Taking in 23 tracks from the Bruford band, Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, Bruford Towner Gomez, Bruford Levin and Earthworks Underground, while a huge host of styles and approaches are explored, in the main, these come in a jazz setting. Bruford in the interesting and thoughtful essay contained in the hardback book (for those who remember them, it’s like a ‘Ladybird Book’), which also features some fantastic visuals, is keen not to squeeze the music included into genre pigeon-holes, but if the first section contains the ‘prog’, then the next two house the ‘jazz’. Admittedly, it would have been quite something to also have maybe had a live Genesis cut in here somewhere, but I’m guessing that would have been a challenge in terms of ownership, while keen Yes fans will maybe wonder why the first two albums don’t receive any recognition at all.Īrguably, however, while those first two discs contain most of Bruford’s best known output in terms of the acts they represent, it’s what comes after that’s maybe most interesting in terms of having a fresh light shone upon it.
With the Crimson work being a clever mix of studio and live, the hugely different aspects of that outfit are also explored, and given how their music evolved on stage, it really was vital that it was an ideology represented here. Bill Bruford & Colin Riley is impressive in itself - and also enough to tell a large part of that story. However, considering that most of the music on discs one, two, five and six probably doesn’t fall under Bruford’s stewardship, that he’s managed to amass three Yes tracks, fifteen from King Crimson and one apiece from UK, ABW&H and Piano Circus feat. Now, in this age where 30+ CD sets are no longer a rarity, it’s clear that this collection is very far from being exhaustive, and rarities are not really to be found. Incredibly, across this six disc set, those adventures into progressive rock and beyond only cover one third of what’s been presented, with Bruford quite cleverly taking a mainly chronological look through three distinct areas of his considerable body of work - The Collaborator, The Composing Band Leader and The Special Guest & Improvisor. An integral member of the fledgling Yes and a pivotal figure in the evolution of King Crimson, that this drummer extraordinaire can also add a brief tenure with Genesis, time with UK, Brand X and Anderson Bruford Wakeman And Howe to his resume, puts this rightly lauded drummer in a genuinely unique position of having performed with three of prog’s most celebrated acts - and more. Bruford, Bill: Making A Song And Dance - A Complete-Career Collection (6CD)Īsk most serious prog fans for a list of their favourite drummers and the name Bill Bruford is sure to come up pretty quickly.
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