The Anthology

I owned the first two Return To Forever albums on vinyl back in the seventies when they first were released. I remember them as excellent and worth hearing. Like many people, I sold off my vinyl albums and switched to CDs when the technology went that direction. The Return to Forever music went into my rear view mirror until I bought this Anthology set.

The music sounds better than ever thanks to improved production of sound via the cleaned up sound via digital work. I was blown away by the better sound immediately. The crisp and clear quality of the music sounds like a brand new recording compared to the old vinyl albums played on the old needle-based technology. The quality of the sound is startling.

The music stands up to time and then some. This is some of the best original music of the original fusion wave. The intensity of the music makes your hair stand on end. Chick Corea and the other RTF members were dead serious and in their intent and ultimately effective in their delivery of intellectually stimulating and hard-hitting visceral sounds that really take your spirit and mind on a great ride. This is some of the best fusion jazz ever made, and some of the best fusion jazz you will ever hear.

I cannot consider the music of Chic Corea and Return to Forever without thinking of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. When I compare the two, Return to Forever is intellectual first and viscreal second, although the music is wonderful. Mahavishnu Orchestra is pure visceral and emotional fire that just rocks and drives along with an unbelievable intensity. The intensity is there with Return to Forever, but set to simmer rather than blaze.

If you love jazz from the original fusion era, you will love the Return to Forever Anthology. It is a blast from the past that is somehow timeless. Whether it is Louis Armstrong blowing New Orleans jazz in a smoky bar or Return to Forever blazing from a concert stage, the jazz tradition continues - now and forever.

In the early to mid-1970s, I found that Return to Forever (RTF)was making some of the most exciting and innovative music of that time. "The Anthology" hearkens us back to that era, showing that most of the music holds up (i.e., more than 90 percent; some of the synthesizer work sounds dated, but that's a quibble). The most remarkable aspect of this compilation is how it allows ALL the members of RTF to shine: Al Dimeola's nimble facility on the guitar. Lenny White's muscular take on the drums, the most powerful percussion I have heard since Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake, etc. We relearn what a prodigy we were witnessing in Stanley Clarke. And Chick Corea's inventive compositions seem as fresh as ever, while his mastery of the keyboards was never in doubt. I urge all fans of Return to Forever and jazz fusion to buy this album either to learn what all the excitement was about or remember that we were hearing greatness.

More Fusion then Jazz (which was what I thought it would be), and one of the best CD's I have in my collection.
If you like it motivating and a little hard you want this CD.

They may have not been the first fusion band to use the electric guitar as a lead instrument, but I think it's safe to say RTF was the best fusion band to come out of the post-Miles 70's era. Mahavishnu was great, but they never had the ensemble playing approach that RTF had. You can clearly hear it on this anthology. The solos are fierce, but they fit the concept of the song and not the other way around. One of the best things about this anthology (besides the price which is crazy) is that their two greatest albums are found on here in their entirety.

The remixing and the remastering is hard to fault, although as another reviewer pointed out the familiar studio enhanced ending to "Vulcan Worlds" is missing. Something as little as that can be jarring after you've heard the tune a certain way for over thirty years. However, I've never heard the remainder of the Polydor songs ever sound as good as what's found on here. You can hear Lenny White in all his power and swing like never before. For what it's worth, I prefer the Romantic Warrior album mix found on this collection too......and I never thought I'd be saying that when I first listened to it. It sounds more live and immediate here than on any other previous versions.

Opinions vary and those are mine. You really can't do much better than this for a comprehensive, sonically brilliant collection of the electric Return to Forever. They really were the best of the best.

I only hope that their re-union success this year leads to more music, either new or from Chicks' archives.

If you loved them in their early days, this will be more good stuff at their best.

What can I say? These guys pretty much defined jazz/rock fusion. Before Stanley no one played the electric bass with so much authority. Al Di meola was second only to John Mclaughlin. Of course Chick is Chick in any genre. What really amazes me about the recording is the drumming of Lenny White. I forgot what a monster he was and still is. This music brings back fond memories of a time when music was being stretched to it's limits and beyond. Not everyones cup of tea, then or now. But these guys started a revolution that forced other players to hone their chops and make it possible to have the folks we have today! I'm not as amazed at the technical wizardry now as I was back then because it is common to hear players today who have taken fusion to the next level. Still for nostalgia's sake and to see where it started you must buy this CD.

All the greatest songs from the seminal fusion band in one place and remastered to boot. Also went to their reunion concert, and they are better than ever. Lokking forward to a possible new album.

an awesome collection,by this fusion powerhouse.these selections,taken from 4 classic rtf albums,is the essential collection,and a must have for any fan of this music.you can't go wrong with this two cd set,so go out and grab this one today.

Other reviewers have said it all. After listening to this music for 35 years, it is a new and fresh listen with the incredible remastering. Perhaps the best remastering I've ever heard. The clarity and punch of each instrument is a wonder to behold. For $15 it is an amazing bargain.

This two disc set collects the best of four albums. "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" (Polydor 5536) was released in 1973. "Where Have I Known You Before" (Polydor 6509) reached #32 on the Billboard Album Chart in 1974. "No Mystery" (Polydor 6512) reached #39 in 1975, winning a Grammy. "Romantic Warrior" (Columbia 34076) reached #35 in 1976, and the entire album is included in this collection.

These tracks were remastered by Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. "Vulcan Worlds" does not have the familiar echo ending, but other than that, the only noticeable change is that the sound quality is much better. It is far easier to hear all of the instruments, especially on the Polydor tracks.

True RTF fans will still want to keep Polydor's earlier anthology "Return to the 7th Galaxy" for rarities like the live version of "The Shadow of Lo", but this new anthology is very easy to spend time with.

This collection of songs is from the electric days (1973 - 1976) of RTF. Nothing is presented from their first two albums or final release. Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke personally selected the songs for this 2-disc anthology, two hours and twenty-nine minutes of music presented in chronological order, and it is spectacular. "Romantic Warrior" is one of my favorite fusion albums and on this collection it is presented in its entirety, as well as the entire "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy", another killer album that I haven't listened to in a long time. "Where Have I Known You Before" and "No Mystery" each have four of the best songs pulled from them.

Everything has been remixed and remastered and it sounds killer. I was worried the sound would be butchered like it has been for a lot of remastered discs. But this was done with care. The muddiness has been reduced but the lows are still punchy, and the overall volume and highs are not cranked to the point of insanity. Well done! The liner notes include a history of RTF, each band member provides some insights, and there are some cool photos. Highly recommended, and I hope they film some of the 2008 shows and release a DVD.

I have most if not all of these tracks already but will be ordering this disc soon. I have a ticket to see the band in August. I have already seen this lineup 5 times back in their heyday. This is the classic RTF lineup, at least for most people. This is the band that opened my eyes to the great world of fusion music with their superb Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy album back in the day. If you don't have any of their music this is quite a good place to start. For me (and many others) these guys were one of the seminal fusion bands of their day. Real musicians playing intelligent, well crafted and executed compositions. I realize fusion is not everyone's cup of tea but in a music world filled with simplistic loop driven 'music' I will gladly take this every time. Get this and enjoy some of the best musicians around and challenge the musical side of your brain.
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