Title: Running out of steam
Review: Weather Report released two self-titled albums in their career -- their 1971 debut, and this 1982 album. The latter is the last recording of the most popular Weather Report lineup -- Zawinul, Shorter, Pastorius and Erskine. Much like its predecessor, Night Passage, this one sounds like a very competent, professional band that's out of fresh ideas and rehashes old ones. There are the same tight, third-world grooves with layered synthesizers and floating saxophone, but you've heard it all before and the tunes aren't especially memorable. ("Volcano for Hire" is pretty cool nonetheless.) It's safe to skip this one unless you're a completist or raging Night Passage fan; and even if you are, you should probably jump ahead to 1983's superior Procession.
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