Songs For Jack

The first time I heard a Jack Bruce solo album was when I was in college my second time around and I was looking for ideas when a friend of mine handed me a Jack Bruce box set of his music. I knew about his solo albums, but did not actually pay attention to them. I really though honestly the star of Cream was Eric Clapton. It was always Clapton this and Clapton that. I liked Ginger Baker because of his work with Bill Frisell and Fela Kuti. I really did not give Jack Bruce the recognition that he deserved. When I looked at my Cream Box set I realized that Eric was great, but the greater was Jack Bruce. He wrote most of the songs on the Cream albums. He co-wrote their two famous hits "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love." Jack's writing was on most of the Cream albums. His music was wonderfully done and he really is the brains behind one of the best super groups.

The music is really not bluesy like Cream albums but a sound like Jazzy and with Chris Spedding and John Marshall on guitar and drums the album has keeps that Jazzy tone. Both Spedding and Marshall made careers out of not doing the money maker and playing on all kinds of session work in these kinds of settings. Jon Hiseman also provides drums too and his different twist adds also to a well balanced different album. It really shows how great they are on most of the songs. I saw this box set and really regret not getting it then when I really like what I hear now. The horns make the album and it is really so much different from those Cream albums because it shows that Jack Bruce could be different then the rest of the Cream. His lyrics are quite good and you can tell right away that he wants to be heard more then most. Songs like "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out of Tune" and "Theme For An Imaginary Western" are really great. "Theme..." was a minor hit for Mountain.



The history is important because this album is one of the most unique fusions of jazz with pop and contains less emphasis on the blues, a genre so essential to Bruce's career. The music is fresh and different then what you expect from a man who was in Cream. The elements of cello, guitar, bass, horns and drums is uniquely different. Jack Bruce proves too all of us that he was unique to this world. If you hear this now compared to back in 1969 you can tell that it is a bit dated, but it still sounds very fresh and interesting. I did not quite get what he was aiming for, but now I get it. I like it and to me Jack Bruce is wonderfully different to all the heavy Psychedelic that was out then.

Even an old out-take from Cream's Disraeli Gears shows up on this album and it's a quite different interpretation. "Weird of Hermiston" could have been added, but more then likely got outvoted by Clapton and Baker. You can tell his ideas were there even back in 1967. He was brought up well working with Alex Korner and his Bluesy/Jazzy sound. He would continue this trend with a lot of his solo albums. His next one in 1971 was Things We Like was really like jazz with full of Post Bop and Free Jazz and guest John McLaughlin that is where things start to take shape.



Jack Bruce is a unique individual and his music is more then enough to digest. His stuff for the longest time stayed out of my sight, but I am glad that I got acquainted with his music. He should be listened to and show have a voice. People should not remember his for his Cream contributions but other great things as well. A lyric sheet is enclosed and displays the serious nature of this project. It is picture perfect in construction, performance, and presentation. Enjoy this album and I am sure you too will be telling your friends about how great he is with high praise. Enjoy!!!