Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 38, Number 13. 12th June 1975

Out Of The Storm by Jack Bruce (RSO)

Out Of The Storm by Jack Bruce (RSO)

Jack Bruce is to rock what Stone's Green Ginger Wine is to Friday night: unmistakeable, and as essential as the Essential James Joyce. Today Cream is remembered as a brilliant music band, the leaders along with Hendrix and not-too-many others. But those songs were more than riffs and drum solos — take a look again at 'Disraeli Gears' or 'Wheels of Fire'. Those titles are strange man, and the lyrics are not mere burnt-out acid-madness ash. They're highly colourful: bizarre and apathetic; the work of Bruce and Pete Brown.

After Cream, Bruce worked with Life-time, then made one excellent album, 'Songs For A Tailor'. They were great songs: lyrics by Pete Brown twisted into poetry — 'The Ministry of Bag', 'Rope-ladder To The Moon', and the classic 'Wierd of Hermiston'. Then came 'Harmony Row' with Brown again, which was not as successful, and a jazz-inflected album, 'Things We Like'. Then some work with West, Bruce and Laing.

And now 'Out Of The Storm', and Pete Brown again. All the lyrics are by him.

This:

... When the life is made of straw
Can you twll me what it's for
Waves that pound against the door
Leave me at the place of/
throw it away / throw it away ...

(Pieces of Mind)

and this:

Playing for time, searching for signs
Save the eyes so bright, from closing in the night
Keep the softest flame burning ...

(Golden Days)

it's part of the English genius, and has a marked affinity with the excess of Victorian romanticism. If not on the page then certainly on record — in Bruce's haunting delivery. He composed all of the music, sings all of the vocals and plays a number of instruments. In addition Steve Hunter (he was here with Lou Reed last year) features on guitar, and both Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon play drums.

It's something of a musical wilderness; it's heavy, but a heaviness that has nothing to do with volume — no screaming electric fire. Obliquely, not deliberately Bruce and Brown invoke the elements of an older, ancient past. Something dreadful and pagan: this is what is unique to the music of Jack Bruce. And 'Out of the Storm' confirms a style, but has fewer suprises that the earlier albums.

The album title? 1) like Clapton, Bruce has apparently been weaned off heroin lately 2) the album might just as easily have been called 'More Stonehenge Blues'.