Personnel: Bill Bruford (spoken vocals, drums, cymbals, percussion); Jeff Berlin (vocals, bass); Sam Alder, Anthea Norman-Taylor (spoken vocals); Allan Holdsworth, John Clark (guitar); Patrick Moraz (piano); Dave Stewart (keyboards). Producers: Ron Malo, Robin Lumley, Patrick Moraz, Bill Bruford. This stunning collection represents the best of the solo excursions by master British drummer Bill Bruford. After his tenure with the seminal prog-rock group Yes and between various regroupings of King Crimson, Bruford has found time to maintain an impressive solo career, mostly in the jazz/rock fusion vein. As this collection demonstrates, Bruford is as musically sensitive as he is adventurous. The main thread that runs through these works is that, although Bruford certainly provides plenty of rhythmic intrigue with everything he plays, this is not necessarily drum-centric music. Instead, most tunes feature intense ensemble work dappled with spots of remarkable solo efforts. Also, sprinkled here and there are brief gems like Bruford’s duets with pianist Patrick Moraz and his interpretation of Max Roach’s “The Drum Also Waltzes” solo. Other worthy cuts include the opening “Hell’s Bells,” the energetic “Beelzebub,” and the off-kilter “Fainting In Coils,” which opens with a bizarre narration.
