Review of Black Market by Weather Report

 

Weather Report was a jazz fusion band that started in 1970. The album I am reviewing, Black Market was released in 1976. The album was produced by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. I think it had something to do with my environment, and the albums I have reviewed before, but this is the first album that actively irritated me. The ballads and the slower moments in general made me want to fall to sleep. Some of the tracks went on too long. This is not to say there is no good music on this album. There is. It simply needed streamlining and a stronger sense of energy behind it.

The starting track off of this album is good. There is a generally sunny groove at the beginning of this album. It is lead of by the fretless bass of Jaco Pastorius, the machine-gun delivery of his notes later on in the track are also noteworthy. The warm analog keys and synths of Zawinul are also strong and pleasant in this album overall. Another unique aspect of this track is the odd meter groove that happens around the 2:18 mark. Wayne Shorter’s tenor saxophone is fairly plaintive in much of this track. Maybe I’m biased but this track seems like it could (and should) be two minutes shorter.

The second track, Cannonball starts off as one of the more balladic tracks on this album (though there are many tracks that are like it). Around 2:11 however the track hits hard. The keyboards on this album sound exotic, but I cannot place a certain culture’s tradition over another. I think Shorter’s saxophone playing really contributes to the balladic playing in this track. Zawinul’s synth playing contributes a real alien effect on this track at about 4:56. At times the high notes on Shorter’s saxophone really squeal here. The ending is quite repetitive.

Overall the album Black Market is a decent album, and it highlights the abilities of Shorter, Zawinul and Pastorious quite well. Whether the length problem or slowness problem has to do with me, or with the album I cannot say for certain. If you like progressive rock or jazz fusion this album is worth looking at. If you like synthpop or artpunk this album might drag too much for you. They say the 70s were a time when attention spans were longer. If this is the case, this album may be emblematic of that given it can be quite slow. I give this album a 6.5/10