UNORTHODOX BEHAVIOUR

I bought this album solely because I´m a Genesis freak and decided I had to listen to everything their members were involved in, musically speaking. But I should warn anyone reading this review that I´m not a jazz rock/fusion fan. To really grab my atention it has to be something special, like Bill Brufford´s frist solo work, for exemple. In my opinion jazz rock always meant too much technique and little feeling. Or, as we say in Brazil, it is music for musicians.

So I approached this CD with caution, since it is labeled under that banner. And a fusion outfit they are, for sure, but that said, I also should point out that those guys are outstanding instrumentalists. Phil Collins is really a brilliant drummer. And a lot of the songs here are well above what you hear from jazz rock bands in general. As a whole I think this band, like Mahavishnu Orchestra and a few others, went beyond that genre´s boundaries and truly deserve to be in the under the progressive umbrella. Tracks like Born Ugly are quite prog rock and it successfully avoids most fusion cliches. Most of the stuff here is quite pleasant and has some really interesting, rich arrangements and the playing is nothing less than superb. Those guys really cook. the title track is quite experimental and one of the best prog-jazz works I´ve seen in years.

I was glad to find this band after all this time. They´ve surpassed my expectations and I´m looking forward to hear Unorthodox Behaviour´s follow up. Very strong debut indeed. If you´re interested in knowing a good, progressive jazz rock band and is not a real fan of the style, try this album. It might surprises you like it did to me. Four stars.