Sound of Surprise

Bill Bruford | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 27, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Discipline Us
• ASIN: B00005A8IK
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,121 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Revel Without A Pause

2. Triplicity

3. The Shadow Of A Doubt

4. Teaching Vera To Dance

5. Half Life

6. Come To Dust

7. Cloud Cuckoo Land

8. Never The Same Way Once

9. The Wooden Man Sings, And The Stone Woman Dances: Prelude/The Wooden Man Sings/...And The Stone...

Editorial Reviews

This enhanced CD is an out of print collectible!It is the 2001 Discipline Global Mobile release. Catalog DGM0101. There is a hole punch through the UPC.Enhanced CD contains live concert video. Place CD into a CD-ROM drive and follow instructions. .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Earthworks in the stratosphere, April 15, 2002

By 

Johanna McKenna (North Bay, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sound of Surprise (Audio CD)

I became a diehard Earthworks fan after seeing them live for the first time in 1999, just prior to the release of "A Part, and Yet Apart. This is one of the few bands I will actively seek out on release day - and with good reason. This is their finest studio effort yet, and truly showcases the immense individual and collective talents of Bill Bruford and this lineup's young virtuosos(all under 30 and from the burgeoning London jazz scene). If you felt that the previous release was a bit too soft, fasten your seatbelt for this one. While "Surprise" contains a couple of ballads (the ever gorgeous "Come to Dust" and "The Shadow of a Doubt"), there are surprisingly delicious turns such as "Triplicity" and the finale tune "The Wooden Man Dances and the Stone Woman Sings." A MUST HAVE for any jazz collection and particularly for Bruford fans. His jazz chops will stupify even the most diehard King Crimson fans.

For those fortunate enough to have ever seen this group live, you well know what a joy Bruford and his colleagues are to watch on stage. Bruford maintains the enthusiasm of a child on his instrument yet plays with the focus and seeming effortlessness that have earned him his status as a drumming legend. Patrick, Mark and Steve each possess a richness and depth beyond their years that evokes the playing of many jazz legends of the 50s and 60s.

Give this a thorough listen and enjoy the seven minute video of "Some Shiver While He Cavorts", a tune erroneously labeled as "Never the Same Way Once." It is a mere taste of their phenomenal live performances.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Acoustic Earthworks????? Inconceivable!!!!!, August 20, 2001

By 

Earthworksman (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sound of Surprise (Audio CD)

What in God's name has Bill done to my beloved Earthworks?

Well, all I have to say is, after All Heaven Broke Lose (Earthworks' 3rd studio release), I was dubious, to say the least. Their 1st album was incredible fusion. Their 2nd was just, perhaps, a little less so, and their 3rd was a bit regrettable. So, I procrastinated on getting A Part, and Yet Apart. Purchased more than a year after its release, I finally put "A Part" into my CD player to find out what this new incarnation was capable of. And this is what I found: they got better!! Inconceivable! What a great CD! With 5 tracks that are absolutely superb, and the rest less so, this is one dynamite CD.

So, it was with great anticipation that I pre-ordered my copy of The Sound of Surprise, which not surprisingly turned out to be a wonderful follow-up and excellent complement to A Part, and Yet Apart. What WAS surprising is that they got better! That is to say, the overall quality of the compositions (melodies courtesy of The Maestro) got better. Inconceivable!

With all new musicians, save for the founder, Earthworks' MVP has to be not The Maestro, but Steve Hamilton, the pianist. Not that Mark Hodges (bass) or Patrick Clahar (sax) are slouches. On the contrary, they are incredible. But while the gifted Hodges (he really is exceptional) takes a traditional role, and the talented Clahar the usual lead role, Hamilton does it all, in the background, without fanfare nor ego... at least from my perspective, having seen them live. But, what really makes Hamilton shine is his mixture of styles, his wonderful touch, and his sublime style. He IS the perfect complement to The Maestro, Bill Bruford! This is one band I hope stays together for a very long time.

So, it is with glee that I rate this CD 5 stars, along with its predecessor, A Part, and Yet Apart. Buy them both!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Piece of Work From Bruford & Friends, June 26, 2001

By 

Cactus Ed (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sound of Surprise (Audio CD)

What more can anyone say about Bill Bruford's masterful drumming? The guy is simply the best drummer around! Okay, I admit my bias - but Bill's drumming can get a person to listen to Yes ( the early - and best - stuff from them ), several variations of the enigmatic King Crimson, fusion jazz and now this, a sort of "traditional" jazz. He energizes it all. I just saw this latest version of Earthworks in a small jazz club - man were they good! As good as they are on record, they are ten times that live. I hope they do in fact make a live record. Great job here fellows!