UK

When I ordered this 8-track from Columbia House, I had no idea what it was. I have always loved taking risks because I have found that I discover a lot of great bands that way. The description of this album in the Columbia House catelog said it was "jazz-rock" and that of course is what sold me on it. When the 8-track came in the mail, I had just got home from a hard days work and was very tired. I stuck the 8-track into the stereo and laid down on my bed and went on a trip I never forgot. With my eyes close, I could see the music. I fell in love with this band and it was later that I discovered the real pedigree that made up the line- up for this amazing band. Yes, I was listening to U.K. before I even listened to King Crimson, and it opened the door to so much for me in the way of music.

The first three tracks are a suite. In the Dead of Night is the first movement and a great introduction to the music that follows, somewhat moderate in tempo, but attention-grabbing all the same. By the Light of Day follows immediately after and slows down the tempo and Eddie Jobson gets to show off here with some extremely beautiful swirling music which works in counterpoint with John Wettons vocals. The third movement is Presto Vivace and Reprise which is exactly what it is: Presto (very fast) Vivace (Lively) and Reprise of the original theme. Talk about technical beauty, this is where you really get to hear for the first time just how technically amazing John, Bill, Eddie and Allan really are and believe me, you will hear it many more times throughout the album.

The next track is Thirty Years. This one starts out very symphonic sounding. Expansive and beautiful, the instruments take you to a distant land and the vocals seem to plead of long, lost freedom that may never be obtained. The music takes a sharp turn which will catch you off guard, and the foursome gets to show off their technical prowress once again.

Alaska/Time to Kill make up the next two tracks and these songs are interconnected. Alaska is instrumental and starts out with a cool ambience that makes you think of being in the middle of a wind blown frozen expanse even if you don't know the title of the track. I love this one for the way it carries the listener away. Again the music takes a sudden turn and It almost seems like you have been picked up and thrown flying across the landscape and you are watching it speed past underneath you. The following track starts in immediately with probably the most commercial track on the album that is if you can consider any of this commercial at all. The nice thing about this track is during the instrumental break and how it builds up to screeching and screaming as the final chorus brings all the chaos back down to ground level again.

Nevermore. What a beauty of a track. This is the best one of the bunch. Probably the closest thing to jazz freeform on the album, but simply amazing. Technically wonderful. Almost beyond words. And so full of surprises throughout the entire track. You just have to listen to it and be amazed. Enough said, this one speaks for itself.

The last track is Mental Medication. I never really liked the vocals in this one, but the instrumentals in this one are similar to the instrumentals in Nevermore, but less freeform and broken up into three major rhythm changes. This redeems the song quite nicely. Unfortunately the last verse of the vocals ends the album quite quickly and for me it gives the album a weak ending. However, even that can not take away from the masterpiece that this album is. This is essential for a prog rock library. If you don't have this album (and the follow up album "Danger Money") or have never heard it, you are missing a major part of the essential prog library. Get your hands on this, you will not be sorry.

Okay, so it's not the debut. And, it does have a somewhat "Asia-esque" quality to it. Danger Money is still a marvelous progressive album that should be on any collectors shelf. WHile not as original as it's predecessor, I still find this to be a great release with few weak points. The only track I find less than perfect on here is "The Only Thing She Needs" which just seems to ramble and never gets my attention. Otherwise, "Danger Money", "Caeser Palace Blues", etc are fantastic. And "Carrying No Cross" is my favorite of all UK's efforts. Great prog. Losing 2 members did little to hurt this band, except maybe the "jazzier" feel of the first album is replaced by a more "classic rock" feel. I know some find the material here somewhat dated, but I really don't get that feeling. Now Asia....dated too the max. So overall, 4 stars, really 4 1/2.

The 2 new songs are what really bring the interest to this release. "Night After Night" is pretty standard (Asia-like really), and "As Long As You Want Me Here" is okay but not spectacular. The rest of the album is live versions of songs taken from UK and Danger Money. Only "Alaska" and "In the Dead of Night" live up to their original excellence, both are performed with energy and skill. The rest of the tracks are pretty standard renditions of the album songs with little new brought in or added. Overall, this is a skilled testament to the band members prowess, but besides showing 2 new songs, I will rate this a 3 stars. Good, not great. Stick with the classic UK and the very good Danger Money.

In my opinion, UK was one of the greatest band in late 70-s, when punk was all around. They released just two studio albums, but both are excellent examples of symphonic jazz-rock of highest quality.

This live relesase existed for years as bootleg, and was released as official CD in Japan in 2007 only. It contains really "live" recordings from 1978 Boston show. No too much overdubs or cleaning. Songs are all wellknown and come from both studio albums.

Sound is clear but quite raw, it gave you a possibility to listen some really unusual for regular recordings things: vocals is in front, but not always synchronised with music, keyboards sound differently from studio recording, some guitar moments are really heavy.etc. But all these nuances don't destroy recording, they just give some "documentary" feeling to it.

In fact, there are not too many different moments from both studio albums, so I believe for many listeners it is more than enough. But any real fan of UK, Allan Holdsworth or any other band's member will find plenty of enjoyng moments listening to this real live evidence from bands great time.

For sure, this release is not only collectrors wet dream. Anyone, who's interested to know UK better, will easily listen it with pleasure as well.

Symphonic prog fusion with slight hints of disco(?)

What do four veterans of the prog rock and jazz fusion circuits do at the end of the 70's, a time when both genres were looking ''un-cool'' in the eyes of the popular domain? Logically, they make an album that merges prog rock and jazz fusion. For the average prog or fusion lackey, this crossover is splendid. But, there are quite a bit of cheesy vocal spots.

I feel that the lounge singer feel of Wetton's vocals is making me picture disco in the musical fabric. Yes, I'm saying that there's a possibility that one of prog's carcinogens is integrated into the sound, yet the overall fusion sound covers up any obvious traces of disco.

This album is Eddie Jobson's baby as he has a hand in writing every last possible track, and the sound that makes UK slightly disctinct (other than Holdsworth's guitar work) is that CS80 Polyphonic that purges to the forefront of the sound here. It's the main keyboard being used, and I like it's sound because it's ''futuristic'' and it's a break from the Hammonds and mellotrons and Moogs (oh my!). Wetton's bass occasionally is of notice, but it doesn't serve much more than the role of rhythm which is fine by me since it's done well. And I need not comment on Bruford's drumming.

The opening suite takes most of the credit for me liking this album as it's got a poppy, jumpy feel in the beginning and ending with a serene middle. ''Alaska/Time to Kill'' is also of notice for the ELP-esque explosion halfway through the first part and the fusion breakdown on ''Time to Kill''. There's also an amusing fusion dance-fest in the middle of ''Mental Medication''. The two 8-minute numbers are slightly weaker due to length issues, but both feature impressive guitar mechanics with a brilliant acoustic guitar performance at the beginning of ''Nevermore''.

Recommended if you enjoy sleazy jazz fusion, ''futuristic'' sounding keyboards, and/or fans of any of the bands that Jobson/Bruford/Holdsworth/Wetton were a part of before this (possibly excluding mid 70's Crimson).

— First review of this album —

First of all I don' t understand the choice regarding the bonus tracks: a few melodic songs taken from "Akustika", including such a famous ballad like "The smile has left you eyes", whose utility is not clear here...then the new (actually the old one) proposal for the same songs as in their live from Boston (this latter being already equal to the "UK classics" or also to "The road test"), which is a sort of duplication regarding all the US concerts, even though from the "best music era" concerning the remarkable Wetton's career!! Besides their usual famous songs- such as "The Only thing She Needs", "Carring No Cross" and "Caesar's Palace Blues"- don't add anything new, in comparison to the excellent version of their studio album; nevertheless it's always a pleasure listening to a couple of virtuosic musicians like Holdsworth and Jobson together, plus an excellent bass player like Wetton...the problem was the absurd competition between the guitarist (which brought about his continual improvisation in the composition) and the keyboard player, whose duplication of the identical solos during every concert, was the pretentious attitude to oblige Mr Holdsworth to do the same and- of course- it was not the right thing in my opinion...the album"Danger Money", without Holdsworth, made the ensemble a "keyboard-oriented trio", unlike the line-up of the first album, whose music direction is more jazzy and "prog- fusion like". So, as for all these reasons, the lack of a great guitarist in the following year was the cause of their ruin- as well as the end of the supergroup...generally I prefer the studio version, but the present live is worth checking out at least (the same consideration as for "UK road test"), even though I don't like the mixer effects regulated on Wetton's voice without reverberation.

Good but not essential in my opinion!!

MILESTONE ALBUM!PURE MASTERPIECE!MONUMENT IN MUSIC!I don't know,honestly what else could be sayed about this monumental piece of true artistical genius?!?!!In fact,my humble review is a modest tribute of respect and endless admiration to something FABULOUS!This album had a major impact in music at the time of it's release ,it was before time,it was a true atomic bomb in music,something that even today is giving subjects ,themes of discusion how it was possible for such a sensational album to be released in 1978 - already 32 years ago,and it is still so modern and actual!OK,it was supergroup-not necessary to mention the monsters which composed it,but how was possibly to create such an intelligent amalgam of brilliant songs,complicated but in the same accessible,ucomercial but in the same time with a huge impact on so many people at that time?!?!?!It was a magic formula that wasn;'t found even on the second UK studio album!This first album is one of the most essential release in the history of music under all aspects!The musicianship is scarry,the technical aspect is mindblowing,the conception is outstanding!There aren't enough adjectives to appreciate this sensational album!Each musician was on top of it's inspiration and the cohesion of them was PERFECT!Holdsworth became world famous with this album,Bruford made a sensational appearance here,offering a spectacular prove that he is the best progressive drummer and Wetton found te best vocal tones after the KING CRIMSON era and just before starting a brilliant new chapter with Asia.From the first note and the superbe central musical theme which comes and comes from time to time during the album,to the last accord,every audition of this mythical album is offering moments of pure enchantment and pleasure,because is that kind of album that every time when we are listening it,we find new things and new ideas well and intelligent hidden,and it never loose it's endless charm and fascination!!!FABULOUS! 500 STARS for a monumental masterpiece!

If ever there was prog, this is it. This was extremely innovative. I purchased the disc when it first came out in '78. We had never heard anything like it before. Listening to this today, it is less innovative to be sure, but it has aged extremely well. Strange how their second disc, Danger Money, never really did anything for me. Sure, I bought that one as well when it first came out, but it never came close to their first one.......though I still play it now and again. Anyway, if you don't have this disc or have never heard it before, go get it.....you're in for a treat. We'll not see the likes of these musicians again for quite some time.

Bruford, Holdsowrth, Jobson & Wetton: UK's One Album Prog Supergroup

The debut album by this incredibly talented and unique band is indeed a very impressive debut from the musicianship point of view with John's agressive bass lines and particular voice, Eddie's raving violin and future-esque keyboards, Allan's unique guitar tone and Bill's complicated rhythms, a Prog fan really can't ask for more, can he?

No, not really. The album has it all from odd time signatures, which are not that odd really for the Prog fan, to plenty of delightful and inventive solos, plus loads of variation within one song. Clear example of this is the 13 minute suite called In The Dead of Night which compromises the first three tracks; you got the very modern keyboards by Eddie shining in rapid paced passages and some very soft and futuristic ones, then there's Allan's always singular jazzy guitar expressed with extreme delicacy and finally the unmatchable King Crimson rhythm section of Wetton and Bruford.

The other highlight would be Thirty Years which is pretty much more of the same, and the last track, Mental Medication which evolves from John's calm and emotional vocals to a talent fest featuring a very Ponty-esque violin solo, a splendid guitar solo, a extremely catchy but at the same time complicated rhythm and a wonderful sparkling keyboard solo, all in all showing what U.K. could offer.

While I wouldn't consider it a classic Prog, UK's debut stands as a very strong and unique Prog album released in a time where most Prog bands were loosing their steam, for that UK deserves no less than 4 stars and it being listened by all Prog fans at least once.

Excellent debut album. Great musicians - half of fresh ( for the moment) King Crimson team (Bruford-Wetton) plus great gutarist from Gong Allan Holdsworth and Eddie Jobson ( Roxy Music).

From very first sounds you feel how great this music is. Highest level of musicianship, melted experience from explosively nervous King Crimson and Canterbury/fusion of Gong. All the best in one place and very tastefully prepared.

It's even difficult to speak about this album as about debut, all musicians were wellknown professionals yet. So, let say - fantastic beginning of great project.

Music by itself IMO is no way symphonic prog. Main space is filled by Crimsonian heavy prog and heavy fusion of middle period Gong. All other styles are more additives,spices, but all the dish is deliciously spiced!

Almost unpossible to find weak moment on all the record! Yes,it was a bad time for that kind of music, but this album is absolut swansong of progressive seventies.

Must have for any person,interested in progressive rock!