What does it sound like?:
Early in 1980 Bruce gathered Clem Clempson (guitar), David Sancious (keyboards) and Billy Cobham (drums) for a run of concerts. It created the impetus for this album In addition to a sparkly remaster, (it was previously remastered in 2015) there are 4 CDs of live shows which were made took place ahead of the album release.
Bruce and chums are found in a less experimental but still jazzy vibe. The studio CD opens with “Hit and Run”, so accessible as to be almost conventional with a blinding vocal from Bruce and just enough funk to make toes tap. “Running Back” continues in the same progressive pop vein, Clem Clempson’s guitar, which gets it’s first workout here, managing to be muscular without overbearing.
“Face Lift 318” is more sleight however, with Bruce leaning back into his more familiar free flowing roots, and by “In This Way” Bruce’s vocals complete for attention with the time changes and Sancious keyboards. “Mickey The Fiddler”, a carry over from the “Jet Set Jewel” album that never was, is hard to define as anything but a muddle and invites a swift fast forward to the sub disco of “Dancing On Air” where sadly the ordinary music just isn’t on the same plain as Bruce’s vocal.
“Livin Without Ja” offers the first up tempo rocker but oddly for someone as determinedly unpredictable as Bruce is rather reliant of a single riff. “Ja” here seems to be “You” rather than anything Rastafarian. “Wind And The Sea” is a gentle ditty, quickly gone before Clempson’s dirty guitar and uncredited harmonica introduce the stomping blues of “Out To Lunch”, which is too easy a target to let pass as what could have been the title of the whole album. “Bird Alone” closes the album with some full on jazz pomp that Bruce fans will have been familiar with and no doubt wondering why it only shows up at the end here.
The first live set is from the Bottom Line in NYC in March 1980. Bruce was always willing to play a few Cream standards and he opens with” White Room” which in a four piece format lends more emphasis to the keyboards. Clempson’s guitar growls, is wah-wah heavy and suddenly I can’t recall who God was. Or is.
“Jet Set Jewel” is up next, a brave move given it was still 23 years away from a full release, and isn’t half bad to be honest given his magnificent voice over a solid jazz funk backdrop. “Post War” harks back to the “Harmony Row” album, up beat and unpredictable as ever (why have one time signature when you can have 3) with Bruce’s bass carrying the melody. Elsewhere there are call backs to “Born Under a Bad Sign” which lets Clempson loose in lock step with Bruce, “Politician” (I confess I’ve never got on with this one), “Sunshine of Your Love” (fairly perfunctory) and “Theme From An Imaginary Western”, which sees Clempson soar and remains fairly faithful to the original.
Only “Bird Alone” prefaces the album about to be recorded, where they go beyond cooking into fully on manic – Bruce can hardly get the words out. Quite a contrast with the mellow, dreamlike reggae infused “Childsong” that went before.
A couple of rare covers are also tucked away here. “The Loner” first appeared the year before on Cozy Powell’s “Over The Top” album. A shoe in for the theme song for a down at heel private eye TV drama. Bruce and Clempson played on it, a tribute to Jeff Beck by keyboard player Max Middleton. Live it’s a Clempson showpiece with more rough edges here than the “OTT” incarnation and an immediate favorite of mine.
The other is a run at Billy Cobham’s “Quadrant 4”, from his “Spectrum” album. As any Tommy Bolin fan will know, “Quadrant” features one of the most unhinged guitar work this side of Eddie Van Halen, and Clempson has big shoes to fill. He gets close but needs thicker socks. It was always going to be tough to match the original screech for screech.
The two remaining CDs are a live set from a gig in Denver the month before the album release. This set isn’t marked different from the NYC version but it does give Bruce tifoso a chance to hear some of the “Always Wanted” album live. The Cream tracks plus “Westren” are still there but the other covers are gone and the new album is more evident. “Hit and Run” is looser and more jangly, before a sharp left turn into “Clempson’s Blues”, a slow work out which is at odds pretty much with everything else here.
Billy Cobham’s drumming is unmistakable, busier than on the album and propels songs along. “Living Without Ja” is most a boogie, while “Dancing On Air” has more room to breathe but Cobham still injects some crescendo. “Facelift 318” provides a brief interlude of tranquility but the pace returns across “Politician”, “Sunshine” and “Bird Alone”.
The reception at the time was mostly lukewarm. Despite the stellar band, the songwriting seemed sub par and Bruce’s determination to genre hop seemed to have run out of runway. It was around 4 years before he returned having become fascinated with synths, spending time with Robin Trower and Jon Anderson along the way. I think this remaster is really for completists only but at a touch under £34 for 5 cds it’s reasonably priced.
What does it all *mean*?
£50 man loves a box set and £15 change
Goes well with…
Not the place to start if you don’t know Bruce.
Release Date:
25 September 2026
Might suit people who like…
Other Jack Bruce solo work.
Great review. Sounds interesting speaking as a big Clempson fan. Possibly streaming only but I’ll certainly give it a listen.
Incidentally I discovered a great BC live album called “Flight Time” featuring Don Grolnick – who provides funky keys all over “The Royal Scam”, and Brecker Bros alumni Barry Finnerty on guitar. Steaming rock fusion ensues. Also worth a listen.