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Mystic Voyage Review by Alex Henderson

Depending on who you talk to, 1975's Mystic Voyage is either a classic or an example of a talented musician lowering his standards in order to make more money. Many funk and soul aficionados consider Mystic Voyage a classic, and the album has been sampled extensively by hip-hop and acid jazz artists. But jazz snobs have about as much use for Mystic Voyage as they have for George Benson's Breezin' and Patrice Rushen's Pizzazz, both of which found artists who used to specialize in straight-ahead jazz burning up the Billboard charts with more commercial music. Mystic Voyage doesn't pretend to be jazz; its primary focus is R&B, and it must be judged by R&B standards instead of jazz standards. Judging Mystic Voyage by jazz standards is like ordering a pizza and complaining that it doesn't taste like Vietnamese food; pizza isn't supposed to resemble Vietnamese cuisine, and similarly, Mystic Voyage isn't meant to impress jazz's hardcore. The only tune on the album that has anything to do with jazz is the title track, a laid-back pop-jazz instrumental that became a favorite with the quiet storm crowd. But Mystic Voyage is dominated by vocal-oriented R&B, and that includes gritty funk items like "Funky Motion," "Evolution," and "Spirit of Doo Do," as well as Ashford & Simpson's mellow "Take All the Time You Need." Although Mystic Voyage is a favorite among Ayers fans, it isn't the best R&B-oriented album that he recorded in the 1970s -- Vibrations and Everybody Loves the Sunshine are actually stronger and more essential. But it's definitely enjoyable and pleasing if you fancy 1970s soul and funk and aren't a jazz snob.

Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Mystic Voyage

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• Recorded At – Kaye-Smith / Van Ackeren Studios
• Recorded At – Electric Lady Studios
• Lacquer Cut At – Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs
• Pressed By – PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN

• Arranged By – Roy Ayers (tracks: A1, A2, A4 to B5)
• Arranged By [Strings] – Onzy Matthews
• Art Direction – Sheri Leverich
• Bass, Backing Vocals – Byron Miller
• Congas, Bongos – Chano O'Ferral
• Drums – Ricky Lawson
• Engineer [Assistant, Electric Lady Studio] – Neal Teeman
• Engineer [Electric Lady Studio] – Ralph Moss
• Engineer [Kaye-smith/van Ackeren Studios] – Buzz Richmond
• Guitar, Vocals – Calvin Brown
• Illustration – Robert Hickson
• Lacquer Cut By – SJR*
• Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Chicas
• Percussion – Willie Michael
• Photography By [Black & White] – David Rawcliffe
• Photography By [Color] – Joel Brodsky
• Producer – Roy Ayers
• Programmed By [Arp] – P. Craig Turner
• Recorded By [Kaye-smith/van Ackeren Studios] – Ron Gangnes
• Soprano Saxophone – Joe Brazil
• Vibraphone, Lead Vocals, Synthesizer [Arp], Electric Piano, Clavinet, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Roy Ayers
• Vocals [Special Guest] – Edwin Birdsong

• Rights Society: ASCAP
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 1, Runout Side A, etched): PD 6057-A-S- PRC-l-ll-l F/W NYC SJR [apple image] PRC
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 1, Runout Side B, etched): PD 6057-B-S- PRC-l-ll-l F/W [apple image] SJR PRC
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 2, Runout Side A, etched): PD 6057-A-S- PRC-l F/W NYC SJR [apple image] -II-III PRC
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 2, Runout Side B, etched): PD 6057-B-S- PRC-l-ll-lI F/W [apple image] SJR PRC