Upward Curve: The Recordings 1973-1976 (Uk)

New 3CD clamshell box set by the acclaimed Jazz Rock band Isotope. Isotope was formed in 1973 by talented guitarist Gary Boyle and originally featured Jeff Clyne on bass, Brian Miller on keyboards and Nigel Morris on drums. Clyne had previously played with Ian Carr's Nucleus, while Gary Boyle had played with Stomu Yamashta's East Wind. Isotope's self-titled debut album was released in 1974 and continued the tradition of Jazz Rock fusion that had been pioneered by acts such as Tony Williams' Lifetime and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Although their debut album was critically acclaimed, Brian Miller and Jeff Clyne departed Isotope shortly after it's release and were replaced by former Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper and keyboard player Laurence Scott. This line-up recorded the excellent album 'Illusion' with former Family member Poli Palmer producing the sessions. Regarded as a Jazz Rock classic, 'Illusion' was met with critical praise and was Isotope's most commercially successful work. By the time the band's final album, 'Deep End' was recorded in March 1976, the band's line-up featured Boyle and Morris along with Dan K. Brown on bass and Zoe Kronberger and Frank Roberts on keyboards. This 3 CD set has been newly remastered from the original master tapes and includes nine bonus tracks drawn from a 1973 performance for BBC Radio 'In Concert', along with a 1974 session for BBC TV's Old Grey Whistle Test and four remixes from 2001.