Search - Jack Bruce :: BBC Live in Concert

The other Bruce

running_man | Chesterfield Twp., MI | 05/06/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Any potential buyers of this Jack Bruce CD should pay attention to the obvious listing error here. While the track listings indicate this CD has fifteen songs, the first two words in the Amazon Review says "nine tracks". Talk about a red flag! While there is a CD version (as well as a DVD version) of Bruce's 'Whistle Test' performance for BBC television, none of the fifteen tracks featured there appear on Jack's 'BBC Live In Concert'. The nine tracks you receive on 'BBC Live...' are as follows:



1. You Burned the Tables On Me

2. Folk Song

3. A Letter of Thanks

4. Smiles $ Grins

5. We're Going Wrong

6. The Clearout

7. Have You Ever Loved a Woman

8. Powerhouse Sod

9. You Sure Look Good To Me



But the confusion doesn't end there. Once you get the disc, you'll be informed that these live tracks were recorded at the Paris Theatre in London in 1977. Well, that just can't be, since the legendary Graham Bond serves as Bruce's right hand man, and he died in 1974 at the age of 37 under the wheels of a train. Quite a comeback! A visit to guitarist Chris Spedding's website lists the concert as taking place in 1971, and that makes sense since the first four tracks are drawn from Bruce's second solo disc, released in 1971, and one track ('The Clearout'), is drawn from his premier solo effort in 1969. We also have one track from Cream's 'Disraeli Gears', an intense and faithful version of 'We're Going Wrong', and a meandering, 17 minute blog of jazz fusion titled 'Powerhouse Sod'. That track was originally a 'West, Bruce and Laing' number (it's featured on their 'Live and Kickin' CD), and as such predictably features a wonderful, all-too-short heavy bass solo from Jack. And to add just another dash of confusion, we have the Graham Bond version of 'Have You Ever Loved a Woman', which was originally written by Freddy King in 1960. Of course the most famous version is Eric Clapton's, which is credited to Billy Myles. This one sounds like the Clapton version, but with slightly altered lyrics.



The music on Jack Bruce's 'BBC Live In Concert' is, not surprisingly, bass heavy (although Jack's bass playing here isn't noticably exemplary, so the mix doesn't really warrant bringing his playing up front), and also heavy into the jazz fusion, which Bruce was experimenting with in the early 1970's. In fact, most of the album would have to be characterized as jazz fusion, with the exception of the rhythm and blues tracks 'We're Going Wrong' and 'Have You Ever Loved a Woman', and the 'West, Bruce and Laing' hard rock sound of 'The Clearout'. Unfortunately, Jack doesn't take to jazz fusion as well as he took to psychedelic rock with 'Cream'. The first four tracks along with the laborious 'Powerhouse Sod' are rather cluttered and disorganized, with each instrumentalist seemingly pursuing their own improvisations. There is a tenor sax player (Art Theman) along for the ride, even though Bond adds his own alto sax at times, and the two show up together in the seven minute closer, 'You Sure Look Good To Me'. Drums are provided by John Marshall, but his two solo's, featured on 'The Clearout' and 'Powerhouse Sod', are remarkably undistinguished. The best feature of the whole production is Bruce's vocals. It's wonderful to hear his soaring, familiar voice, even if the compositions and instrumental backing are inferior compared to the 'Cream' tracks his voice is so strongly associated with.



Although Jack Bruce writes his own liner notes for 'BBC Live In Concert', and he does comment on both the members of his backing band and the songs themselves, his thoughts are brief and seem sugar-coated. Not what one expects from a member of the quintessential power rock trio of the 1960's. But then again, neither is the production, which may be essential for Jack Bruce completists, but serves only to satisfy the curiosity over "what became of Jack Bruce after Cream?" for the rest of us."

Jack Bruce with semi-god Graham Bond rule

grzegorz szymczak | Poland | 12/23/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This unique performance was bootleged by OH BOY "In concert" 1971. The quality of this CD is greater. We have excellent liner notes from Harry Shappiro - author of Graham Bond biography and master mind of British RnB. Jack is assisted by Chris Spedding on guitar who contributed to Jack's top album "Songs for tailor" and "Harmony row" plus drummer extraordinare John Marshall who also performened on those studio albums and played with Michael Gibbs and Mike Westbrook before joining Soft Machine. This album is a must have for JB fans"

Wow!

Anthony | Philadelphia suburbs | 01/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I find anything with Jack Bruce playing on it well worth my hard earned money. This particular line-up of Spedding, Marshall and Graham Bond is mind boggling! Jack Bruce's bass playing is legendary and his vocals are one of the best in rock music for the past 30 plus years. Graham Bond on keyboards is a pioneer. His many solo albums need to be released."