Billy Cobham – Spectrum

So, I bought this new 48 years ago, so I was 21. I played this a lot, as the music was good. Made a point of going to a bar in Detroit to see Cobham. Listening today with a much improved system, this just sounds fantastic. Like I have not heard before.

I bought this pressing at a local, used record store for a great deal of money. The store specializes in jazz to some extent; but I knew nothing about the album, except that it was his first solo effort, and that I was in giant love with Crosswinds since it first appeared not long after this did. I find upon audition that I like this a lot, and feel that it's also sonically impressive, which is important to me. In truth, I was the album's intended audience. I was an undergraduate from 1972 to 1976. I was a member in other words of the jazz fusion generation. I was thus a fervent fan of Weather Report, Return to Forever and other jazz fusion albums and groups, like port. These acts were in this respect playing for me and pitching their albums at men - and I sure was buying them, I had rather expensive kit for a college student. I had floorstanding speakers that were conventional 3 ways but with separate cabinets to be placed on top of the speakers containing 6 RTR electrostatic drivers, just like the drivers in Infinity Super-Statiks. On these speakers, in, mind you, college, driven by a tubed Dynaco preamp, but a solid-state amp of good size, albums like Crosswinds were sonically jawbreaking. I had as well that gorgeous B&O table with the tonearm with the integral cartridge; so the whole package really complemented the jazz fusion albums that were then proliferating, with rock and more traditional jazz albums. All of this was in the back of my mind when I spotted this pricey album on the wall of the used record store. On pure impulse, I bought the record to pair with Crosswinds. I have his first 2 solo albums now, of which I'm proud. And Spectrum is very impressive thankfully, albeit less special for me than Crosswinds has been for verging on 50 years now. This album sure is recommended though, both musically and sonically, for those focused on sound. If sound matters to you, and if you can, do turn it up, it's beneficial, since it better reflects the artist's design.

My niece had bought it in a wave of spending, came home with it and we listened to it (I happened to be there at the time). She didn't like it, despite having listened to samples at the record shop. I offered to buy it off her. It was the very first album I owned. And still own. It has been and will be at the top of my favorites list. My introduction to jazz.

An album that got me into progressive jazz/funk in high school. The title track just rocks, with Ron Carter just laying down that relentless bass line and the incredibly exceptional Tommy Bolin who died way too early. i'm not a big fan of Cobham's later solo work but this ranks amongst my favorite of the genre and time period.

Spectrum always found it's way into our party mixes. We thought it was great music for dancing. The line up on this album was magical, from Joe Farrell to Jan Hammer and from Ron Carter to Ray Barretto. Still, Tommy Bolin and Billy really were in sync on this record. Tommy Bolin's teaser has been re-released as "Teaser Deluxe" and is a must have.

"what is life but a Spectrum and what is music but life itself."