BRAND XIs There Anything About? / Missing Period / Live At The Roxy, LA
Gonzo Multimedia
It’s
feast time for fusion fans as a shedload of rare and unreleased material is
thrust upon the world, starting with this triumvirate from fusion legends, Brand
X.
Seems
that John Goodsall aka Johnny Mandala found a bunch of reel to reel tapes which
turned out to be Brand X rehearsal tapes from a time before their debut album.
Dusted down and tidied up, “Missing Period” is an interesting insight into their
formative days. Of course, time being what it is, we don’t really know what’s
what but Goodsall and Jones reckon it features them, along with Atomic Roosters
Preston Heyman, Robin Lumley on keyboards and some fella called Phil
Collins.
Fast
forward to 1979 and we have a soundboard recording from the Roxy in Los Angeles,
stunningly titled “Live At The Roxy, LA”. Heyman had gone, Peter Robinson had
arrived as a second keyboard player, and what you have is, in places, fantastic.
Listen to the band firing on ‘Nuclear Burn’ and be amazed.
Finally
we have the contractual obligation that is “Is There Anything About?”, so titled
because they’d ran out of material to give to the label. Hence ‘TMIU-ATGA’.
They’re making it up as they go along. It’s the least significant of these
releases, and one for competists only.
PERCY JONESCape Catastrophe
Gonzo Multimedia
Fast
forward to the late eighties and bass player Percy Jones is living in New York,
where this solo album was recorded.
It’s
a proper solo album with Jones doing all the synth programming, as well as
playing his marvellous bass. It’s interesting rather than essential, and is most
definitely an eighties album.
Chock
full of electronic widdly bits, it would have come as a shock to Brand X fans,
but as a curio of its time, it’s certainly worth a listen.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
 | Tunnels CD - £9.99 |
 | Cape Catastrophe CD - £9.99 |
 | The X Files - A 20 Year Retrospective 2CD - £11.99 |
 | Is There Anything About? CD - £9.99 |
 | Live at the Roxy, LA 1979 CD - £9.99 |
 | Missing Period CD - £9.99 |
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