The Gonzo Daily: Brand X: Live At Roxy Belgium review (translated)

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Brand X: Live At Roxy Belgium review (translated)

BRAND X - Live at the Roxy/ Published on 20-01-2014 /

In 1979, the band Brand X , a small jewel of British jazz fusion, at the peak of his art. His first four albums "Unorthodox behavior" (1976), "Moroccan Roll"(1977), "Masks" (1978) and "Portrait" (1979), matching the live "Livestock" (1977), revealed a perennial work and technical, complex and elaborate, but always captivating with their energy and prowess of its creators. pieces must say that Phil Collins (drums, Phil Collins of Genesis ), John Goodsall (guitar), Percy Jones (bass, a time in Soft Machine and The Liverpool Scene , a group of 60) and Robin Lumley (keyboards) are the undisputed masters in their respective arts. Their association in Brand X delivers exceptional results with a technical standpoint. We are not quite here in the progressive rock but in jazz fusion, as demonstrated by the almost systematic absence of vocals on the first albums. In 1979, Brand X innovates a bit with "Portrait" , an album more influenced by the progressive. Radical fans of Brand X will also deny this album a little, regretting that jazz fusion orientations are somewhat obscured, the album even includes singing on some tracks. This is also Phil Collins who cares to vocalize. At the time, he is back in the group after 1978 when it was Chuck Burgi who had officiated on"Masks" . album "Portrait" is the subject of a tour at its output September 1979. It was during a concert at the Roxy in Los Angeles on September 23 a pirate recording is performed. This bootleg has circulated in various forms for many years now and here is a little more formal version was marketed by Gonzo Multimedia. Label "Live at the Roxy" includes six tracks mainly extracts from "Portrait" but also two pieces of "Moroccan roll" (1977) and one of "Unorthodox behavior" (1976). Once impeccable technique musicians romp over long ranges (again we find "Dance of the illegal aliens" , "Malaga virgin" , "... And so to F ..." , "Nuclear Burn" ). This listening is exciting but is slightly hampered by a sound that is not at its optimum, this concert is, as I recall, from a pirate. The pieces lost in sonic accuracy, however they recover gross energy, the atmosphere of the room is well reproduced.Spectators show their enthusiasm in small groups and musicians sympathetically Brand X harangue the crowd. This disc remains still recommended despite its lower sound quality because it keeps track of excellent interpretations of solid pieces of instrumental resources .