Widely, and justly, regarded among the most important fusion recordings of its era, this 1974 album waited almost 35 years before finally making it onto CD, and the first thing that strikes you is just how warm the whole thing still sounds. So many of Pork Pie's early-'70s pioneering peers sound weak and thin today, but Transitory is just as electrifying now as it was at the time.
Philip Catherine's guitar playing is largely responsible for this; underrated even by the people who acknowledge his genius,
Catherine cuts through his bandmates with such finesse and imagination that, even when you're sure you know where everything is leading, the guitar is on hand to re-route your expectations. The two-part title track is especially revelatory, while you'll crack a smile at the final cut, "March of the Oil Sheiks. When Transitory was originally released, the west was reeling from a massive oil shortage. It returns to the shelves all these years later -- and the west is reeling from another one. This is one of the albums that will help you get through it. ~ Dave Thompson