Weather Report: Milky Way

Track

Milky Way

Group

Weather Report

CD

Weather Report [1971] (Columbia)

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Musicians:

Joe Zawinul (piano, keyboards), Wayne Shorter (soprano sax).

Composed by Joe Zawinul & Wayne Shorter

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Recorded: February-March 1971

Albumcoverweatherreport-1971

Rating: 86/100 (learn more)

From Weather Report's debut album, this song was among the first to fully demonstrate the power of studio effects and superior sound engineering. Some of the haunting sounds found on this song were produced by Shorter's playing soprano saxophone into the upper portion of the piano causing the strings to vibrate. Though this is a very abstract piece with no backline instruments, it fits right in with the improvised, exploratory elements on this album. It's surprising that Weather Report was voted album of the year by Down Beat. One might wonder why they gave it such high praise given its freedom and the magazine's limited respect for music that's not all that jazzy. In any case, "Milky Way" may have been the ideal name for this song, since it definitely creates a suspended feeling if you listen to it several times in a row.

Reviewer: Jared Pauley

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