Return to Forever

This two-CD set is a bit of a mixed bag. It serves as a retrospective of the first two versions of Chick Corea's Return to Forever, with three selections from Light as a Feather (featuring saxophonist Joe Farrell and singer Flora Purim), three from Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (which has guitarist Bill Connors), five selections from Where Have I Known You Before and four taken from No Mystery; the latter two dates match keyboardist Corea with guitarist Al DiMeola, electric bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White. However, the real reason for serious collectors to acquire this double-CD set is for the four previously unreleased selections (totaling 39 minutes), including three taken from 1973 and matching Corea and Clarke with guitarist Connors, drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist Mingo Lewis (highlighted by a 14-minute rendition of "Spain"). Whether RTF fans will want to duplicate the other performances to get these four is a bit debatable, making one wish that the "new" material had been released separately. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide