Brand X was some other ane of those bands who were dearest of other musicians too the to a greater extent than discerning of critics but which despite everything, never had the commercial success that it deserved.
They were a jazz fusion band active 1975–1980. Noted members included Phil Collins (drums), Percy Jones (bass), John Goodsall (guitar) too Robin Lumley (keyboards). Not long later jazz/rock fusion greats Brand X release their 1980 album, Do They Hurt?, the band members went their split ways (until their comeback inwards 1992, which alone featured Goodsall too Jones).
However, they notwithstanding owed their tape label ane to a greater extent than album. The solution? Release a rarities album! The problem, though, was that Brand X hardly had whatsoever unreleased cloth inwards the vaults at all; most 3 or 4 tracks at the most. But with a piddling doctoring & remixing of tapes, keyboardist Robin Lumley extended that issue to vi tracks (still scant, but amend than four), too released Brand X's appropriately-titled collection, Is There Anything About?, inwards 1982.
It is the finally album to characteristic Phil Collins on drums too includes some absolutely gorgeous slices of Brand X at their real best. This is a peculiar album; at the fourth dimension many critics panned it, oftentimes because it didn't audio anything similar the anodyne popular music that Phil Collins was making elsewhere inwards his career. However, inwards my persuasion too that of thousands of fans worldwide, it acts equally a satisfying coda to a trunk of survive that has real few paralells inwards the footing of Jazz fusion.
Is it a masterpiece? No. But is it bad? Absolutely not. "Is There Anything About?" DOES incorporate some real cool Brand X nuggets. Even the "filler" tracks, inwards my opinion, are enjoyable. Let's depository fiscal establishment gibe out the material, shall we?:
"Ipanemia": written past times guitarist John Goodsall, this acre is an first-class jazz/rock popper. Very cool too breezy."A Longer April": this runway is just what it says it is---a longer version of "April," from 1979's "Product." Either this is how Brand X originally recorded the melody earlier having to edit it downward for the "Product" album, or Robin Lumley extended the runway past times doing some re-mixing on it. Either way it's a real dreamy, pleasant piece, too I similar it. I too similar the spacey piddling dyad department that's been added to it. "TMIU-ATGA": equally the liner notes say, the championship stands for "They're Making It Up As They Go Along." Lumley, swain keyboardist Peter Robinson too bassist John Giblin improvised this curt acre inwards ane take, too Lumley stuck it onto the album. Filler? Perhaps. Instrumental noodling? Perhaps. But it's interesting."Swan Song": a fun, poppy, keyboard-heavy instrumental, with a big "Ohh-ohh" chorus at the finale. Some fans reacted to this runway with, "Oh my God, they've gone pop!" Chill out, you lot guys. I yell upwards there's ever been an oh-so-subtle popular influence to a *little bit* of Brand X's music (just a piddling bit, hear you), too then I don't hear if the band become whole Sus scrofa too gain a rare, full-on pop-music piece. And "Swan Song" IS a real skillful pop-music piece."Is There Anything About?": Now hither is a Brand X instrumental no ane should receive got whatsoever complaints about. I can't tell when the band genuinely recorded it, but it is a smokin' hot, jammin' piece, simply equally corking & funky equally anything Brand X receive got recorded inwards the past. Brilliant."Modern, Noisy, And Effective": Brand X become popular over again (gasp!) with a re-mixed, pop-flavored instrumental rendering of the vocal "Soho," originally from "Product." Extra keyboards too handclaps are tossed into the mix. Again, I don't receive got a work with it. It's a fun acre with a skillful groove.And, to exceed off the album, the band's performances are juuuust fine, give cheers you lot real much, with Lumley, Giblin, Goodsall too ace drummer Phil Collins all getting inwards some tasty licks (as good equally bassist Percy Jones on the outstanding championship track).
I'm happy to receive got it sitting amongst classic Brand X albums similar "Unorthodox Behaviour," "Moroccan Roll," too their first-class comeback unloose from 1992, "X-Communication." I give "Is There Anything About?" 3 1/2 stars, thus, 4 stars on the average curve. I know it's a pretty darn hard CD to larn a concur of these days, but gain assay it out. If you lot are a Brand X fan, PLEASE receive got an opened upwards hear with "Is There Anything About?", too I promise you lot similar it. I do!
Notes
This album is outtakes from the Product (1979) sessions.
TMIU-ATGA agency "they're making it upwards equally they become along".
"A Longer April" is a re-engineered version of "April" from the Product (1979) sessions.
"Modern, Noisy, too Effective" is a recycling of the backing runway of "Soho" from the "Product" album; that runway had been engineered past times Collins, who was described equally "modern, noisy, too effective." This phrase, inwards fact, outset appears inwards the celluloid "Three Dates with Genesis" (1978); the narrator describes the scene inwards which the phase has been torn downward too all the equipment loaded into trucks thus: "Like the stone band they service, the trucks are noisy, modern, too effective; at 2:30 on a Fri morning, they survive out Mannheim to drive halfway across Europe to the Dutch border."
Tracks Listing
1. Ipanaemia (4:30)
2. H5N1 Longer Apr (7:00)
3. Tmiu-Atga (5:07)
4. Swan Song (5:30)
5. Is There Anything About? (7:52)
6. Modern, Noisy, too Effective (3:56)
Total Time: 33:55
Line-up / Musicians
- Phil Collins / drums too concussion (1-3)
- Percy Jones / bass (5)
- John Giblin / bass, Whitbread, vocal (1-4,6)
- Robin Lumley / keyboards too vocal
- Peter Robinson / keyboards (6)
- John Goodsall / guitar
- Raf Ravenscroft / saxophone (2)
- Stephen Short / syndrums too vocal (4)
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