Passport-Looking Thru (1973)

Passport's fourth album, and as with all their previous releases, frontman Klaus Doldinger recruited a nearly entirely new lineup. However, this time he managed to bring together some of the musicians who would remain on the next four albums, confirming that the saxophonist had finally found his ideal formation. These members were keyboardist Kristian Schulze, drummer Curt Cress, and bassist Wolfgang Schmidt. With this lineup now complete, Doldinger crafted another easy-listening jazz fusion album, incorporating some avant-garde elements, such as the progressive title track. Despite these avant-garde and progressive sounds, it remains quite accessible, with a rhythm that is often fast-paced and tight. For many, this is their closest album to krautrock in its jazz-rock vein, due to the light improvisations, funky rhythms, and atmospheric, spacious keyboards. Tracks like the jazz-rock anthem "Eternal Spiral" showcase a slight shift towards more energetic territory, partly due to Cress's driving drumming. Jazz fusion is present in the catchy "Rockport" and "Tarantula", while the ethereal "Things to Come" and the excellent "Zwischenspiel" make for another enjoyable and outstanding album from the iconic German group.