Customer Reviews

Willpower: A 20 Year Retrospective 1968-1988

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Jack Bruce's retrospective'Willpower'(1989), contains nigh on over two decades of his recorded artistry. Bruce's blues bent is inextricably linked to the writing of Pete Brown. It's no fluke that the 'cream' of representation here is from the stunning,'Songs For a Tailor', and 'Harmony Row' discs which brought the Bruce/Brown collaboration to full maturity. The perfection of these discs would surely disturb compilers forced to tamper with them to fit another whole. And I'd never suggest 'Willpower' could substitute for these superb discs. Bruce continues to record and the fruits are just as tastey even if the seasons are less frequent. Potent contrasts are integral to the vitality of his music. Not merely a 'white room with black curtains,' or the punster asked 'to a party to a house just by the moon. You gave me silver loving. The end was all too soon.' Bruce extended tonality in his playing, phrasing and voice as very few people did in the 70s and few do now. Soaring/plunging,raucous/hushed,elongated/compressed,accelerated/plodding - this is music that still takes me places.

This cd has probably been eclipsed in its worth now by the recently released box set but it still is a good overview of Mr. Bruce's output over the years leading up to its release. However, if you don't want to spring for the box set and still want an overview beyond this single disc you can't go past the 2 cd set 'Cities Of The Heart' where Jack rips through music from all nearly all facets of his career live with guests like Maddy Reilly; Gary Moore; Clem Clempson; Dick Heckstall-Smith; Bernie Worrell; Ginger Baker; Gary husband et al.