Light as a Feather
| Light as a Feather | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1973 | |||
| Recorded | October 8 & 15, 1972 | |||
| Studio | IBC, London, England | |||
| Genre | Jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 42:46 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Chick Corea | |||
| Return to Forever chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Chick Corea chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| SputnikMusic | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
Light as a Feather is technically the first studio album by jazz band Return to Forever led by keyboardist Chick Corea (credited on the album cover as “Chick Corea and Return to Forever”). It features saxophonist/flautist Joe Farrell, bassist Stanley Clarke, vocalist Flora Purim and her husband, drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira, who all performed on Corea’s previous album Return to Forever, from which the group took its name.
Content[edit]
The style of the music remains mostly the same as the first album, though Purim’s vocals were given a larger role. Corea produced the album for Polydor Records. Clarke played double bass, though for most of his later career he has played bass guitar.
"Captain Marvel" is a fast Latin piece that provided the name for Stan Getz's album released in the same year (with Corea, Clarke and Moreira guesting). Airto plays percussion and Purim sings without words during the song's main riff.
The album ends with "Spain", which was inspired by, and whose introduction was taken from, Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez (1939).
This was the second of only two albums featuring the band's original line-up. Purim and her husband Airto would leave after its release (to be replaced by guitarist Bill Connors and drummer Lenny White); Joe Farrell also left at this time, but would return to the band for their seventh and eighth albums (Musicmagic and Live); bassist Stanley Clarke remained with the band through all of its line-up changes.
Reception and legacy[edit]
Light as a Feather won the 1972 Playboy Jazz Album of the year and has been selected by many magazines and polls as one of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded. For many years this album has been listed on The Absolute Sound super disc list and the Stereophile list of "Records to Die For". It is also featured in Tom Moon's 1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die.[5]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Chick Corea except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You're Everything" | Chick Corea, lyrics by Neville Potter | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Light as a Feather" | Stanley Clarke, lyrics by Flora Purim | 10:57 |
| 3. | "Captain Marvel" | 4:53 | |
| 4. | "500 Miles High" | Corea, lyrics by Potter | 9:07 |
| 5. | "Children's Song" | 2:47 | |
| 6. | "Spain" | Corea, Joaquín Rodrigo | 9:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Matrix" | 8:10 | |
| 2. | "Light as a Feather" (Alternative Take) | Clarke, lyrics by Purim | 10:46 |
| 3. | "500 Miles High" (Alternative Take) | Corea, lyrics by Potter | 10:32 |
| 4. | "Children's Song" (Alternative Take) | 3:58 | |
| 5. | "Spain" (Composite Alternative Take) | Corea, Rodrigo | 5:33 |
| 6. | "Spain" (Alternative Take) | Corea, Rodrigo | 9:02 |
| 7. | "What Games Shall We Play Today?" | Corea, lyrics by Potter | 3:52 |
| 8. | "What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 1) | Corea, lyrics by Potter | 4:06 |
| 9. | "What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 2) | Corea, lyrics by Potter | 3:46 |
| 10. | "What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 3) | Corea, lyrics by Potter | 3:49 |
Personnel[edit]
- Chick Corea – Fender Rhodes electric piano
- Stanley Clarke – double bass
- Flora Purim – vocals (CD1: 1–4, 6; CD2: 2, 3, 5–10), percussion
- Joe Farrell – flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Airto Moreira – drums, percussion
Chart performance[edit]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Billboard Jazz Albums | 6 [6] |
References[edit]
- ^ Nastos, Michael G. "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- ^ Campbell, Hernan M. (19 September 2012). "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album review | SputnikMusic". sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
- ^ Swenson, John, ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Rolling Stone. p. 50. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Moon, Tom. "Light as a Feather | 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die". 1000recordings.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- ^ "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
External links[edit]
- Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album review by Michael G. Nastos, credits & releases at AllMusic
- Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album releases & credits at Discogs
- Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com
- Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973, Remastered 1998 2CD with Bonus Alternative Takes) album to be listened as stream on Spotify
