Creatively,
Azymuth
has had its ups and downs. Some of its albums are excellent (
Crazy Rhythm
,
Flame
), and some are uneven (
Curumim
Telecommunication
).
fans agree that 1982's
Cascades
and 1983's
Rapid Transit
are among its stronger efforts, and in 2001,
Fantasy
did a very good deed when it reissued those
Milestone
dates back to back on this 71-minute CD. You won't find a sudden drop in creativity about halfway through the CD -- that can be a problem when you reissue an excellent LP and an uneven LP on the same disc, but it isn't a problem on the
Cascades/Rapid Transit
CD because the albums are equally strong. On both
and
is creatively successful because it doesn't resort to a lot of gimmicks. The Brazilian combo simply lets the creativity flow, providing adventurous yet accessible fusion that combines
jazz
with Brazilian rhythms, as well as
rock
funk
. Some of the material was soft enough to appeal to
quiet storm
stations in the 1980s, and yet, there is a world of difference between
and the type of bloodless, uncreative elevator Muzak that a lot of
NAC
/
smooth jazz
labels come out with.
's more uneven and erratic albums are strictly for its most hardcore fans, but this rewarding CD is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who has even a casual interest in the group. ~ Alex Henderson