I'll agree with the clever part.
It's taken me a while to gain at least some appreciation for what Carla Bley does (or tries to do) in her music, so I'm sympathetic to others lack of response (I still find enough to fault). This album seems to me to be a little easier to access. What do you not like about it Paul? I'd be interested in your thoughts on it, or her work generally, if you would care to share them.
Continuing the theme:
THE CARLA BLEY BAND: EUROPEAN TOUR 1977 - Watt LP. Great band: Andrew Cyrille, Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, Roswell Rudd, et al.
At one point in time, I enjoyed Carla Bley's records. Actually, Social Studies was where I got off. Going back and listening over the years - and more so these days - I find that cleverness (to borrow your term) outweighs substance by a good margin. I also find that many of the musicians in her bands did better work elsewhere. That may or may not have been her fault.
All this is just my opinion. I hope you don't let it influence you. I don't want to take away any enjoyment that someone else finds in music.