Magic/Simplicity of Expression: Depth of Thought

Personnel: Billy Cobham (drums, percussion, background vocals); Alvin Batiste (vocals, clarinet, woodwinds, background vocals); Steve Khan (guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar); Ray Mouton (guitar); Jonathan Abramowitz, Peter Dimitriades, Louis Shulman, Richard Hendrickson, Anahid Aiemian, Charles McCracken , David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi (strings); Eddie Daniels (woodwinds, tenor saxophone); Marvin Stamm, Mike Lawrence (trumpet, flugelhorn); Brooks Tillotson, Donald Corrado (French horn); George Quinn, Wayne Andre, Alan Raph (trombone); Mark Soskin (piano, electric piano, keyboards, Oberheim synthesizer); Joachim Kühn (keyboards, synthesizer, mini-Moog synthesizer); Sheila Escovedo (congas); Pete Escovedo (timbales); Raymond Simpson, Zachary Sanders (background vocals).
Audio Remixers: Dennis MacKay; Bob Clearmountain.
Recording information: CBS Recording Studios, NY; Electric Lady Recording Studios, NY; Manta Sound, Toronto, Canada; Mediasound, NY; The Power Station, NY.
Photographer: David Gahr.
Arranger: Jay Chattaway.
A two-LP set of drummer Billy Cobham's harder to find recordings from the later '70s. Of the two, Magic is far superior and is generally regarded as one of his most interesting recordings in his extensive discography. The addition of Simplicity of Expression: Depth of Thought amounts to nothing more than a throw in. Cobham recorded some embarrassing disco during the late '70s and this is a prime example. This two-fer is too good to pass up, though, and makes the LP highly recommended for fusion collectors. ~ Robert Taylor