My first encounter with el-drummer-extraordinaire was during my Miles Davis days but it was my boosom pal Doug who "put me on the track to burn a little brighter now" with the solo albums of Willams.
Emergency was a very influential album back in 1969 and is considered one of the watermarks in the Fusion genre still today.
The Tony Williams Lifetime was a combo of Williams, guitarist John McLaughlin and organist Larry Young aka (aka Khalid Yasin) . Musically this is pure fusion ! Gigantic drumming and percussion with endless organ grinds, riffs and swirls all held together by the dynamic and ever changing creativity of McLaughlin's fret work!" Emergency" had a profound impact on Miles Davis who would recruit this band for work on his masterpiece "in a silent way". No question that "emergency" also spurred on The Mahav and Return To Forever revolution of FUSION! It was an original album full of strange and very unique sounds and at first was shun by the jazz and rock world and it wasnt until years later that this album was truely discovered and appreciated.
"Emergency" is definitely NOT an audiophile's dream......in fact my copy comes with a disclaimer saying it was poorly recorded — two albums in two days! And acknowleded that the original eight-track tape was distorted, but regardless Polydor released this as a double vinyl record set with sound flaws et all! .....but to be honest it is this imperfect live electric vibe that I like about this album and I persoanlly would not want it any other way!
In many ways this album reminds me of King Crimson with a mix of acid jazz and rock with progressive characteristics.....check out the song "Spectrum Road" with its Robert Fripp like guitar work!
Vocals are aptly handled by Williams himself and although not an overly vocal intensive album, he does a reasonable job !
This is an essential album ! Dont let fusion scare you or the age ofnthis recording.....it is an essential gem!
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