Search - Bill Bruford :: Rock Goes to College

Interesting music, lousy sound...

J. A. de França | Espinho, Portugal | 10/01/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not as enthusiastic about the music as the previous reviewer, but I overall agree with his description of the music, which was instrumental in my decision of buying this CD.

On the music: it's not outstanding musically. It's interesting 70's fusion music, by outstanding musicians.

Only, I was not at all expecting that the sound recording would be so poor. It's lousy. The BBC engineers did an incredibly poor job. Wouldn't imagine this was possible...

It's a shame the sound quality does not live up to the high standard of the musicians. They surely deserve better.

I will rate the music with three stars and the sound with one star. But music is so much more important for me than sound, I'll settle for an overall rating of three stars...

Had I the opportunity of listening to this CD before buying, I would not have bought it.

"

HOLDSWORTH/ BRUFORD: BBC Rock Goes To College!...

Jeff T. Jesmorh | Mexico City. | 08/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Back in 1977, A consumated myth, Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson), released his first solo album "FEELS GOOD TO ME" (1977) with the participation of great keyboardist Dave Stewart, a relative unknown american bass player Jeff Berlin; and the growing myth Allan Holdsworth. Before this, Bruford and Holdsworth literally filled every room beyond expectatives at the bands they were. In 1978, Bill Bruford, Eddie Jobson and John Wetton formed the progressive band U.K. and by Bruford recommendation, guitarist Allan Holdsworth (Soft Machine, Gong, Tony Williams, Jean Luc-Ponty) fill the place to complete the cuartet creating a chemistry few times listened in music, that meant a well earned place aside big english Progressive bands as Yes, ELP or Genesis... But that's not all! "FEELS GOOD TO ME" wasn't just another solo effort. What the neophyt must know, is what it actually meant, for the Progressive field: A giant cornerstone where a lot of new and past bands, nowadays feed (and still feed!) their deeper musical roots...



In this recorded concert, BBC ROCK GOES TO COLLEGE (1979), the sonic approches of the music with Jazzy fills or Hard Rock accents, the up tempo rhythms with outrageous musical modulations or the bitonal combinations with the odd key changes that these young four musicians got in the studio with the participation of poet singer Annette Peacock in 1977, were what they actually achive: an explosive tasty balanced Fusion. And that's exactly what you shall get for in this emotive amazing live BBC concert of the first lineup of the Bruford band. But be carefull! Maybe the neophyt, the new listerner will have a little risky temptation to dislike or patronize the Peacock performance, but as Bill Bruford at the inside CD booklet especifies:



" And then there was Annette. Chanteuse, poet, rapper, jazz musician, pianist-somewhere in there was the oestregen that this testoterone-fuelled group desperately needed for balance... her contribution is provocative, unsettling and on the edge; my only regret is that we didn't work together longer and explore further."



During the presentation the band played with conviction and real confidence showing the high level of musicianship adquired with the years. With his classic tone and timbre, Bill Bruford played with accuracy and getting in all kind of assorted percussions, while Allan Holdsworth played his fantastic liquid legato style driving with different chord textures and providing the powerfull side of the band with solos that really cut through track by track. I must say that the young Holdsworth played two self made guitars, because no one had trademark in the neck (please check it out in the DVD). Maple with black pickguard, and Red with black pickguard but for some reason the maple one sounded better (a little bit high toned) than the red one. Meanwhile Dave Stewart, played amazing finesse key textures that provided the precise atmosphere as tracks gone bye. And although the american bassist Jeff berlin had some missed notes, he showed total control and knowledge in his instrument, but his playing seemed a little bit gloomy, because at times, the played notes by the way during the "5G" track at high speed, lose clearness by the tone of his instrument. But generally speaking, the performance of the band was outstanding... It's good to see a great band having fun everytime they play!...



This marvellous live concert offers furthermore, four new songs (at that time) of the "ONE OF A KIND" album (1979): "The Sahara Snow Parts I & II", "5G" (written by Jeff Berlin), and a song that was played a lot of times on the road with U.K. band, "Forever Until Sunday" (credited Bruford/Jobson in the ROAD TEST live album in 1978). From the "FEELS GOOD TO ME" album were played the tracks "Sample and Hold", "Beelzebub", "Back to the beginning" and "Adios a la Pasada (Goodbye to the Past)" which its correct traduction to spanish is "Adios al Pasado" but whatever..., to resume, the importance of a well recorded auditive and visual document as this live BBC concert presentation make it a worthwhile legacy not just for the die hard fan, but for the beginner that really wants to know and incursionate in the roots of the Jazz Fusion music. So do you want to see the masters Holdsworth and Bruford Live?... Good Luck!



A last Note: Look for U.K. in the You Tube Web, for Allan Holdsworth unknown videos of "In The Dead Of Time" and never seen A.H. concerts ("At The Galaxy" and others!), plus an Old Gray Whistle Test video of Bruford's "Back To The Beginning".

"