WEATHER REPORT – Heavy Weather (1977-2007) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Weather Report's biggest-selling album is that ideal thing, a popular and artistic success -- and for the same reasons. For one thing, Joe Zawinul revealed an unexpectedly potent commercial streak for the first time since his Cannonball Adderley days, contributing what has become a perennial hit, "Birdland." Indeed, "Birdland" is a remarkable bit of record-making, a unified, ever-developing piece of music that evokes, without in any way imitating, a joyous evening on 52nd St. with a big band. The other factor is the full emergence of Jaco Pastorius as a co-leader; his dancing, staccato bass lifting itself out of the bass range as a third melodic voice, completely dominating his own ingenious "Teen Town" (where he also plays drums!). By now, Zawinul has become WR's de facto commander in the studio; his colorful synthesizers dictate the textures, his conceptions are carefully planned, with little of the freewheeling improvisation of only five years before. Wayne Shorter's saxophones are now reticent, if always eloquent, beams of light in Zawinul's general scheme while Alex Acuña shifts ably over to the drums and Manolo Badrena handles the percussion. Released just as the jazz-rock movement began to run out of steam, this landmark album proved that there was plenty of creative life left in the idiom. Richard S. Ginell 
Tracklist:
1 Birdland 5:59
Bass, Mandocello, Vocals – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Synthesizer [Oberheim Polyphonic, Arp 2600], Piano [Acoustic], Vocals, Melodica – Joe Zawinul
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Tambourine – Manolo Badrena
2 A Remark You Made 6:52
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Oberheim Polyphonic] – Joe Zawinul
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
3 Teen Town 2:53
Composed By, Drums, Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Congas – Manolo Badrena
Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Oberheim Polyphonic], Melodica – Joe Zawinul
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
4 Harlequin 4:00
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Oberheim Polyphonic], Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Joe Zawinul
Vocals – Manolo Badrena
5 Rumba Mamá 2:12
Composed By [Co-composer], Congas, Tom Tom [Tom Toms] – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Composed By, Vocals, Timbales, Congas – Manolo Badrena
6 Palladíum 4:45
Bass, Steel Drums – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Congas, Percussion – Manolo Badrena
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Synthesizer [Arp 2600], Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Joe Zawinul
7 The Juggler 5:05
Bass, Mandocello – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp 2600], Piano [Acoustic], Guitar, Tabla – Joe Zawinul
Drums, Handclaps – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Percussion – Manolo Badrena
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
8 Havona 6:03
Composed By, Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Piano [Acoustic], Synthesizer [Oberheim Polyphonic, Arp 2600] – Joe Zawinul
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter