Dreamware (Passport) (LP 3483)

Passport  Garden of Eden (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1979) **  

Genre: NZ Music, pop 

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham on the hill)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Snake

Gear costume: Dreamware

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I somehow missed this one while doing the earlier P's.

It's my only Passport album on vinyl (all the CDs were bought while living in the Middle East), and it's one of their weaker efforts. The eighties were just around the corner and there is a whiff of them on parts of this album, especially with the keyboards.

The vocals, yes - vocals, on this concept album are generally lacklustre; on Snake they appear to be inspired by A Love Supreme, but it's more of a soft rock version of that classic, rather than Coltrane's spiritual searching/experimentally audacious quality. Aside from that it's soft rock prog rock fusion from Klaus Doldinger and his crew.

Best thing about the album is the front cover art (back cover has a cringey band photo).

Where do they all belong? That's it for Passport. I'm not pursuing anything post 1979.

Blue Aura (Passport) (LP 963 - 967)

Passport  Hand Made (CD, Atlantic Records, 1973) ***  

Passport  Doldinger Jubilee '75 (CD, Atlantic Records, 1975) ***  

Passport  Cross Collateral (CD, Atlantic Records, 1975) ***  

Passport  Infinity Machine (CD, Atlantic Records, 1976) **** 

Klaus Doldinger  Passport Live (CD, WEA Records, 2000) ***

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Kings Recording (Abu Dhabi); Virgin Megastore (Dubai)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Abracadabra (on Hand Made and Jubilee '75 as a live version)

Gear costume: Cross Collateral (album of the same name); Morning Sun (Infinity Machine)

Active compensatory factors: As Klaus Doldinger continued to lead various versions of Passport lineups through these years and albums the consistency of music and style is remarkable, all linked by those iconic covers.

The music varies between Spirogyra pleasantries at one end of the continuum (Morning Sun), with some ferocious ensemble playing at the other (Infinity Machine) - sometimes, as in those two songs, on the same album. 

Indeed, if you want to pick one out of the bunch, I'd go with Infinity Machine as a good starting point. The band and Klaus are in good form.

Truth be told these are nice to have, but none are essential purchases. 

The live albums do add another dimension though. Buddy Guy even makes an appearance on Jubilee '75!

The live album released in 2000 is another fantastic recording by Klaus. I think this one includes his best tenor sax playing. He's in full mastery mode throughout these German concerts. It is a tad long though - one point deducted for that.

Where do they all belong? That concludes the Passport CDs that I racked up in the Middle East. No need for any more (but I do love those covers!)

Horizon beyond (Passport) (LP 884 - 886)

Passport  Passport (CD, Atlantic Records, 1971) *** 

Passport  Second Passport (CD, Atlantic Records, 1972) ***

Passport  Looking Thru (CD, Atlantic Records, 1973) ***    

Genre: Jazz fusion

Places I remember: Variety of music stores in the UAE (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Schirokko (Passport)

Gear costume: Nexus (Second Passport) 

Active compensatory factors: These are the first three albums from the German jazz fusion group led by saxophonist Klaus Doldinger. He's  the only constant through their career, so remember the name.

I was first drawn to the group by seeing a layout of their covers in Roger Dean and Hipgnosis' Album Cover Album book (all of these early Passport covers were by the same Hamburg studio).

So I snapped up copies when I came across them and was delighted to find them occupying space in the jazz fusion genre. That blurring of jazz and rock sensibilities suits me (sir).

At times the band sounds like King Crimson lite - as in - the intensity that Robert Fripp whips up isn't present in Passport, but the questing evolving music sure can be there.

The first album sets out their stall - Zappa-like sinewy horn driven instrumentals with a funky bottom end. There are two tenor-men on this first one - Klaus plus Olaf Kubler, and three others. Only Klaus would continue onto the Second Passport album but the sound is similar to the blueprint drawn up for the debut. 

Given the use of synths and electric piano the sound does flirt (at the best of times) with the prog rock genre, and really jazz fusion and prog rock and close siblings. At other times, it has to be said, that combo of instruments can drift into easy listening territory as well.

Second Passport features Klaus with three more members playing drum/bass/electric guitar/electric piano. Although, only Wolfgang Schmidt would be retained for third album Looking Thru.

No difficult second album syndrome for Passport - they sound even more assured on this set. Just check out Nexus above, as exhibit A.

Difficult third album, Looking Thru, continues the sound. By this stage the sound is pretty set into a format but, for the band, it's a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Tarantula, with some Zappa-esque moves is my favourite track on this one.

Where do they all belong? A lot more to come from Passport on the countdown - I got a tad carried away while overseas. If proggy jazz fusion is your thing - give Passport a go.