THE BEST OF BRAINBOX

Not really a "best of" album per say but a stop-gap 2nd LP from Dutch blues-rockers Brainbox. Plagued with personel problems throughout their short 3½ year existence this album features a collection of singles featuring 3 different line-ups with vocalist Kaz Lux being the central component during the 1969-71 period which is featured here. Howling and crying the blues as well as incorporating folk- rock stylings from the UK Lux`s soul drenched vocals don`t immediately give the impression of an Amsterdam pop band emerging from the tail end of the sixties. Mostly song structured music, the fan of progressive rock nonetheless might find some music here worthy of note. Particularily from the other player of interest here, future Focus axe man Jan Akkerman. Akkerman certainly let`s the listener know that this is definitely a nod towards the future with his less straightforward guitar playing on 5 of the 12 tracks presented here. Unfortunately he was kicked out of the group as a result by their manager who had control of the Brainbox name. Because of Akkerman`s distinctive mor ecclectic style this album has the tendancy to sound like a Kaz Lux solo album with various musicians. The other guitarists, Herman Meyer, Rudy deQueljoe and John Schuurmsa also heard here have a much more "standard" approach and play it safer than Akkerman, although they do have their moments.

The dominant pieces for prog afficiados here are without question are the guitar- laden Dark Rose with Akkerman at the helm in addition to one of the best covers of George Gershwin`s "Summertime". Although Janis Joplin beat Brainbox in psyching it out the version here does the piece justice with Akkerman`s superior guitar treatments as well as his Hammond organ work. The only other cover that beats the Brainbox rendition that I`ve heard is perhaps the Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong collaboration! All the other tracks feature Lux`s emotive lyrics ( with the exception of "To You" and "Doomsday Train" which were penned by temporary guitarist Herman Meyer ) and for the most part it is Lux who is the real centerpiece on all the tracks. Shortly after the release of this album Lux recorded a few more singles with the band in the same blues/rock vein and then hit the road with a solo career, often playing with ex-members of Brainbox including a couple of solo collaborations with Akkerman.

"The Best Of Brainbox" has never been released in CD format and this is not likely to occur as all tracks have been made available by EMI Holland on the more recent 2002 CD compilation " The Very Best Brainbox Album Ever ". But for hunters of rock music artifacts it is signifigant both for the excellent cover artwork ( which actually has something to do with the band! ) and as a classic rock document from the fledgling early seventies rock scene from continental Europe. Definitely worth tracking down if you are a connoissuer of seventies vintage vinyl and haven`t dug up this treasure yet.