Moraz, Patrick - The Story Of I
SKU
15-VIRGIN446
Famously uneven album recorded by Patrick Moraz in 1975, while he was still in Yes. But the good parts are really very good.
"The year was 1976. The attack of the killer Yes solo albums! Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz provided us with this uneven yet gloriously pompous solo debut outing. The Story of i hustles and bustles with superb keyboard performances and a dose of Brazilian percussion thrown in for good measure. The first side is usually a tour de force, featuring the skyscraper-chewing rhythm section of Jeff Berlin (later of Bruford) and Alphonse Mouzon (Weather Report). "Impact," "Cachaco (Baiao)," and "Indoors" (drenched with frenetic Emersonian runs) alone make this album worth hearing. Even the ballad "Best Years of Our Lives" is actually a lovely piece musically, but lacks a capable voice to carry it. Indeed, the main Achilles' heel throughout all this is vocalist John McBurnie, who sounds like he couldn't sing his way out of a paper bag. The album starts to fizzle out by side two, despite a decent start with "Descent." McBurnie's vocals become increasingly unbearable ("Dancing Now" and the horrific "Like a Child in Disguise") and drummer Andy Newmark, while a veteran sessioner, is just simply outclassed by the octopus playing of Mouzon on side one..."-Ground and Sky