DO THEY HURT?

I had never heard of Brand X until this album came out. Right off the bat, the most distinct thing about this group was Percy Jones the bass player. His sound reminds me of Jaco Pastorius but his tone, sense of space and funky melodic inclinations are very much his own. In my opinion he defines the "Brand X" sound. That being said,what initially attracted me to this CD was the composition "Fragile". The interplay between drummer, bass player and keyboard player really push this piece forward without having to suffer through long, convoluted solos. It is indeed a fragile piece played with delicate, refined musicality and sustained harmonic unpredictability (a bit reminiscent of Frank Zappa's "Rubber Shirt"). There is also a conciseness and clarity of form in this work that pervades all the pieces in this collection. The results of which bring fusion almost into the "pop" realm (think Steely Dan going completely fusion).

What is also evident either in the music, the great cover art, the titles of the compositions or the liner notes by Monty Python's Michael Palin, is a sense of humor. These guys sound like they were having fun through out the entire process of completing this album. This humoristic element I usually find lacking in these fusiony outings.

Overall there is a spontaneity here in some very structured compositions that makes for a continually enjoyable outing for the ears and also provides a leaning platform for the green musician who wants to expand his or her playing chops and understanding of how to interact musically with other players.

Though Brand X may have created more accomplished music on other projects, this CD (for me) still stands the test of time in terms of over all memorable excursions into fusion. I also really love the chord progression in "Voidarama" - beautiful stuff.