Stanley Clarke - Time Exposure

James Hart · #1 03-14-2008, 01:52 PM

This was one of the most influential albums to my early playing. This was my initial 'slap / chord / fingerstyle / lead' rolled in one outlook as a bassist... I knew of a couple tunes of his, but this was the 'current' release at that point in time.

Amazon link

I've been watching for a copy on CD and only seen $30+ prices... I paid mall prices for the vinyl, to replace it on CD for more than the going rate has been out of the question. I broke down last night and bought the 'MP3' version of it.

Stanley Clarke IS the man... tone, attitude, groove, etc. Sure it's got a whole lot of 80's cheese... but the bass is still some of my favorite examples.

Anyone else dig this release?

bkbirge · #2 03-14-2008, 02:04 PM

+1 to everything you said. This was a main influence on my playing too, at a time when everyone else I knew wanted to listen to zeppelin oldies or whatever big hair band was popular at the moment. Serious vocal cheese but worth any price for the bass playing. It still has my favorite sounding piccolo solos ever. Stanley is the man for sure.

Dr. Cheese · #3 03-14-2008, 02:05 PM

I liked it back in the day. I felt it was a step below Stanley Clarke, Journey to Love, and School Days, but Time Exposure certainly seems to get a lot of love from TB'ers. Maybe it is time for me to give it another listen?

JimK · #4 03-14-2008, 03:03 PM

I still have Time Exposure on LP. Anyway, too Pop for my Stanley tastes back in the day. It's been 20+ years since I last spun it.
Stanley Clarke, Jouney To Love, & even School Days were "it" for me.

James Hart · #5 03-14-2008, 04:13 PM

Like I was trying to say... I knew a couple tunes of his prior to that trip to the mall. I bought his "new" album (yes it was the vinyl) first. I do prefer some of his other discs, but the blend of Stanley & pop on Time Exposure really was a lightbulb moment for my playing

jerry · #6 03-14-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

Stanley Clarke, Jouney To Love, & even School Days were "it" for me.

Same here!!!!! David Sancious guitar work on Journey To Love still blows me away, electrifying! I've noticed they are re-releasing most of Stanley's catalog next month, I don't know if it's a remastered/bonus songs deelio or what.

bottomzone · #7 03-14-2008, 08:42 PM

+10000000000 for both Time Exposure and David Sancious!!! Stanley is slapping his Alembic into delerium on "Future Shock" and his solo is, well, typical Stanley mastery!!!. David Sancious, an incredible keyboard player as well, was ridiculous on "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra"-probably my favorite guitar solo of all time!!!

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

Dr. Cheese · #8 03-14-2008, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bottomzone

+10000000000 for both Time Exposure and David Sancious!!! Stanley is slapping his Alembic into delerium on "Future Shock" and his solo is, well, typical Stanley mastery!!!. David Sancious, an incredible keyboard player as well, was ridiculous on "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra"-probably my favorite guitar solo of all time!!!

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

A big chunk of the conventional slapping on Time Exposure was done by Louis Johnson, like it was on "We Supply" on Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand.

StanFan · #9 03-14-2008, 09:40 PM

I only got this one on vinyl and I haven't seen it cheap on CD either. It also has plenty of Louis Johnson on it giving some high energy playing. Not my favorite Stanley Clarke album, but still pretty good. I honestly haven't listened to it in months though.

bkbirge · #10 03-14-2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

A big chunk of the conventional slapping on Time Exposure was done by Louis Johnson, like it was on "We Supply" on Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand.

It's way overdue for a "Land of Ladies" remake.

lambro · #11 03-15-2008, 10:59 AM

this LP was really a sign of a woeful fusion music industry at the time, even the mighty Stanley couldn't resist, vision not strong enough and the need to sell into the current niche

the tone is no where near as magical as his early efforts, and certainly the song writing is pretty uninspired, the keys and drums are really sad

I guarantee you if you go to Stanley's house he will not say , "hey check out this awesome LP I put out in the 80's ..."

Rick James probably got a big kick that his popularity was enough to force a titan like Stanley in this direction

burk48237 · #12 03-15-2008, 02:55 PM

Stanley actually claimed in Musician magazine when interviewed about Rock Pebbles and Sand and Time Exposure that the reason fusion was waning was that the quality musicians had all split into solo projects. And that their weren't enough good players to maintain the same quality level. I think his observation was onto something, but to me it wasn't a question of musicianship as much as creative song writing abilities and the ability to lead a band with taste. Their were still plenty of guys around who could blow over changes, but not all of the solo artist could write those changes with a great melody. It's interesting how many of the great players from that era played their best stuff on other people's records or when covering other people songs. From what I've seen of Jazz in general their is a huge difference in the numbers of great players and the numbers of great leaders with song-writing ability. Those guys come a long once or twice a century. I think it's one of the reasons many Bass players hold so much more reverence for Jaco over Stanley Clarke. Because both them could certainly play.

ryco · #13 03-15-2008, 03:40 PM

I liked Stan's stuff up thru "I Wanna Play for You". Although I LOVE "R&R Jelly".
Stan's prob my all around fav player. Totally opened up the world of bass!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bottomzone

David Sancious, an incredible keyboard player as well, was ridiculous on "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra"-probably my favorite guitar solo of all time!!!

Hopefully you've heard his fusion band "Tone" in the 70s.
Sky Church Hymn #9 off Transformation has some incredible guitar playing - acoustic and electric

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerry

Same here!!!!! David Sancious guitar work on Journey To Love still blows me away, electrifying!

Jeff is no slouch either! "Hello Jeff" is prob my fav Stanley song. I thought this configuration could have been a really cool band w/ Duke or Hammer on keys

bottomzone · #14 03-15-2008, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

A big chunk of the conventional slapping on Time Exposure was done by Louis Johnson, like it was on "We Supply" on Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand.

I beg to differ. It's all Stanley Clarke on "Future Shock", "Speedball", "Time Exposure", and "Space Runner". Louis does slap duties on "Play the Bass 10^3" and "Future".

http://www.amazon.com/Time-Exposure-.../dp/B0000025V9

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

Baryonyx · #15 03-15-2008, 04:36 PM

This one is £35 on Amazon at the moment! Not one I'll be picking up soon then!

Stanley has done some cheesy stuff in the past, he's an artist that has certainly never been shy of moving with the times, and because of that, some of his stuff sounds a bit dated.

But it would be wrong to sla Stanley. He is without a doubt one of my favourite players. I had a massive Stan binge on friday. I was listening to All sorts! Return to Forever, School Days, Animal Logic+Animal Logic II, I wanna Play for you, The Toys of Men...it was intense!

Also, it's interesting to see a Spellbinder bass on the cover...he uses one in the new Return To Forever rehearsal video too!

James Hart · #16 03-15-2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris2112

This one is £35 on Amazon at the moment! Not one I'll be picking up soon then!

if you read my opening post, it's been pricey for years... that is why I had never replaced my vinyl. I did just buy it from amazon as MP3s for about $8

JimK · #17 03-16-2008, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lambro

this LP was really a sign of a woeful fusion music industry at the time, even the mighty Stanley couldn't resist...

Agree.

Burke said-
"I think it's one of the reasons many Bass players hold so much more reverence for Jaco over Stanley Clarke. Because both them could certainly play".

I'm not sure about that. FME, every bassist I know reveres BOTH.
Would add that Clarke also has more "traditional" Jazz cred than Jaco.

Dr. Cheese · #18 03-16-2008, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

Agree.

Burke said-
"I think it's one of the reasons many Bass players hold so much more reverence for Jaco over Stanley Clarke. Because both them could certainly play".

I'm not sure about that. FME, every bassist I know reveres BOTH.
Would add that Clarke also has more "traditional" Jazz cred than Jaco.

+1 Jaco was a great composer but Stanley is quite respectable also. He has done dozens of TV and movie scores. I would also agree that since Stanley is a double bassist first, he has way more straight ahead credibility than Jaco ever had.

JimK · #19 03-17-2008, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerry

Same here!!!!! David Sancious guitar work on Journey To Love still blows me away, electrifying!

Sancious would be a cool guy to have in a band...IIRC, he was also playing keys in Sting's Soul Cages band?

lambro · #20 03-17-2008, 04:23 PM

let us drink from the well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7cW2xfWu9s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py3jT0uaZw0