DANGER MONEY

By 1979, Allan Holdsworth and Bill Bruford drifted apart due to differences over the direction of the band's music in composition and due to differences typical of the time. Let's not forget that they were a super band, of enormous existing groups, all with careers and musical pedigree and very high egos (as well as their skills).

So with only the drummer Terry Bozzio joining in from Frank Zappa, they recorded "Danger Money", more in the vein of a power trio (did anyone mention Emerson, Lake & Palmer?) than in that of a 4-piece band or more.

Tracks like "Rendezvous 6:02" or "Carrying no cross" are excellent examples of jazz-prog sophistication. Because, we must not forget: by 1979, prog-rock was HISTORY! The "post" was punk and bands that came out of that lineage to use keyboards (Joy Division) and that were sophisticating the raw sound they brought from punk with synths.

In addition, people were on their way to completely despising the "disco era" in 1 year, where, for example, that same problem was "phagocytizing" the Bee Gees, very famous until 1979.

With "Nothing to Lose" we see the band doing a "proto-Asia", marking a song in the style that Asia would use as a basis for their first two albums.

"Danger Money" and many other albums that have been unfairly underrated are testaments to their era, capturing the innovation and spirit of the moment. That some criticize without understanding this, or worse, that they do so from a limited perspective and without respect for musical history, is not only frustrating, but also unfair to the artists and listeners who do value these works.