THINGS WE LIKE

Things We Like? Things I like, too.

First and foremost, be warned. This is a jazz album. There is no prog, or even rock, whatsoever on this album. Jack Bruce does not play a single note on his electric bass on this album. If you do not like pure be-bop, read no further.

What an unexperted twist from Jack Bruce on his second solo endeavor. A completely straight jazz album. And you know what? It's a very good jazz album. Bruce, it turns out, could have done just fine as an acoustic jazz bass player. And the band he has assembled here is first rate.

The majority of the songs here are primarily drums/bass/sax. John McLaughlin tends to lay back for the most part. But the drums, bass and sax are all so good, you hardly notice the lack of guitar most of the time, anyway.

For a jazz album, I'd rate it four stars, but no prog, it gets only 3 here.

Under that typical jazzy album title, you'll the ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce's second solo album. If you think that JB and jazz don't really mix, you're in a for a bit of a surprise, as Jack first came to prominence with Graham Bond's ORGANization, and JB and GB (Ginger) used to joke the Cream was a jazz band, and that they never told Clapton so. More than the Cream connection, here, we're getting the Colosseum (Heckstall-Smith and Hiseman replaced JB and GB in Bond's band) and we're heavily in a standard jazz affair ? which might be very strange, since JB was also involved with McL in Tony Williams' Lifetime, which was much more "fusiony". Actually, TWL was recorded prior to JB's first official solo album, but the present is indeed his first try (recorded in Aug 68)? but only found release almost two years afterwards.

So, the quartet's line-up might have hinted you as an all-star JR/F group, but we're quite distant from that realm. Six of the seven tracks are Bruce composition (he plays only stand-up bass on TWL), and the lone medley Sam Enchanted Dick (sic?) is more or less in the same sonic template of the rest of the album. Indeed, we're dealing with a fairly competent late-50's or early-60's boppy jazz that will raise your eyebrows, mostly because that's about the last thing you'd expect from these dudes. Were they out to prove something to the old-guard of jazzers? Maybe so, but personally, I find that, outside McL and to a lesser extent DHS, this is the kind of stuff that lacks a certain credibility from the "rock-related" crowds. Don't expect much of McL's fiery guitar histrionics (he does get the odd spot here and there, but nothing of the sort of Devotion or Mahavishnu), because he's relatively low-key. DHS' gets more sunshine, but it's clearly JB's show ? and to that same extent, drummer Hiseman gets to pull his wild cards out on the table. You'll find the odd inspiration in JB's jazz writing. The more modern-sounding track of the album? HCKHH Blues, without a doubt.

So, if not familiar with TWL, I'd strongly suggest that you lend an earshot (not even very attentive) before investing in the album, because the line-up (written out on the front cover) can (and will) induce into error. Is it a good standard jazz album?? Maybe so, but given the déjà-entendu sonics (save McL's electric interventions), it certainly sounds like a waste of talent at the time? I'd have loved to hear these guys let it all hang out in the wild JF/F affair.

I have to correct the low rating this excellent album has for potential 'prog' buyers. If you believe prog music can cover a wide range of styles and genres (not just Brit bands from the 70s with mellotrons and mini Moog) and include artists such as Ornette Coleman, Carla Bley or even Satie or Stravinsky under that description then this could be a 'prog' album that you might enjoy. Especially if you like jazz-tinged bands such as early Soft Machine, or early fusion inventors such as Tony Williams' Emergency, or the first excellent album by McLaughlin (Extrapolation) then you WILL certainly enjoy this album. I would not call it a bebop album but a precursor of the fusion wave that was starting to emerge (e.g. Extrapolation, Larry Coryell's early stuff, and of course Tony Williams pioneering jazz-rock invention). If any of these bands are to your liking then you need this album. The band seems to love Ornette Coleman but does not go as far and free as Ornette. Instead, they are entering the new ground that was to be the brit jazz-rock explosion of the late 60s and early 70s.

This one is first and foremost a jazz effort and certainly not even close to fusion despite some promising names in the line-up. I like faster stuff better, such as the first and last dynamic (title) track. McLaughlin is less recognizable than the saxophone player who is the leader on the record. "Over the cliff" is a very busy galloping short track with a vivid saxophone solo and frenetic acoustic bass. Refreshment comes with McLaughling joining the board on the third track where saxophone takes some break; McLaughlin shows fast playing as well as more restrained chords. Saxophone playing is exquisite.

Acquired taste even for Jack Bruce fans since this is a large departure from straighforward blues rock but a great testimony of Jack Bruce skills.