Billy Cobham's Spectrum


How is the original on vinyl and are there any reissues, analog or digital, of this album?

I have the CD, Atlantic 7268-2, and it's just okay.

Thanks in advance.
raquel

Showing 2 responses by chazro

Cobham's 1st 4 albums; Spectrum, Crosswinds, Total Eclipse, & Shabazz are his best in every way. Recording quality, performance, writing, arranging are all 5-star! I saw him 12 times (twice w/Mahavishnu, the rest solo) so I guess you can say I was a fan;).
'Powerplay' was originally recorded for the GRP label but I imagine the rights have been sold 'cause I've seen it released under a different company logo. IMO, 'Powerplay' was the last recording he made that had the old Cobham 'fire'. His other GRP releases were snoozefests and I've picked up some of his later releases, but truthfully, he sounds like a shadow of his former self. Billy's biggest problem, than & now, is his ego. For awhile, he was a 1st-call a-list musician. His discography from the 70's is an amazing list of recordings. His head got too big, leading to clashes with John McLaughlin (called him HaHavishnu back then!) and his tendency to want to be heard, to overplay, to be THE star led to him isolating himself and his career. His ego runs unchecked to this day, best example being that his latest recording, available solely through Audiophile Imports, an american release, a single disc, sold when released for an unbelievable $36 bucks. That's when THIS fan said adios Billy!