Spectrum cover

Spectrum

Released

Recorded in a couple days by an insane lineup — Miles/Mahavishnu drummer Cobham and future Miami Vice composer Jan Hammer made up the core, but they were supplemented by Deep Purple/James Gang shredder Tommy Bolin, session legend bassist Leland Sklar, and a host of others — this dizzying display of musicianship takes all that talent and harnesses it into one of the great jazz fusion records of all time. Cobham’s kit (mic’ed to the max by Beatles engineer Ken Scott) is the centerpiece, the other players following his lead into the ultraviolet range. It’s not difficult to understand why songs like “Quadrant 4” and “Stratus” blew open their listeners’ third eyes.

Jeff Treppel

Recommended by

Suggestions
Step on Step cover

Step on Step

Charles Stepney
Under the Hat cover

Under the Hat

Ada Rovatti
Four in One cover

Four in One

Sonny Fortune
Open Strings cover

Open Strings

Jean-Luc Ponty
The Elektric Band cover

The Elektric Band

The Chick Corea Elektric Band
Fearless Movement cover

Fearless Movement

Kamasi Washington
The Inner Mounting Flame cover

The Inner Mounting Flame

John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu Orchestra
Dogs of Great Indifference cover

Dogs of Great Indifference

Jim Black, AlasNoAxis