Search - Jack Bruce :: Can You Follow

Long Overdue, Exceptional Collection

Tony Zipple Thresholds | 09/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a Jack Bruce fan for almost 40 years. His work in Cream started a life long love affair with the blues for me. He is a great song writer, a great singer, and one of the 10 best blues/rock bass players ever. However, his story is far greater the Cream. This collection really does justice to his long and illustrious career. It includes a disk of his work before Cream, a disk of Cream (with a couple of cuts from his Manfred Mann days) and 4 disks of post Cream music. What really stands out is the range of his music and the range of other musicians represented here. Zappa, John McLaughlin, John Mayall, Leslie West, Carla Bley, Billy Cobham, Clapton, Ginger Baker... The list goes on. It is extraordinary to consider what a long and varied career Bruce has had and the extensive contributions that he has made to rock, blues, and jazz. It is is an inspiring look at the career of an inspiring musician. It is hard to go wrong with this one. If only there was a DVD to go with it!"

An Essential Box For Fans of a British Rock Institution

Rik K | Vancouver, Canada | 02/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a feast! Scroll through the track listing and you'll see what an amazing selection these six discs hold. Aside from his many solo albums, Jack Bruce has played with many stars of Blues, Rock and Jazz; many different artists are thus featured here. A whole lot of time & TLC went into this project, and it shows. There's a few rare tracks and previously-unreleased goodies too. Bruce is perhaps best known for his innovative and influential bass playing, but he should be at least equally famous for being an extraordinary composer and singer as well. The man's career goes back nearly 50 years, and listening to this box is something of a tutorial on postwar Anglo music. From earliest white blues, through psychedelia, hard rock, jazz-rock, Fairlight-driven 80s pop, world music and drums n' bass, Bruce has nearly tried it all. Remarkably, every style he tried retained his trademark identity, solid songwriting and quirky originality. And he proves, hands down, that there is always a welcome place for interesting and articulate bass playing, no matter what the decade or genre. Jack Bruce is one of music's greatest treasures, and this box serves his legacy very well."

40 years of thinking outside the box.

rick from Boston | 11/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a great set of music from one of Scotlands finest. From the earliest recordings on this set(1962) to the latest(2003), you get a nice sampling of Jack Bruces' varied tastes. The man never sits still. Never repeats himself. Few "rock" musicians have diversified themselves as much as Jack has over the years. To me, one of the most imazing things about his career, is how much he was involved in bands that changed peoples thinking about music. Coming from a jazz background, he introduced jazz to rock via Cream's legendary improvisational jamming. Then he turns around and through the Tony Williams Lifetime introduces rock to jazz. And never receives the credit for it. This set touches upon all of this. A wonderful overview of an amazing career. Now we wait for the live music set!!"