Jade Warrior - Waves 1975

In Jade Warrior's second album for Island Records, atmosphere takes center stage over melody, and jam sessions supplant structure. The record consists of a single composition. Parts one and two were needed because it was released in pre-CD days and the song took up both sides of the LP, identifying the entire album under a single title -- an unwise strategy. "Waves" has no recurring theme; it opens with a Brian Eno-influenced ambient passage and meanders from there. Listeners find it difficult to identify the strongest passages, but the artists undoubtedly intended that the album be heard in its entirety rather than in small chunks. This might have seemed noble at the time, but it resulted in a nightmare for radio programmers who might have provided Waves with the airplay it desperately needed to push Jade Warrior beyond cult status. Tony Duhig and Jon Field wrote the music and played most of the instruments. Steve Winwood guests on keyboards; his piano solos evoke a style familiar to Traffic's Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys era. Perennial bit player David Duhig is used sparingly but sparkles on lead guitar. AMG.

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