Billy Cobham | Total Eclipse

AllMusic Review by Robert Taylor

This is Billy Cobham's third solo recording under his own name and is a fine follow-up to Crosswinds. The mini-suite "Solarization" not only showcases the band's technical abilities, but also Cobham's strong compositional skills. It also features a schizophrenic piano solo ("Second Phase") from the underrated pianist Milcho Leviev, who sounds like a mutation of Cecil Taylor and Bill Evans. The funky "Moon Germs," on which John Abercrombie is pushed to inspiring new heights, became a Cobham classic. "The Moon Ain't Made of Green Cheese" is a beautiful flugelhorn solo by Randy Brecker backed by Cobham's debut on piano. The band stretches out on the lengthy "Sea of Tranquility," while "Last Frontier" is a gratuitous drum solo. This recording is highly recommended as Cobham still sounds inspired.

1. Solarization: Solarization/Second Phase/Crescent Sun/Voyage 00:00 2. Lunarputians 11:09 3. Total Eclipse 13:43 4. Bandits 19:42 5. Moon Germs 22:14 6. The Moon Ain't Made Of Green Cheese 27:11 7. Sea Of Tranquillity 28:09 8. Last Frontier 38:53