Quality Control From A Master Drummer
Andre S. Grindle | Brewer Maine | 09/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As far as the technical aspects of drumming is concerned
Billy Cobham stands second to very few (if any) in his particular variety of music.The emotions he conveys range from intensity,relaxatation and pure unadultrated funkiness.Because of the bombastic nature of some 70's fusions Cobhmam's music can sometimes sound heavy and annoying-either because he overdoes showing his intensity or he just overdoes the drumming (lol).And on the title cut and "Earthlings" that is what happens.But it's a given that on ANY Billy Cobham album your going to get bombastic drumming somewhere.
But the man can PLAY and loves playing too.If it gets on your nerves then there are a mellower side to things-such as on "Siesta/Wake Up!!!!!!" and the wonderfully chilling out closer "Song To A Friend".The 'Life & Times' album is arranged by sort of a theme-a bombastic number,a slow and mellow one and then something really funky.In the cases of the latter Billy delivers two excellent examples with "East Bay" and "On A Natural High",as always John Scofields guitar always knows what to do in cases like that.
'Life & Times' is Billy Cobham's fifth proper studio
recording.His next outing would be a live collaberation with the keyboard whiz George Duke later the same year.This album indicated that this would be the last of this kind of music he would be making.Cobham tried many musical ideas since his technically brilliant debut 'Spectrum' and it's follow up
'Crosswinds'.And this album strings together elements of all four preceeding recordings into yet another concoction.So if you listen carefully you'll hear the passion in this music."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1