Original Album Classics: I Sing The Body Electric / Sweetnighter / Mysterious Traveller / Black Market / Night Passage

I've had this excellent set in my collection for quite some time and just listening to them again, I though I'd give them a review.One of a series of boxed sets from Columbia, they all have the same format – a stout cardboard slip-case with each CD album in a thin card sleeve which is a perfect facsimile in miniature of the original LP release.The 5 albums in this box are not in consecutive order of release – they complement the other Weather Report boxed set in the series, so get them both and you'll have an immediate, serious collection of the band's discography.Weather Report were one of the most influential, innovative and downright creative groups in Jazz-rock over the period of the 70s, 80s and 90s; anyone wishing to explore the music of the period and beyond should give these albums a listen.Those of us who know the band will appreciate the chance to replace the LPs in our collections – they are straight, digital transfer reissues of the analogue LPs so have modest playing times and no additional material; sound quality is very good.A fine set and an easy one to recommend.

'Proper' jazz fans seem to shun the 'fusion' style that Weather Report are masters of, maybe because it's a mongrel mix of jazz, rock and latin and other world influences, but hey, what is their loss is our gain!To me, it's more an orchestra of jazz, WR evoking many moods and ethnic influences - you often feel that you are under the Moroccan stars at times, chillingly relaxed at others and then bombarded by heavy and funky bass and percussion at others. If you like Santana, you may well enjoy WR, too, as there's a certain cross-over in what they do, but please do not think that they sound the same!I had a few old WR LP albums that don't get played any more, plus a couple of CDs that are updates of my favourites. Aware that there's the other Original Album Classic set available, it basically came down to a choice between the two 5 CD sets.MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER had to be in, as it was an LP and a real favourite of mine and I wanted to play it again, properly, with such gorgeously well-played tracks such as Nubian Sundance, the title track and Scarlet Woman, this was Zawinul, Shorter, Johnson, Um Romao, Wilburn and Vitous on a more dark musical journey, with more deep, sophisticated melodies and as always their exemplary playing.SING THE BODY ELECTRIC was unknown to me and though I've played it once, it didn't come across as one I liked as much as the others.SWEETNIGHTER was also unknown to me but the opening track (Boogie Woogie Waltz) has that great spatial build up of rhythms and percussions of the best WR, the sax, keyboards and bass all sparring off each other, darting about like swifts at sunset.BLACK MARKET was an eagerly anticipated addition, the title track so beautifully and evotically opening one of my all-time favourite live albums, WR's 8:30. That version's probably longer (& better) as they've fleshed it out and improved it over the years but it's still great stuff as the original. The (admittedly small) CD sleeve with the original album artwork shows a painting of a lively African market scene that very aptly sets the musical scene for us.NIGHT PASSAGE is also a previously unknown and again, isn't one of my favourites, here. It just doesn't hit the dizzying heights of Mysterious Traveller or Black Market, or the more I listen to it, Sweetnighter, which is fast growing on me.True, I've only touched on maybe a few tracks from each but time is often our enemy in enjoying all this great music and to do it justice, following the nuances and patterns created by the music. I'm glad I got this set, its price meant I could get five full albums for the price of two secondhand ones but also expanding both my library and jazz repertoire at the same time.So, if you're a bit into Weather Report and want to expand, you can't do it cheaper and that way, if an album or two isn't as great as the others, you've haven't lost out so much plus the space taken up is about the width of less than two jewelled-case CDs, meaning less clutter.

Five classic albums at a bargain price. No frills packaging-wise but the music is all there. Tip-top jazz fusion from the masters.

Excellent quality product and very speedy delivery

It was a birthday present for my brother in law

This set is a must for Weather Report fans.

Marvellous sounds and rhythms to sooth the mind.

Great albums and great value too. Nice way to discover bands like this.