Light as a Feather
Studio album by
Return to Forever
ReleasedJanuary 1973
RecordedOctober 8 & 15, 1972
StudioIBC, London, England
GenreJazz fusion
Length42:46
LabelPolydor
ProducerChick Corea
Return to Forever chronology
Return to Forever
(1972)		 Light as a Feather
(1973)		 Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
(1973)
Chick Corea chronology
Return to Forever
(1972)		 Light as a Feather
(1973)		 Crystal Silence
(1973)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
SputnikMusic[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings [4]

Light as a Feather is technically the first studio album by jazz band Return to Forever led by keyboardist Chick Corea (credited on the album cover as “Chick Corea and Return to Forever”). It features saxophonist/flautist Joe Farrell, bassist Stanley Clarke, vocalist Flora Purim and her husband, drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira, who all performed on Corea’s previous album Return to Forever, from which the group took its name.

Content

The style of the music remains mostly the same as the first album, though Purim’s vocals were given a larger role. Corea produced the album for Polydor Records. Clarke played double bass, though for most of his later career he has played bass guitar.

"Captain Marvel" is a fast Latin piece that provided the name for Stan Getz's album released in the same year (with Corea, Clarke and Moreira guesting). Airto plays percussion and Purim sings without words during the song's main riff.

The album ends with "Spain", which was inspired by, and whose introduction was taken from, Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez (1939).

This was the second of only two albums featuring the band's original line-up. Purim and her husband Airto would leave after its release (to be replaced by guitarist Bill Connors and drummer Lenny White); Joe Farrell also left at this time, but would return to the band for their seventh and eighth albums (Musicmagic and Live); bassist Stanley Clarke remained with the band through all of its line-up changes.

Reception and legacy

Light as a Feather won the 1972 Playboy Jazz Album of the year and has been selected by many magazines and polls as one of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded. For many years this album has been listed on The Absolute Sound super disc list and the Stereophile list of "Records to Die For". It is also featured in Tom Moon's 1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die.[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chick Corea except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You're Everything"Chick Corea, lyrics by Neville Potter5:11
2."Light as a Feather"Stanley Clarke, lyrics by Flora Purim10:57
3."Captain Marvel" 4:53
4."500 Miles High"Corea, lyrics by Potter9:07
5."Children's Song" 2:47
6."Spain"Corea, Joaquín Rodrigo9:51
Bonus disc (1998 Remaster 2CD)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Matrix" 8:10
2."Light as a Feather" (Alternative Take)Clarke, lyrics by Purim10:46
3."500 Miles High" (Alternative Take)Corea, lyrics by Potter10:32
4."Children's Song" (Alternative Take) 3:58
5."Spain" (Composite Alternative Take)Corea, Rodrigo5:33
6."Spain" (Alternative Take)Corea, Rodrigo9:02
7."What Games Shall We Play Today?"Corea, lyrics by Potter3:52
8."What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 1)Corea, lyrics by Potter4:06
9."What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 2)Corea, lyrics by Potter3:46
10."What Games Shall We Play Today?" (Alternative Take 3)Corea, lyrics by Potter3:49

Personnel

Chart performance

YearChartPosition
1973 Billboard Jazz Albums 6 [6]

References

  1. ↑ Nastos, Michael G. "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Campbell, Hernan M. (19 September 2012). "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) album review | SputnikMusic". sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  3. ↑ Swenson, John, ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Rolling Stone. p. 50. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. ↑ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. ↑ Moon, Tom. "Light as a Feather | 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die". 1000recordings.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Return to Forever Light as a Feather (1973) | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
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