PLANET END - Larry Coryell
by DiamondDog on Friday 18 November 2005

Larry Coryell - guitar; Mike Lawrence - trumpet; Mike Mandel - electric piano; Danny Trifan - bass; Alphonse Mouzon - drums; Tracks 2 and 5: John McLaughlin - guitar; Chick Corea - electric piano; Miroslav Vitous - bass; Billy Cobham - drums



Tracks

01 Cover Girl
02 Tyrone
03 Rocks
04 The Eyes of Love
05 Planet End


PLANET END is a strange album to begin with. It's very odd that songs from 1969 and 1975 are mixed on this album. PLANET END was released in 1975, but tracks Tyrone and Planet End are obviously from the SPACES sessions. All the other songs are from the Eleventh House.

The album starts off with Cover Girl. This track mind blowing! The Eleventh House band are on fire on this track. The recognizable drum-intro of Alphonse Mouzon and away they go. It's a great mixture of funk and rock. Only the trumpet solo of Mike Lawrence is a little bit weak. It's not Randy Brecker, but the he does his best. Cover Girl is a blazing Fusion number with a hard edge of rock. Thanks to Larry Coryell's hot solo at the end.
Tyrone is a easy, early jazzfusion track with John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitous, Billy Cobham and Larry Coryell. This song doesn't belong on this album and it's hereby out of its place. It should be on the album SPACES. Tyrone is a good song with simple sounds and good solo's of Larry Coryell and John McLaughlin.
Rocks is a hell of a song, in a good way. It starts happy and relaxing. But then the band (Eleventh House) rocks the house. Larry Coryell and Mike Lawrence are playing very well and funky together. It's also unbelievable how Alphonse Mouzon gives a funky and fast drumplay. This song should be played loud. Not because of the band, but because the way Mouzon is banging the drums.
The Eyes of Love is a beautiful folky song played by Larry Coryell himself. It's an acoustic song. This song can also be placed on RESTFUL MIND. Very down-to-earth, but nice.
PLANET END ends with Planet End. On this song the band of John, Chick, Miroslav, Billy and Larry are making their appearance again. This song is very post-bop/hard-bop. Almost the same as Tyrone. Very good guitarplay between Larry and John. It should be said again, the song also doesn't belong on this album.


PLANET END from 1975 is a nice Fusion album. You can say this the post-album of INTRODUCING THE ELEVENTH HOUSE of 1974. You can hear the same sound on PLANET END. But one difference, this album is much weaker than the album of 1974. Ok, Alphonse Mouzon is on fire, Larry Coryell gives his usual best. But Mike Lawrence isn't very original and Mike Mandel has been put on the background, unfortunately. The songs rocks as an usual Eleventh House song, but they are not as inspired as the last album.
The other songs from the SPACES sessions are out of their places on this album. They are very good with good personnel. But these songs clash with the Eleventh House songs. This album isn't an unit and doesn't stand up with other albums. It's a shame, because PLANET END could have been a super fusion album with a hard edge. But it's not unfortunately...


Rating:

50%